PUBLISHED July 28th, 2017 07:00 am | UPDATED December 15th, 2024 09:47 pm
In this edition of City Nomads Radio, The Beat Usagi, also known as Kevin Ho who’s also the editor at Honeycombers shares with us his love for dance music, his debut single, and his hopes of inspiring other like-minded producers to step up and create more original dance compositions in Singapore and the region.
Inspired by the likes of sombre tech-house of Mind Against, the UK-friendly jackin’ sounds of Patrick Topping, and even the techno musings of Sven Väth, The Beat Usagi is an audial manifestation of Kevin’s fondness for the four-on-the-floor. Razor-sharp beats, sticky basslines, and interjecting synths are the common factors you’ll spot in his DIY productions.
In his debut single, “Zamza“, Kevin plays with a plonky hook, playful arpeggios, acid-esque riffs, and a blaring climax inspired by the theatrical likes of Hans Zimmer.
When did your love for electronic music started?
That’s a toughie. I reckon my first vivid memory would be the Pet Shop Boys during their campy “Paninaro” days. The big beat phenomenon hit me hard in my teens – particularly from The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy – followed by the electro movement, and the passion just built up from there. Also, if there was one ‘live’ act in my childhood who helped me cross over into electronic music, it’d definitely have to be Björk.
Describe your sound in less than 10 words.
Sticky grooves; puncturing beats; made-in-Singapore floor thumpers.
As a music punter and a journalist, who are the 5 best acts that you’ve seen this year?
Another head-scratcher, this one! In no particular order: Rødhåd at the Pitch Festival in Melbourne, Peggy Gou at Headquarters by The Council, Headless Horseman at Wonderfruit in Thailand, Sven Väth at Zouk, and Green Velvet at Contact in Tokyo.
If there’s one track that you can put on repeat, what is it?
Probably “Computer Love” by Kraftwerk. Or “Star Guitar” by The Chemical Brothers.
Will we be seeing you playing music to people soon?
I hope so! Right now, I’m focusing more on the production side of things. One primary motivation for me to kick-start The Beat Usagi was to create original house and tech-house music that’s made in Singapore. While Singapore has a vast pool of extraordinary DJs in the scene, the producer end of the things (when it comes to house music) is relatively lighter. That said, being a DJ and producer are two completely different things, and some people tend to blur the lines, or think that the former hasn’t ‘made it’ until he or she has songs to their name. That’s baloney. As for me, I just wanna grow into a decent producer representing the Red Dot, and make a couple of tunes for my DJ acquaintances to bust out.
For you, is the dancefloor a lonely place where you lose yourself in music or a communal place where you feel connected to everyone?
If you love the music, you’re never lonely. Some people have this apprehension – me too, in the past – about going to a party alone. But when you’re feeding off the energy of everyone in the room – whether it’s five or a hundred – you become a part of something special. That’s pretty much the basis of our local dance community, I feel; the connections remain even when the lights come on. That said, please don’t be a dick on the dancefloor.
Tell us a little bit more about your mixtape for City Nomads.
I try various things with The Beat Usagi, from UK-seasoned ‘jackin’-house to darker tech-house you’d expect from a sweaty warehouse rave at 4am. Likewise, I’m inspired by everyone from Patrick Topping and Hot Since 82, to Cristoph and Pan-Pot. In this one-hour mixtape, I tease just an inkling of this diversty in my sound, including three of my singles that I’ve put out so far: “Zamza”, “Bahns”, and my newest single exclusively on City Nomads Radio, “Tobuu”.
Any shouts?
First up, to all the DJs who I’ve had the privilege of meeting through the years – I wouldn’t have been inspired to start The Beat Usagi without them. In particular, big ups to Oliver Osborne who believed in me early on and reached out to collaborate on our track “Fisticuffs”; Lindo Martinez who turns my tracks into magic; and DJs who’ve given my tracks a chance in their sets such as KFC and CATS ON CRACK. Oh, and also all the media publications who’ve given me a voice in the region – you guys especially, City Nomads.
To stay updated of The Beat Usagi’s latest news and productions, follow him here:
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All photos credit to Darissa Lee / Honeycombers.