Increasingly over the past few years, NUS has had its fair share of aspiring musicians and household names in the music industry emerging from its student and alumni population.

It would clearly be presumptuous of me to hypothesize from this that NUS is a breeding ground for musical talent.

However, NUS has indeed contributed significantly to the talent development of these musicians by creating and/or providing opportunities for them to discover, ignite and nurture their musical abilities.

Their time in NUS, coupled with their innate musical talents, served as a winning formula in kick starting their musical endeavors.

hooked: You mentioned that your participation in an Electronic Music Lab camp during NUS served as a stimulus in igniting your passion for producing dance music. Could you tell us a bit more about the nature of this camp, and how EML ignited the passion for producing dance music in you?

EML camp happens once a year and it's a melting pot for any NUS student who loves music. Being a music lover myself, I joined the EML camp in 2001. Case Woo, a local electronic music producer, was invited to showcase and share his experiences with us during the camp. It was his showmanship and honest advice that kick started my passion.

EML is well equipped with electronic keyboards and computers, and the seniors/advisors were there to guide us along. I thought that was the perfect time to start learning the art and craft of music production.

hooked: Your first taste of public recognition of your work was when your music received airplay on the now defunct Radio station Passion 99.5 FM. How did you manage to get airplay for your music, and what was your first music that was played over the airwaves?

It came as a surprise. I didn't know that my music got airplay until a friend of mine, who was a member of EML , heard the track and decided to record the radio show.

The show was about campus art scene and in that particular week, EML was featured and a copy of the EML music CD, with my track on it, was handed to the station. I guess the Radio DJ liked my track and there you go... I got my first 5 minutes of fame! 

hooked: So, how did it feel like, sharing your creation through a public domain such as a radio station?

The experience was a little surreal and I felt more motivated to produce more music upon hearing my track on air.

hooked: You have done remixes with some big names in the dance music field such as John Digweed, Hernan Cattaneo and Nic Fanciulli. How have these experiences been like and what are the key lessons that you have learnt from these people?

Generally for remixes, these DJs and producers will pass me parts of the original song and I will deconstruct the parts, say a drum loop, cut it, reverse it, put effects on it and make it my own sound, yet retaining the flavor of the original track at the end.

I think to make something great; one will have to do his or her homework. Plenty of listening to all sorts of music will stir my imagination further. Perseverance and consistency are essential as well.

hooked: You have also collaborated with local rock band Electrico. How different is the experience, collaborating with local artistes as compared to foreign artistes? Do you see more opportunities for further collaborations with other local acts?

Collaborating with Electrico is pretty much the same as with anyone else. What I did was a remix of their original track "Love in New Wave". Electrico passed me the parts, such as vocals and instrumentation and I will take it from there.

The remix is hitting the radio airwaves everywhere and also got featured on dance music charts all over the world. I definitely see more opportunities and possibilities of working with various local artistes in future.