Astreal
Encyclopedia
Astreal are an indie rock band, most often associated with the genres of post rock, shoegazing
, and noise pop
.
The band formed in Singapore
in 1996, although some date their origins to 1992 with their first incarnation as Breed. They are known for their incendiary live performances, as well as for being one of Singapore's first indie rock bands fronted by a female vocalist. Although they cite My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive
, and Curve
as influences, it is also known that past and current members have interests in industrial rock
, death metal
, black metal
, electronica
, and Japanese rock.
The current members are Ginette Chittick (bass/vocals), Muhammad Alkhatib (guitars), Joseph Chian (drums) and Jason Ang (keyboards/synths).
friends, it is rumored that their initial name was derived from the Godflesh
track 'Like Rats'. They recorded two rare cassette EPs, Dive Gemma and Chlorine Explosion, during this period. Pagit left the band in 1994. The remaining core of the band consisting of Alkhatib, William, and Alwyn would remain consistent until 2002.
's Singapore subsidiary. Melissa left the band in 1999.
Nick Chan and the band then parted ways at the end of 2006. The band went on to be nominated for the Street Style Awards at the end of '06 and played several well received shows, Lime Sonic Bang, ZoukOut, Crossborders Kuala Lumpur and Explore Singapore as a three piece.
Juice magazine named Astreal the best band of 2007.
On Thursday March 12 2009, Astreal played on Channel 5
's 'Live n Loaded.'
Shoegazing
Shoegazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991...
, and noise pop
Noise pop
Noise pop is a subgenre of alternative rock developed in the mid 1980s in the UK and US, that mixes atonal noise or feedback, or both, with the melodic instrumentation and production elements more often found in pop music, making it more melodic and angst-free than noise rock.-History:Noise pop has...
.
The band formed in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in 1996, although some date their origins to 1992 with their first incarnation as Breed. They are known for their incendiary live performances, as well as for being one of Singapore's first indie rock bands fronted by a female vocalist. Although they cite My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive
Slowdive
Slowdive were an English shoegaze band that formed in 1989. The band formed in Reading, Berkshire and primarily consisted of Nick Chaplin , Rachel Goswell , Neil Halstead , and Christian Savill...
, and Curve
Curve (band)
Curve was an English music group formed in 1990 chiefly around the collaboration of singer/songwriter Toni Halliday and bassist/guitarist/programmer Dean Garcia.-History:...
as influences, it is also known that past and current members have interests in industrial rock
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
, death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
, black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
, electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, and Japanese rock.
The current members are Ginette Chittick (bass/vocals), Muhammad Alkhatib (guitars), Joseph Chian (drums) and Jason Ang (keyboards/synths).
1992 - 1994
The original Astreal line-up were formerly known as Breed, consisting of members Pagit Yong (vocals), Muhammad Alkhatib (guitars), William de Silva (bass), and Alwyn Lim (drums). Formed in 1992 among junior collegeJunior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
friends, it is rumored that their initial name was derived from the Godflesh
Godflesh
Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham, England. Originally known as Fall of Because, they formed in 1988 by Justin K. Broadrick and G.C. Green and disbanded in 2002. Godflesh's innovative music is widely regarded as a foundational influence on industrial metal and post-metal...
track 'Like Rats'. They recorded two rare cassette EPs, Dive Gemma and Chlorine Explosion, during this period. Pagit left the band in 1994. The remaining core of the band consisting of Alkhatib, William, and Alwyn would remain consistent until 2002.
1995 - 1999
With the departure of their vocalist, the remaining members recruited Melissa Lim as their vocalist and decided on a new band name, 'Astreal'. This line-up recorded the album Ouijablush which was released by Pony CanyonPony Canyon
is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966 , which publishes music, DVD and VHS videos, movies and video games. It is a subsidiary of Japanese Media Group, Fujisankei Communications Group.-History:...
's Singapore subsidiary. Melissa left the band in 1999.
1999 - 2002
Astreal's search for a new vocalist ended soon after with the recruitment of Ginette Chittick, a bass player formerly with female punk rockers PsychoSonique. With Ginette handling vocal and bass duties, William switched to the guitar and became notorious for his use of multiple effects gadgets, creating coruscating sheets of noise at live performances. During this period, Astreal's signature sound would take a darker-sounding orientation due to the new direction of the band's sonic template. It was also this period where the band wrote several of the songs, including 'Projektion', 'Wallflower', and 'Losing You', that would go into the making of their second album. William left the band in 2003 due to musical differences.2002 – 2006
With William's departure, the band recruited Nick Chan as a second guitarist and producer to continue writing and performing. Alwyn left the band in 2003 to pursue a doctorate in sociology. Reduan Hussin was added soon after as a replacement drummer and the band got down to writing This is Dormant, Lover and the Sea, Ceremony and With Child. The band released their second album, Fragments Of The Same Dead Star in 2006 on Wallwork Records, distributed by EMI.Nick Chan and the band then parted ways at the end of 2006. The band went on to be nominated for the Street Style Awards at the end of '06 and played several well received shows, Lime Sonic Bang, ZoukOut, Crossborders Kuala Lumpur and Explore Singapore as a three piece.
2007 - Present
After remaining under the radar for several months in the early part of 2007, Astreal performed their first solo show 'Lover and the Sea' at the Recital Studio Esplanade. The show saw the introduction of Jason Ang as keyboardist and fourth member of the band. The title of the show is said to symoblise new beginnings.Juice magazine named Astreal the best band of 2007.
On Thursday March 12 2009, Astreal played on Channel 5
MediaCorp TV Channel 5
MediaCorp Channel 5 or Channel 5 is a 24-hour free-to-air English and Malay language television channel based in Singapore....
's 'Live n Loaded.'