In the 1960s, legendary magazine editor Diana Vreeland coined the term — youthquake — to make sense of the cultural movement that inspired the music, pop culture and fashion of the times. In 2020, the word makes a comeback in the wake of youths rising up and defining their own narrative — including how each individual wants their voices heard.
Reclamation of power by the often-maligned millennial generation is not solely motivated by the energising of youths in politics (‘Justice’ was the Merriam-Webster word of the year in 2018 after all). It is in part owing to the rise of globalisation and social media — two sociopolitical factors working in tandem with the urgency of global concerns such as human rights, environmental issues (‘Climate emergency’ was the Oxford word of the year in 2019) and cultural diversity. Amidst these overflowing protests, technology has helped youths amplify their voices and garner greater mobility.
In the local setting where the economy is going through challenging times (perhaps even more so for the creative industry), there is a mass cancellation of events while independent grant applications are turned away in favour of creativity being used for commercial purposes.
These creatives stand out not only for the métier of excellence exhibited in their work, but also for their priorities that do not consider “hearts” and “likes” as necessary affirmations of success.
The joy in their work comes from banding with people who share a similar vision, the anti-establishment journey they are taking and needless to say, the writing of their own rules.
This is the story of Clement Chin and Eileen of The Council aka the good times duo.
(On Clement) 7 Moncler Fragment Hiroshi Fujiawara Cotton-blend jacket, cotton T-shirt
(On Eileen) 4 Moncler Simone Rocha Nylon down parka, nylon beaded dress
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How have the livestreams from The Council been doing?
Since the lockdown, we’ve done four livestreams in collaboration with the global movement spearheaded by United We Stream to bring awareness to the nightlife and live music scenes across the world. It was a fun learning experience for the team and it was nice to be able to bring the community together again, even though it all has to be virtual for now.
But a huge part of what we do — the very essence of what The Council is — it’s hard to translate that into a digital experience.
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Do you think it is easier than hosting a party in the flesh?
In terms of the logistics of hosting a digital event, it’s definitely easier compared to an actual event. But digital events are so transient, it’s hard to create a lasting memory. Nothing would ever replace the feeling of being amongst sweaty bodies on the dance floor, the exchange of energies between the crowd and the DJ, and the fleeting moments where you lose yourself in the music.
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How do the both of you ensure engagement with a digital audience?
We made it a point to rally our friends and the community for the digital events. It’s important to still stay connected online, to be present and keep the chat going during the digital events — just as we would during actual events.
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The Council has recently been doing ambient & meditative sessions but what is next?
The ambient & meditative sessions have been on the backburner for a long time now and this seemed like the right time to get into it. We’re working on more of these and we’re also working with the authorities to safely reopen some of our spaces for various uses in the near future.
We’re doing all that we can to continue creating spaces and experiences to engage the community that we miss so dearly.
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Have you noticed anything interesting about new audiences of The Council?
The most interesting thing we’ve noticed is that the local community of music lovers and ravers alike, have grown over the four years since we started. It’s really encouraging to see the younger generation of Singaporeans come out to the music events and to be able to share our love of music with them.
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How do you see the sound of The Council moving forward?
We’re not fixed on any one particular sound, only because both of our music tastes run the whole gamut from techno to ambient, house to italo-disco. It’s also always evolving, which keeps it interesting for us.
But with the number of local talents — producers and DJs alike — steadily growing over the years, we would love to see more of them collaborate and work on new music together.
We’d love to be able to continue providing a platform for them to explore their craft, experiment and take things to the next level.
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Photography Eugene Lee
Art Direction Izwan Abdullah
Styling & Text Bryan Goh
Styling Assistant Manfred Lu
Makeup and Grooming Sha Shamsi using Dior Beauty
Hair Christvian Goh using KEVIN.MURPHY
This story about Clement Chin and Eileen of The Council first appeared in our November 2020 issue.