Darren Tan

DJ — Singapore

01Profile

A Darren Tan Photo

03Interview

Name, where are you from?
Darren Tan, Singapore.

What music defines the teenage you?
A lot of aggression and productive time not well spent. Punk, hardcore and many sub-genres of metal.

A song from your favourite album?
This is the hardest question ever, but Nujabes' 'Aruarian Dance' takes the crown.

Best song to turn up loud?
BadBadNotGood Ft Colin Stetson – Confessions, Pt.III.

What new music are you listening to?
The new wave of British Jazz (artists like Shabaka Hutchings and his projects like Sons of Kemet) as well as Japanese Jazz reissues (Tohru Aizawa Quartet).

What are you working on at the moment?
White Label, a record store and bar concept which we (vinyl of the day) just launched. Singapore Community Radio, which also broadcasts out of White Label. As well in the studios with some music that might see release on Syndicate before the end of the year.

04Playlist Notes

Here’s a playlist of songs that I listened to as a teenager

'Do They Owe Us a Livin?' by Crass.

'Boot Down The Doors' by Oi Polloi.
One of my favourite political punk bands.

'Mirror In The Bathroom' by The Beat.

The next few are seminal British Ska bands and tracks that influenced music for many years to come. I actually only came to listen to many of these songs later in my teenage years as I was searching more music to immerse myself in. I was never really into Reggae and Dub before this.

'The Magnificent Seven' by The Clash.

'A Message to You, Rudy' by Dandy.

'Too Much Pressure' by The Selecter.

'Baggy Trousers' by Madness.

'Gangsters' by The Specials.

'Let's Push Things Forward' by The Streets.
I was working at HMV when this album came out, I was fortunate to be in full control of what music to play in my department of the store, and for many months this was on heavy rotation.

'Witness (1 Hope)' by Roots Manuva.
One simply cannot-not know Roots Manuva.

'Next Hype - Vocal' by Tempa T.

And to end off this playlist here are 2 proper hard yardie tunes.

'Topper Top (Kahn & Neek Remix) by Sir Spyro feat. Lady Chann, Killa P, Teddy Bruckshot, Kahn, Neek.
Proper moshpit business.

03Interview

Name, where are you from?
Darren Tan, Singapore.

What music defines the teenage you?
A lot of aggression and productive time not well spent. Punk, hardcore and many sub-genres of metal.

A song from your favourite album?
This is the hardest question ever, but Nujabes' 'Aruarian Dance' takes the crown.

Best song to turn up loud?
BadBadNotGood Ft Colin Stetson – Confessions, Pt.III.

What new music are you listening to?
The new wave of British Jazz (artists like Shabaka Hutchings and his projects like Sons of Kemet) as well as Japanese Jazz reissues (Tohru Aizawa Quartet).

What are you working on at the moment?
White Label, a record store and bar concept which we (vinyl of the day) just launched. Singapore Community Radio, which also broadcasts out of White Label. As well in the studios with some music that might see release on Syndicate before the end of the year.

04Playlist Notes

Here’s a playlist of songs that I listened to as a teenager

'Do They Owe Us a Livin?' by Crass.

'Boot Down The Doors' by Oi Polloi.
One of my favourite political punk bands.

'Mirror In The Bathroom' by The Beat.

The next few are seminal British Ska bands and tracks that influenced music for many years to come. I actually only came to listen to many of these songs later in my teenage years as I was searching more music to immerse myself in. I was never really into Reggae and Dub before this.

'The Magnificent Seven' by The Clash.

'A Message to You, Rudy' by Dandy.

'Too Much Pressure' by The Selecter.

'Baggy Trousers' by Madness.

'Gangsters' by The Specials.

'Let's Push Things Forward' by The Streets.
I was working at HMV when this album came out, I was fortunate to be in full control of what music to play in my department of the store, and for many months this was on heavy rotation.

'Witness (1 Hope)' by Roots Manuva.
One simply cannot-not know Roots Manuva.

'Next Hype - Vocal' by Tempa T.

And to end off this playlist here are 2 proper hard yardie tunes.

'Topper Top (Kahn & Neek Remix) by Sir Spyro feat. Lady Chann, Killa P, Teddy Bruckshot, Kahn, Neek.
Proper moshpit business.