Welcoming the brilliant London-based, Singapore-born artist SKETCH to the Untitled 909 mix series.
Resident at local party famfem, SKETCH is no stranger to the London club circuit. Having played at renowned events such as Riposte, Body Movements, Queens Yard Summer Party, Origins and playbody to name a few, SKETCH has quickly become known for her love of industrial-leaning soundscapes and emotive journeys that draws influence from her Malay / Indonesian heritage. Something that she is now learning to do through her own productions and reconnecting with her heritage through her deep research on samples and the traditional instruments and sounds that are used in Malay / Indonesian music. Releasing her debut single ‘Khayal’ earlier this year, to great acclaim (being named one to watch by DJ Mag), SKETCH says the track was ‘mostly inspired by the traditional Javanese dance called Kuda Kepang, a dance ritual by dancers on a two-dimensional horse’ and will soon see remixes of the track from some of her friends. With an EP in the works too, we’re super excited to see where SKETCH is heading and can’t wait to hear more from her productions.
In the accompanying interview, we chat to SKETCH about early music influences, what her production journey has been like, the experience of reconnecting with her heritage via music, deep diving into the influences behind ‘Khayal’ and much more.
Hey Syirr! How are you doing? What have you been up to lately?
Hey love, baik sekali aka I’m great! I’ve been mashing beats and bops on Ableton. Got a few mates to do a remix of Khayal, to be released soon! 🙂
Let’s start from the very beginning, what was your first introduction to music in general and then more specifically electronic music?
My introduction to music was mostly through my brother. I think I grew up trying to be like him because he is a cool dude. He showed me artists like Steve Vai, Metallica, and a bit of trance. I was also introduced to hip hop by my parents, only because they got the wrong MC Hammer album – Oaktown, such a sick album. Not to mention the introduction to Bollywood music via my mum and aunt. And I used to fiddle with the radio station when no one was home and fell in love with the classical station.
Then I started going to indie/electronic nights when I turned a bit older. However, the moment that sealed the deal for electronic music for me was Gilles Peterson’s 2011 mix by Shlohmo. I played it on repeat when I was in Shanghai that year. It really set the tone for my trip, and I thought, I want to be able to do this—making mixes so people can daydream, I guess. I still listen to that mix every now and then to reminisce.
Who was the first artist or band that you were a fan of?
If I am being honest, Metallica for sure because everyone in the family is a fan.
Was there a formative moment growing up, whether that’s seeing your favourite band live or an incredible DJ set, that led you to this path?
There wasn’t a lot of creative things to do growing up in a small city, so going to almost every music event every other weekend was a huge part of my upbringing, making it a gradual formative moment. From seeing bands like The Prodigy, Cradle of Filth, Mew, Sigur Ros, to artists like Robyn, Lykke Li, Blonde Redhead. And going to clubs to see Crystal Castles, Digitalism, Nosaj Thing, and Koop—that pretty much led me to this path.
There weren’t a lot of opportunities to see my favourite DJs back home because the rave scene was tiny or just starting out. But now, having moved across the world, I get to see them whenever they are in London!
How does your environment inform your work?
I am so grateful to be living in an environment like London, although it can feel equally intimidating and uplifting at the same time. Everyone here is incredibly talented, both in and outside of the music realms, and I am lucky to be surrounded by these babes who are supportive of one another.
My friends really inspire me to push myself even further. I feel like I can carve out my own space and identity with my sounds, which gives me the confidence to mix traditional sounds into electronic music.
Where do you look for sources of inspiration outside of music?
Gaming—I grew up gaming a lot, like Doom, Wolfenstein, MDK, etc. I think that’s why a lot of my upcoming tracks sound as if you are on a quest. There are also quite a few gaming foley sounds that I try to replicate.
Congratulations on the release of your debut single ‘Khayal’! What has your production journey looked like to get to the point of releasing your first track?
Thank you! ❤ I have made three other tracks prior to Khayal. I thought this one sounded great on its own, so I decided to self-release it as a single. This was the fifth or sixth track that I made that I felt confident enough to share with the world.
I have always wanted to make music, been in punk bands, messed around with drumming a bit, but they never stuck. However, coming from a background where I use a lot of 3D programs, it came quite naturally to me to work my way through Ableton, although some of it was happy incidental discoveries.
Could you tell us the story behind this track? What inspired this single and what’s the story behind the name?
Khayal means to be in a psychologically induced state, usually through a form of trance. It is mostly inspired by the traditional Javanese dance called Kuda Kepang, a dance ritual by dancers on a two-dimensional horse. Growing up, there were a lot of Kuda Kepang dances happening around where we lived, but my siblings and I were forbidden to see them because my mum believed there was bad energy coming from it—dancers would sometimes be so deep in trance that they would eat glass as part of these rituals.
I was attracted to the hypnotic gamelan and upbeat percussion that played in the background. I think, in a way, I am using this to mix eastern into western sounds, bridging the gap for underrepresented groups in the electronic world.
The single blends together your Malay / Indonesian heritage, what has your experience been like connecting with your heritage via music? Where have you looked for inspiration?
It has been quite wild actually. I grew up not loving who I was as a Malay person. There was so much racism, and there still are a lot of negative connotations to it. I steered away from my Malay-ness as much as possible, which was really sad. I believe being able to see myself from an outside perspective, as in being alone in a new country, I was able to relearn and reclaim my sense of identity.
It is nice to be able to go into deep research about my heritage and apply it to my productions. Malay/Indonesian culture uses a lot of percussions and mallets in our sounds. One thing that has been hard is not being in Asia. I would love to be able to get physical copies of the albums I found. There aren’t a lot of samples out there, and it is hard to recreate some sounds—it would always require a band or collective of people to make gamelan or kompang sounds.
You’ve contributed a mix for the 909 series, what’s the concept behind this one?
To showcase as many local (Singapore) or Asian talents as I can, with blends of genres. Some Singaporean producers like Isyraf with his sick drumming, Primary Motif with his astral sounds. And a few Indonesian artists like Greybox & Yosugi, Gatra, ENNIO. I started off with some percussions then into one of my favorite film soundtracks! Annihilation by Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow—more spacey bits into slowing it down to one of my favorite producers, Trentemøller.
I find it hard for me to stick to one genre; I see DJing and making mixes as storytelling. It is very much how I felt when I first listened to Shlohmo’s mix.
What have been some of your favourite parties to play and why?
One of my favorites was playing for famfem, an event for women, femme pres, nb, and trans masc honeys. It felt so at home, and everyone there was so lovely. Another favorite is when I get to play Acid Techno 🙂
A track you’re obsessed with at the moment?
I have been playing so much of Nadir – Arkajo and Skee Mask – Dial 274
What are you looking forward to the most for Summer 2024?
Finishing my EP! And long beach days in Italy.
‘Khayal’ by SKETCH is out now – buy here.