Bussy Temple Carves Out A Safe Space For Trans, Non-Binary and Femme Individuals On The Dancefloor
Whoever’s called Singapore’s nightlife options predictable has clearly not been out much. Following the pandemic, a rush of music-loving party organisers – new and existing alike – has been producing independently spirited, multidisciplinary events that are anything but the typical club experience. The schedule and locations aren’t fixed and often surprise. The music spans sub-genres you might not have even heard of, and art and fashion collaborations are a popular affair. So energetic is the scene that the dilemma for revellers is almost one of having too many choices on any given weekend and not knowing which to head to (or how to conquer them all). Here, get to know the people behind Bussy Temple.
THE PARTY: Bussy Temple
STARTED: April 2022
WHO’S BEHIND IT: The queer eponymous collective comprising artists Jo Ho and Kai, DJ Zenon, engineer Bruce and photographers Minsoo and Nydia (all with the exception of the first two requested to go by first names only).
THE LOCATION: The independent arts company T:>Works’ cavernous 72-13 space on Mohamed Sultan Road has been the home of Bussy Temple since May this year after the group staged a few nights at the izakaya-by-day, club-by-night Ikigai a stone’s throw away at The Riverwalk. The latest party (the seventh) was titled "Xenoflesh" and took place at MDLR – another increasingly popular venue for independent electronic parties – on Dec 16. It was billed as an "immersive performance art and techno rave" that explored the blurred boundaries between machine, nature, and the mutant-human. Intrigued?
READ MORE: One Night Of Utopia At Bussy Temple
THE VIBE: The first Bussy Temple event was a small, by-invite-only party held inside an abandoned tunnel in early 2022 with the crowd made up mostly of friends. It’s since grown to become the party that’s not only known for carving out a safe space for trans, non-binary, and femme people on the dance floor, but also for its heavy sound, which it describes as “deconstructed techno and noise”. Emerging interactive designer Ailina Ling is a regular collaborator, artfully manipulating and designing the lighting to complement the often-intense sonic experience.
What sounds do you specialise in, and what do you want your party to be known for?
Kai (K): “Our parties are known for showcasing DJs who are genre-fluid and have an ear for deconstructed techno and noise. We play soundscapes that enable a gratifying sense of release and non-conformity in self-expression.”
Bussy Temple emerged from the co-founders' desire to build queer rave spaces in Singapore.
What made you decide to start your own party series? When was it started?
K: “In early-2022, Bussy Temple started organically when a friend discovered an abandoned tunnel and thought it’d be a nice place for us to gather. Before the name Bussy Temple even came about, a bunch of us were simply seeking for a private place to dance. We shared a similar sentiment of not feeling comfortable or safe in mainstream dance parties, be it queer or non-queer events. It started off like this: An invite-only party for trans, non-binary, and femme folks, with portable speakers, LED lights, and a small DJ deck in the tunnel. Along the way, we met each other and decided to work together because we collectively feel the urgency in building queer rave spaces in Singapore. Each rave, our community grew bigger leading us to the version of Bussy Temple today.”
Where are your parties typically held at, and how did you choose these locations?
K: “Our first public event was held at our friend’s studio, after which we held our first rendition of Lethal Fantasies at iKi and now, we’ve held two raves under our new home at T:>Works. We wish to work with venues that align with us in our long-term vision and efforts. It is especially important for venue collaborators to acknowledge the work we put in to make the raves feel safer and liberating for queer expressions. Such affirmations make us believe that queer work can be sustained in Singapore.”
T:>Works’ cavernous 72-13 space on Mohamed Sultan Road has been home to two of Bussy Temple's gigs.
Compared to pre-pandemic, what are some differences you’ve noticed in how people party now? What do people want from parties in 2023?
K: “There is an undeniable hunger for self-exploration whether it is in gender, sexuality, aesthetic expression or such. It almost feels as though the tensed, self-conscious version of the self has been popped! Now, people seem much more open to experimental party/rave formats where the boundaries between DJ sets, live vocal and movement performances are blurred. This openness has allowed us to imagine and test out new ways of engaging with our audience.
Interactive designer Alina Ling has illuminated some of Bussy Temple's parties, including the Father's Womb rave in June 2023.
Recently, we’ve been closely collaborating with Alina Ling, an interactive designer who has been working on the amazing lighting for our raves. The fact that light design has become a form of installation in itself has genuinely blown our minds. And by extension, our crowd’s minds as well! For emerging rave collectives like ourselves, 2023 has been a year of challenging the conceptual capacity of the rave format and finding ways to enable direct engagements with our respective communities.”
There’s been a noticeable uptick in independent parties here lately – what’s your opinion on this, given that you’re an organiser yourself?
K: “It is an exciting time to be in, for sure, because it means there is a rising demand and people are still excited for new things to manifest. Having done this for almost two years now, we believe that a strong sense of identity and shared ethos is what continues to drive us. The only way we were able to recognise this was by trusting and learning from other collectives that share similar sentiments. We look forward to seeing how all independent party/rave organisers continue to energise and sustain their projects for the long run!”
There appear to be a lot more parties – but are you as an organiser seeing equal enthusiasm from audiences? Are people coming back to party? Are they the same faces?
K: “Bussy Temple always upgrades the quality of production, lineup, and operations within each of our parties. I think we’ve built a very specific brand and anyone who comes to our event knows that this will not be a half-assed event. We always do the best we can within our capacity from ideation, marketing, production, artist management, sound quality, and even post-production to review our events. We’re so grateful that as we grow bigger, we’re also seeing growing enthusiasm from different intersections of the underground community as well!
It's not solely about music and dance at a Bussy Temple event.
But what makes Bussy Temple what it is is our loyal Bussy Temple community who have been with us since Day One. Again we started off our parties small, with friends inviting friends of trans/NB/femme folks. Our community always shows up, and they always come back no matter what we have for our events. Sometimes it feels like we’re more excited to be in communion with each other at Bussy Temple’s events before it’s even about the lineup or the artist we have carefully curated. It always feels like a reunion and catching up with each of our events. We’re all a family.”
Despite the enthusiasm lately for independent/underground parties now, what challenges do you face as a party organiser in this post-pandemic landscape?
Zenon (Z): “The lack of venues in Singapore is a considerable challenge for many collectives, mainly due to high rental prices and licensing for events if the space we want doesn’t have a permit. It’s also an extra challenge if your event is explicitly queer-coded. For Bussy Temple right now, our main challenge as we get bigger is rethinking how we can continue to keep our parties safe with a larger crowd, while also being mindful of the capacity and boundaries each of our members has. On top of that, how do we keep Bussy Temple remain a space that will continue to make trans/fems/NB folks feel prioritised as our Bussy Temple community gets more diverse and bigger.”
In slightly over a year since its inception, Bussy Temple has steadily grown, attracting a larger crowd to its raves.
How would you describe Singapore’s underground party/nightlife scene now? What’s exciting you?
Z: “The nightlife scene post-pandemic is definitely getting more diverse and exciting. We’re seeing the emergence of new independent collectives with each of their own unique culture and soundscapes. It’s always nice to go to these events and feel a very strong communal feeling in the rave space even when you sometimes don’t necessarily relate to the music.”
What would you say is unique to the independent/underground Singapore party scene that makes it different from other cities?
Z: “Raves in Singapore by independent collectives to me are a form of passive rebellion and protest in a society that could feel very rigid and limiting. The way underground parties are formatted, at least for Bussy Temple, with genres of music that are in contrast to mainstream music or our ethos to prioritise care for one another and encouraging everyone to forget how typical bodies should move and just glitch...
READ MORE: Alina Ling Is The Artist Lighting Up Some Of The Best Underground Parties In Singapore
I think deep down a lot of people feel a sense of lack within their soul even though everything is very productive/ efficient/ well planned for you by the government in Singapore. This is why when you go to raves like Bussy Temple, energetically there is an inexplicable shared sense of unison and camaraderie that you would feel when you are dancing amongst the crowd. It’s a silent acknowledgement of the shared struggles and systemic oppression of capitalism and patriarchy that tears our souls and wears our bodies down.”
If you were going to another party in Singapore, what would it be and why this party?
Z: “Definitely Endless Return (ER)! We like to joke that ER is our boyfriend. Soundscape and vibe-wise, ER is the closest to what Bussy Temple likes. The punishing gritting music and dystopic landscapes, along with their rave etiquette and house rules. Other than that personally ER always puts everything into their conceptualisation, planning, quality of sound, etc. I know it’s always gonna be a good time when I go to ER’s party.
Where do you see these parties going in the future? How do you see them growing?
Z: “I feel like there will be more pockets of independent collectives that will emerge in Singapore and cross-contaminations of the rave etiquettes/values/ practices across organisers and ravers. Maybe there will also be more exciting collaborations in the future too. Right now the independent collectives in Singapore also have a shared calendar so everyone is updated on the upcoming events and we make sure we don’t clash on our dates. I find that very heartwarming. It’s a very supportive ecosystem here.”
A version of this article first appeared in the Dec 2023 This Great City Edition of FEMALE