Portraits Of What 'Hardcore' Style In Singapore Looks Like

How seriously do the eight individuals here take their rock music (or one of its many subgenres)? It’s part of their signature aesthetic – and it’s not for TikTok. Who says punk/goth/glam metal is dead?

hardcore singapore
Fashion rock stars. Credit: Athirah Annissa

DAVID GRAASKOV, 26, SALES ASSOCIATE

Athirah Annissa
1/8

Musical subcultures he’s into: Punk and skinhead (the subculture with origins among working class youths in London in the ’60s and is musically influenced by the likes of soul, ska, rocksteady and reggae) – “It was 2013. I found out about some shows going on here through an organiser who was running a blog to promote them, called one of my mates to go to one of them together, and the rest is history!”

What to him is punk: “Fast and loud music that punches you in the face literally and figuratively.”

Favourite musical acts: “Locally, I’d probably go with Doldrey, C.H.U.T.E., Class Sinners, Generation 69 and The Full Pledge Munkees! From the international scene: Anti Cimex, Aus-Rotten, Totalitar, Blitz and Beton Arme.”

What he loves about the scene: “The diversity of people into it; its heavy DIY spirit and the different ways we punks express ourselves be it through music, poetry, art or tattooing.”

How the scene here has evolved: Punk culture is definitely more accepting now. When I first discovered it 10 years ago, it felt really elitist – filled with people trying to see if you were worthy of being a part of the scene, not unlike what you see in sorority movies. When you put people who tend to have trauma, mental health issues and pent-up anger together in a group, what else would you expect? I think we have all grown throughout the years though and are slowly pulling away from that to become more accepting and welcoming.”

How it’s influenced his look: “There are so many different styles depending on the type of punk or skinhead you identify with so I’m just going to bunch us all together, stereotype us and hope somebody reads this and gets offended because it’s fun. Punks generally look like trash and smell bad. Skinheads dress smart and look sharp because they are neither of those. To think that I’m everything that I’ve just listed… Aesthetically I mash the style of both genres together when I can’t make up my mind and the result is a terrible look nine out of 10 times. Regardless, I can’t care less.”

David wears his own Brutus X Dr Martens shirt, modified Levi’s jeans, modified Bad Religion band hoodie (held in hand) and Solovair boots

Hair Tan Eng Chong/Kizuki+Lim Makeup Beno Lim, using Mac Cosmetics

SHYNN LOH, 20, STUDENT

Athirah Annissa
2/8

Musical subcultures she’s into: “I identify with the gothic rock, emo, punk, rock and metal subcultures, but aesthetic-wise, it’s mainly goth. I’ve known about the gothic rock scene for many years and have always wanted to learn more about it, but it was not only until this January that I started to delve deeper into it. You can say that I’m a baby bat – a relatively new goth.”

Favourite musical acts: “I love the basics: Bauhaus, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Sisters of Mercy et cetera. They’re really good gateway bands for people interested in getting into goth music.”

What to her is goth: Goth isn’t depressing though it can be at times.... Goth is the beauty of the dark.”

What she loves about the scene: “I love how goth is about self-expression and acceptance, and not caring about what others think. Whether you choose to dress in pastels or dark colours, goth fans actually do not care. As long as you listen and enjoy goth music, you are a goth… One collective to know is The Batcave Project, which organises goth parties in Singapore. They’re really cool and I think their events are the best way to experience goth music here.”

Goth style in her own words: “It consists of many different aesthetics. There are traditional goths, romantic goths, corp goths and more, each with their own distinct look. For example, traditional goths – the first goths to emerge on the music scene – tend to have huge teased hair, heavy eyeliner and black lipstick, and a wardrobe that features chains, leather, fishnets. Theirs can be said to be the stereotypical goth look. Romantic goths focus more on beauty and the model example would be Morticia Addams… Corp goths are goths who work in corporate environments and have found a way to express themselves without breaking the office dress code. Think pinstripes, Victorian style blouses and boots that might raise a few eyebrows at work, but can still be accepted as professional wear… Remember though: Style is just one aspect of the subculture and one can choose to embrace it or not. Doing the latter doesn’t take away anything.”

How it’s influenced her look: “I tend to blend different goth styles together. For example, I love the flowy bat sleeves favoured by romantic goths, but I also really love the body chains better associated with traditional goths… Thrift stores are my go-to- shopping haunts while local, Instagram-based businesses like @stitchcr4ft and @adcreclub are great for accessories that add a gothic touch.”

Shynn wears her own thrifted dress and boots; her mother’s earrings; lace sleeves, choker and body harness sourced from Taobao; corset and stockings sourced from Shopee; and assorted jewellery

Hair Tan Eng Chong/Kizuki+LimMakeup Beno Lim & Shynn Loh

CLAIRE BRABERRY, 18, STUDENT

Athirah Annissa
3/8

Musical subculture she’s into: Punk – “I've always loved pop punk basics from a young age though I didn’t know what punk was and that I was listening to it then. My dad simply downloaded a lot of music for me onto my Nokia phone and, when going through them, I stumbled upon a playlist with all types of rock music – bands like Megadeth and Slipknot as well as several pop punk acts… When I started getting into all this pop-punk and emo music, I also happened to discover a graphic adventure video game called Life is Strange: Before the Storm. I loved the way its main characters Chloe and Rachel dressed (emo- and grunge-influenced – think beanies, flannel shirts and band tees) and started emulating their style even though I was already dressing alternatively before that. The first scene in the game is situated at a gig and that got me wanting to visit gigs here… I started to research more about punk and realised that it’s more than just music and fashion. The more I looked into it, the more I felt like it represented the things I stand for. Soon after I met a friend on (the free online chat website) Omegle who had just joined the local punk scene and he introduced me to more punk bands and people my age with the same passion for the genre.”

Favourite musical acts: “It’s safe to say Dead Kennedys is one of my all-time favourites – if one were to hang around me, you’d probably notice that I’ve their logo painted or pinned onto my jackets; patched onto the back of my vest, or printed and pasted onto my laptop. At the moment, I’ve also started venturing into crust (a punk subgenre influenced by English punk rock and extreme metal) and I’m getting obsessed with (the American crust band) Disrupt.”

What she loves about the scene: “I love how we can express ourselves freely. I love the DIY culture and how what we wear is often one-of-a-kind because of it. I love how everyone in the scene supports local. And I love that the music is so shitty, it’s good… There’s definitely more people into the culture now. The music has become more diverse and events – local and overseas – are more prominent. Some things have died down, but we are trying to revive them. A friend and I actually just released the first issue of a zine that we came up with after a chat at McDonald’s about wanting to do just that. It’s called Oxy-Morons and features interviews with bands and photographers from the punk scene. If you see it around, get a copy – we’d appreciate it. (DM Braberry’s Instagram account @kikiclaire._. get a copy).”

How it’s influenced her look: “If you look up punk fashion online, you’d probably see the likes of studded leather jackets with bands or political messages on them; spiked, colourful hair; bondage belts and more. The thing is: In punk culture, no one looks exactly the same or has the same thing because everyone makes what they wear truly their own. If you come to a local gig, you'll also see that not everyone dresses in that stereotypical punk way. Some people just wear a plain T-shirt and shorts, and they’re still punk because fashion isn’t what makes you punk. After all, it’s hard to tell today if someone really enjoys the band that’s on his or her T-shirt because he or she could have simply found it at Cotton On and liked it… I just wear what I like and want to wear. There's not much to it.”

Claire wears her own thrifted vest, tank top, skirt and belt; and assorted jewellery

Hair Tan Eng Chong/Kizuki+Lim Makeup Beno Lim, using Mac Cosmetics

CLARENCE MARULIUS NG, 27, DIGITAL INTERACTION DESIGNER

Athirah Annissa
4/8

Musical subcultures he’s into: “I don't think there’s any that I’d say I identify with in particular though some folks would use the term ‘rocker’ when they see me – and that’s been happening since even before I got my tattoos or adopted this edgier style of clothes… To me, rock music is about an attitude.”

Favourite musical acts: “My Chemical Romance; Linkin Park; Avenged Sevenfold; Meth Wax; Guns N’ Roses; The Menzingers; Nirvana; The Darkness; (the American pop punk band) The Wonder Years; Remo Drive; The Dirty Nil; Mannequin Pussy; Black Sabbath when Ronnie James Dio – aka Dio – was a part of it; and Pierce The Veil. I know – some people would probably wish upon me punishment for grouping all of these acts together.”

How he got into the subculture: “As a kid, I found Linkin Park’s Meteora CD and asked my dad if I could listen to it in the car while he was driving. Its opening track, Don’t Stay, pretty much set me on the path to discovering and consuming more of such music.”

How it’s influenced his look: “I don't think I can put an aura down into words. You see red when you're angry and feel blue when your iCloud backup fails or your software crashes and erases a day's worth of work. You see me and you can probably triage what music I enjoy listening to… Most of my fits are extremely modular with a lot of mixing-and-matching, but there is a consistent theme of rolled-up sleeves, tight jeans and boots. And maybe a button-down if I’m feeling slutty. I’d describe my look as staged utilitarianism.”

Where he shops: “Peninsula Shopping Centre and thrift stores wherever and whenever they pop up. I have qualms about some thrifts that are actually vintage shops with premium prices. I have even more qualms about the fact that I patronise them from time to time. There seems to be a lot of them popping up on Haji Lane lately, and some of them even upcycle stuff and have a pro-sustainable stance. Check them out.”

Clarence wears his own modified Maplsteed leather vest, Uniqlo shirt, kilt sourced from AliExpress, thrifted pants, Zox bracelets, assorted piercings and Dr. Martens boots

Hair Tan Eng Chong/Kizuki+Lim Makeup Beno Lim, using Mac Cosmetics

DEW M. CHAIYANARA, 39, THEATRE PRACTITIONER

Athirah Annissa
5/8

Musical subculture she’s into: Goth metal – “I listened to all sorts of music as a child, but naturally gravitated towards rock and metal acts such as Heart, Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Joan Jett and Helloween because the thrilling sound of electric guitars just ignites something within me… As I was taller and bigger than the other girls my age growing up, I was also bullied and ostracised by the more popular students in school and didn't feel like I could ever fit in with the conventional crowd. Peculiar, non-mainstream on-screen characters such as Wednesday and Morticia Addams from The Addams Family, The Misfits from Jem and the Holograms and Elvira from Elvira: Mistress of the Dark – all confident, unconventionally attractive, unapologetic about being different and, some might say, possess the same attitude as rock and metal performers – thus resonated strongly with me.”

What she loves about the scene: “That oddballs, strangelings and misfits of society are always welcome and allowed to be our true selves without the fear of judgement or rejection.”

How the scene here has evolved: “The rise of social media and globally successful Netflix shows such as Stranger Things and Wednesday have opened the gateway for our subculture to be more recognised. It’s now more widely perceived to be trendier as compared to before when it used to be shunned. One can find band T-shirts at many major clothing retail stores nowadays and there are also more youths taking cues from Hollywood and TikTok trends to adopt the soft goth glam look. I certainly don’t mean to come across as a gatekeeper, but I hope that those who are attracted to the aesthetic will understand that it is more than just a cute look: They should give the music a chance too.”

How it’s influenced her look: “Goth metal is a blend of cultures so it’s fine to experiment and explore what suits one’s personal preferences or mood. I am more of a metalhead who’s a goth at heart so I usually wear all black with touches of leather, lace, fishnet or mesh; lots of jewellery – usually in silver – and platform shoes or boots. Heavy eyeliner and dark lips are a must to make my look feel complete.”

A shopping tip: “Head to Ravage Records at Golden Mile Tower – Singapore's only extreme metal store – for merch by metal bands including T-shirts, hoodies and patches.”

Dew wears her own Cider dress; Fourskin spiked headband; X-Craft necklace (with cattle head pendant); thrifted beaded necklace; gifted body harness with attached choker, Talismans corset belt and fishnet stockings; assorted wristbands, bracelets and rings sourced from music festivals and independent makers; Tempt socks, and Kickers platform creepers

Hair Tan Eng Chong/Kizuki+Lim Makeup Beno Lim, using Mac Cosmetics

RYAN LEE, 18, STUDENT AND PHOTOGRAPHER

Athirah Annissa
6/8

Musical subculture he’s into: “I’d say all manners of rock ‘n’ roll. I had my first rebellious dose of rock and roll when I was 14 and started listening to industrial rock acts such as Marilyn Manson and Rammstein, which captured my attention with their thought-provoking lyrics and commentaries on personal identity… More recently, I’ve been listening excessively to alternative and indie rock bands – their distorted yet melodic guitar riffs accompanied by raw emotional expression produce a three-dimensional sound that I simply can’t get enough of. My favourite acts from these genres are The Jesus And Mary Chain Sonic Youth and the Chinese indie rock trio Hedgehog.”

His style icons from the scene: “There are so many of them exist – from Sid Vicious to the Ramones. My ultimate are Johnny Depp and Jimi Hendrix as I admire how they effortlessly combine tailoring with pieces with interesting textures.”

How it’s influenced his look: “I prominently over-accessorise, mixing pieces – jewellery, scarves et cetera – of different styles into my daily outfits in a way that might seem messy at first glance. I also love pieces that give off a carefree rocker vibe… I shop for many of my pieces from MadMan Archive, a Singapore home-based business that curates garments that are not only rare, but also rich in historical or cultural value. I also visit online platforms such as Vestiaire Collective and Grailed.”

Ryan wears his own Ralph Lauren coat; Number (N)ine shirt; Blackmeans pants, coin pouch and lighter case (hanging from belt loops), and boots; Rabbit Padlock chain necklace sourced from Etsy; DIY necklace made from bones leftover from a 4Fingers Crispy Chicken meal; and vintage rings

Hair Tan Eng Chong/Kizuki+Lim Makeup Beno Lim, using Mac Cosmetics

DAXA ANGRESH, 26, FILMMAKER AND DRUMMER/LEAD SINGER OF THE MATH ROCK BAND HALDI HONEY

Athirah Annissa
7/8

Musical subculture she’s into: Math rock, a type of progressive and indie rock characterised by complex, unconventional rhythmic structures – “I’ve always been very academic in my pursuit of music. When playing in punk and hardcore bands in school, I always tried to push the boundaries of what was acceptable within those genres especially in terms of rhythm with my compositions. I then got into the Berklee College of Music so I started watching Youtube videos of bands associated with the school and came across these hardcore rock acts playing insanely complex music that resonated with me – you can imagine the thrill I felt then. The genre of music I had always thought was of my own imagination actually exists! The best part was when I got to the college itself, these bands were still around and I got to befriend some absolute legends of math rock – names like Bat House; Quarrels; Good Game (for whom I produced an EP); Nate Sherman of the Bay Area Math rock band Floral; and Brock Benzel from Invalids. I really fell into it with my eyes wide open.”

Describe math rock for those unfamiliar with it: “I think math rock is just good, solid rock ‘n’ roll, but with extra steps. These extra steps are often crazy, odd and rapidly changing time signatures and tempos; clean-ish compressed guitar tones; complicated tapping riffs; and drum parts that hide the underlying groove. I often call math rock ADHD music because some of the best math rock is absolutely full of stimuli.”

What’s the math rock aesthetic? “A lot of OG math rockers come from a depressingly cold part of America or Japan so there’s a lot of flannel, hoodies, beanies and the like. I feel like so many of them pour all of their joy into their music and leave very little for other forms of self-expression, so they also wear a lot of shapeless outfits with distressed or rugged textures and dark colours.”

How it’s influenced her look: “I personally prefer to put my own spin on a traditional punk aesthetic. It’s funny because math rock is inherently counterculture, making it punk in spirit, but it also tends to be nerdy, soft and delicate. The people of math rock are sweet and gentle, and our music is like a warm hug. I think my style reflects this dichotomy. I like to go for bright colours, delicate fabrics and flowy textures, then mash them together with distressed or ripped garments and accessories; some denim and leather; strong, boxy outerwear; and fishnets and combat boots.”

Daxa wears her own thrifted slip dress and corset, gifted necklace, self-made bracelets and Demonia boots

Hair Tan Eng Chong/Kizuki+Lim Makeup Beno Lim, using Mac Cosmetics

FAISAL ALDRIQUE, 24, TATTOO ARTIST

Athirah Annissa
8/8

Musical subculture he’s into: Glam metal, the heavy metal subgenre known for its epic anthems and draws heavily from the fashion and image of ’70s glam rock stars like David Bowie, T. Rex and the New York Dolls – “I first discovered related genres such as J-rock, hardcore punk and post-screamo about four to five years ago. That eventually led me to glam metal, which to me represents one thing: freedom!”

Favourite musical acts: “It’s always going to be Kiss for me.”

His style icons from the scene: “I always love Gene Simmons, but I also dig the style of (Australian trap metal/hardcore music artist) Kim Dracula, who can be considered part of the newer generation of acts related to the glam metal genre.”

How it’s influenced his look: “Typically, fans of glam metal like to wear dark eyeliner and eyeshadow, and some extremists will paint or even tattoo their faces. As for my own personal style, I would say there’s no direct link to the glam metal aesthetic to be honest. My look is the result of years of experimentation and I often take inspiration from various subcultures and mix them together. Listening to music and discovering its different subcultures is a great way for one to develop his or her own aesthetic – don’t be afraid to try things out!”

Aldrique wears his own thrifted jumpsuit, skirt, coat (held in hand) and belt (worn as necklace); and Demonia boots

Styling Faris Famok & Syan Adly Hair Tan Eng Chong/Kizuki+Lim Makeup Chloe Low  

All Photography Athirah Annissa Art Direction Jonathan Chia

A version of this story first appeared in the May 2023 Rock 'N' Roll Forever Edition of FEMALE 

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