Top 10 Parties And Raves Happening In Singapore In December 2023
Our preferred way to kick off the holiday season: Celebrate on the dance floor!
By Hidzir Junaini,
The holiday season is upon us – so lay down your burdens, hang up your stockings, and put on your dancing shoes! Singapore’s nightlife scene is capping off a momentous year with a slew of fantastic events for casual revellers and underground heads alike. From an inspiring cross-genre collaboration, the reboot of a crowd-favourite daytime party, to an experimental blend of performance art and techno – there’s something for everyone this December.
She has been one of Germany’s underground house and techno staples for over 20 years now, but Cinthie shows no signs of slowing down. By night, she’s a high-profile DJ and producer, but by day, she's also the boss of the label 803 Crystal Grooves and the owner of the Elevate Berlin record store – a dance music Renaissance woman if ever there was one. That's why it’s such a coup for the good folks at party collectives Sivilian Affairs and Solid Ground to land the “vinyl princess” for their exciting union at MDLR. Plus, she’ll be backed by sets from Dean Chew, Miss Lil x Sivanesh, Stephen Day, and Luca V2 x Bunny Ross.
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Two of Singapore’s longest-running electronic music stables team up for a spectacular partnership this month. Internationally acclaimed record label Midnight Shift and the highly respected collective Revision Music will be hosting an auricular exchange program of sorts at Tuff Club. Headlined by local stalwarts from both units such as Aya, Basil, Haan, Gahmen, and Helios XL, alongside special guests Vix and HBN, this unique joint effort seeks to survey the cross-sections between techno and drum & bass in what promises to be a revelatory rave. Whether you’re a four-to-the-floor aficionado or a fleet-footed junglist, this convergence of sound and dance culture styles promises to be a memorable night.
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Getting worn out from festivals and nightclubs? Come through Wild Pearl for Super Enjoy’s final shindig of the year. With resident DJs Bongomann, Jenn Chunes, and Dexter Colt at the helm, you can rest assured that the music will be as good as any of the bigger events out there. The main difference being Super Enjoy’s intimate and irreverent house party vibes, of course. From house and techno to hip-hop and jungle, to deep cuts and shallow anthems, this fantastic foursome has something in their USBs for everyone. They’ll provide the tunes and the smoke machine – all you have to do is bring yourself, bring your friends, and BYOB.
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Blackout Agency wraps up its impressive year with one last Ritual. This time, the discerning promoters are bringing back the legendary Henrik Schwarz to Ikigai for a special live set. From his roots as a deep house and Detroit techno DJ/producer in the 1990s and 2000s to his more recent crossover work, bridging electronic, classical, and jazz music, the German visionary has built a vaunted reputation as one of the most inventive composers working today. In particular, his expansive, eclectic, and layered live sessions are not to be missed. The night also features Raaj (aka Joshua P) and James Selva on warm-up duties.
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With notable releases on cult record labels PAN and Panzerkreuz, and critically adored albums on Werkdiscs and Ninja Tune, Helena Hauff has become the poster girl for gritty electro-techno in recent years. Beyond her prolific analogue productions, she is even busier as one of the most in-demand DJs in the world, headlining major festivals like Dekmantel and Movement. Famed for her intense and hard-edged sets, Hauff has also made history as the first-ever female DJ to claim BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix of the Year. This month, the German sensation is set to take over the decks at MDLR as part of their XXL Series, supported by Thugshop’s own Vaibs.
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Over six wonderful years, Darker Than Wax’s Brew series has been a cornerstone of the Singapore scene, evolving from a cosy afternoon listening session in its early days to one of the most joyful and diverse dance gatherings in recent years. While the event has always been linked to Chye Seng Huat Hardware’s courtyard, due to bureaucratic complications, Brew must sadly bid farewell to its long-running venue. But the good news is, the lauded daytime party has found a new home at Coop Coop at Kampong Bugis. So, after a brief hiatus, we’re ecstatic to see Brew relaunch this December with a stellar lineup featuring residents Dean Chew, A’aely, Dexter Colt, Kaye, and Daryl Knows, alongside the homecoming of their New York representative, Marco Weibel.
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If there were an award for the best rave of 2023, most of the nominees would probably go to Bussy Temple. But the year’s still not done, and the queer collective is set to close its sensational 2023 run with yet another cutting-edge event. Combining performance art with strains of techno, noise, and experimental music, Xenoflesh will be a multidisciplinary collaboration that explores “the concept of queer posthumanism, blurring boundaries between machine-nature and mutant-human.” Hosted at MDLR, the night features a variety of innovative artists, performers, and DJs such as Los Angeles’ FITNESSS, LUηG, Jas Lin, and Hearthealer; Singapore’s ila/madamdata, Baben Shin, and howrøng; and Vietnam’s Chaulichi.
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Indie gig and party organisers North East Social Club commemorate their fourth birthday with a cool little celebration at Wild Pearl! Fittingly, its anniversary party will feature some familiar local favourites from their illustrious past and present, including a live performance from Singapore rap’s bitter god BGourd, followed by DJ sets from Jenn Chunes, Guided Meditation b2b LEMAK, and co-founder TASHASAN b2b Dexter Colt. If you’ve been a friend, fan, or follower of their dynamic shows over the past few years, why not come through this (inevitably) rowdy soiree to wish the hardworking collective many happy returns?
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Rave pioneer and drum & bass legend LTJ Bukem makes his long-awaited return to Singapore under Kings of Bass’ banner. With over three decades in the limelight, the D&B luminary has cemented himself as one of the most influential DJs and producers in the UK (and around the world) with his label Good Looking Records, alongside his universally esteemed releases and compilations. We can’t think of a better belated Christmas present than LTJ Bukem’s jazz-influenced, atmospheric brand of drum & bass hitting the speakers at MDLR. He’ll be supported by Jamaican-British DJ Basemanguy, Kane MC, and other Kings of Bass stalwarts.
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There’s no better place to ring in the new year than Singapore’s finest music-centric bar, Offtrack. Unlike most nights, there’ll be no sit-down dining or fancy cocktails this time – because the space will be removing all their tables and chairs to transform their sleek space into one big dancefloor. Taking place from 5pm till late, the event will be headlined by Indonesian DJ/producer Sattle. Best known as the head of Bali label Plumbah, Sattle has made waves in recent years through fantastic EPs such as Heuristic and Twentythree. With Offtrack residents Bongomann and Daryl Knows backing him, you probably won’t find a better trio to soundtrack your NYE.
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