sonicbrat

sound art | electro acoustic music | sound design

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R E V I E W S :

  • "The classically trained pianist creates delicate piano pieces and glistening soundscapes that embody a childlike innocence... This is the kind of music that floats over its listener requiring no effort on the listener's part, yet manages to stay in your thoughts long after it has stopped playing. There is also a sense of familiarity in the pieces, but it never feels as if you have heard it all before, rather, it is more like rediscovering an album that you used to love but for some reason stopped playing long ago... Of Things Unending is a solid album from beginning to end, containing no weak tracks. It is calming, gentle and meditative, and is an absolute pleasure to listen to." The Silent Ballet (USA), Of Things Unending (Self-Released), 2008; Rating: 6.5/10; full review HERE
  • "You can't help but be impressed by the complex, formal dynamism that bursts from the performers' bodies, well-matched by the spellbinding sound art of Darren Ng and some incredibly beautiful video projections by Gabriela Tropia Gomes." Ng Yi-Sheng (The Flying Inkpot); Old Sounds 2008
  • "All the way from Singapore comes this release from Sonicbrat and it comprises ten tracks of remarkably gentle instrumental music... In a way these songs are like little fairytales... they turn out to be quite comforting to you as time passes and this album will do very nicely for those quieter, more contemplative moments of your life... "Of Things Unending" was a warm and enjoyable album." Bluesbunny (UK), Of Things Unending (Self-Released), 2008; Rating: 4/5
  • "Darren Ng's breezy non troppo melodies will bring an unalloyed delight to your ears. He adorns his outwardly simple refrains with a rococo intricacy that is both exciting and meditative at the same time. How is that possible, you ask? Depending on what you unearth from his soundscapes each time it is played. Indeed, "Of Things Unending", this record lingers and will stay for an extended period on your iTunes as it still is on mine." de-nouveau.blogspot.com (Singapore), sonicbrat: Of Things Unending (Self-Released), 2008
  • "Sonicbrat reminds me a lot of early Mum without vocals" Andrea Ferraris - Chain D.L.K (Italy/USA), That Little something: Weevil in a Biscuit (compilation album), Bearsuit Records (UK), 2008
  • "We're now on the home stretch with only three songs left; and the first of those is the lazy winding river of Sonicbrat's harmonium and acoustic guitar piece 'That Little Something', which I vote as being my favourite track on the album."Heathen Harvest (USA), That Little something: Weevil in a Biscuit (compilation album), Bearsuit Records (UK), 2008
  • "SONICBRAT je Darren Ng iz Singapura kojeg uspoređuju sa Erik Satieom i Martin Dennyem. "That little something" je fini i nježni instrumental koji počinje i završava sa zrikavcima i cvrčcima, a odsviran je na melodiku, harmoniku, (hm, i piano?) i akustičnu gitaru koju prate melodični ritmički elektronski samplovi koje ne znam s čime da usporedim (otprilike kao sitno lupkanje po čašama). Fenomenalno melodijsko ambijentalno iznenađenje!" Horvil - terapija.net (Croatia), Album Rating: 9/10; That little Something: Weevil in a Biscuit (compilation album), Bearsuit Records (UK), 2008
  • "il delicatissimo Sonicbrat, da tenere d'occhio..." translation: "Sonicbrat is delicate, something to look forward to..." Matteo Uggeri - "Sands-zine" (Italy), That Little Something: Weevil in a Biscuit (compilation album), Bearsuit Records (UK), 2008
  • "当然这张也根本不是什么大电子，而是一张带着folktronica和古典神采，轻盈凉爽美丽的作品，也不用听什么nico muhly、坂本龙一了，我们身边就有这样的艺人这样的厂牌真不错..." douban (China), s o n i c b r a t : W E A V I N G (online release), ANOISE (Belgium), BWC (China), 2008
  • "Next was "That Little Something" from Singapore based Sonicbrat. This sounded polished and professional with a theme not only running through but also properly developed over its 4 minute 55 second tenure on our attention... For the record, the standout tracks were by Pequena Fiera, PNDC, DM Stith and Sonicbrat." Bluesbunny (UK - 06.02.08), That Little Something: Weevil in a Biscuit (compilation album), Bearsuit Records (UK), 2008
  • "A walk through the countryside late in the summer. A very pleasant instrumental song. Simple melodies, but very nice."Subcity Radio (UK - 6.02.08), That Little Something: Weevil in a Biscuit (compilation album), Bearsuit Records (UK), 2008
  • "Sonicbrat's (Singapore 's Darren Ng) "That Little Something" is a wistful electro-acoustic ballad of melodica and piano that recalls F.S. Blumm..." Textura (Canada), That Little Something: Weevil in a Biscuit (compilation album), Bearsuit Records (UK), Feb 2008
  • "...D’autres se font remarquer avec leurs mélodies en peluche (Pequena fiera), tutoyant l’onirisme de Mùm, aidés en cela de mélodica, piano électrique soyeux et glockenspiel rebondissant (Sonicbrat)..." Translated: "Others point out melodies with their stuffed (Pequena fiera), verging to the dreamlike Mùm, aided in this by melodica, electric piano and glockenspiel silky rebounding (Sonicbrat)." (Translated by Google); ONDEFIXE Webzine (France), That Little Something: Weevil In A Biscuit (compilation album); Bearsuit Records (UK), 2008
  • "... Singaporean sound designer Darren Ng has something else in mind. The lush piano, suspended moments and discreet digital tweaking of the decay on "The Lacuna Medley" suggests a bleached-out form of exotica. It's a mood that informs the rest of this project, which transforms the pauses of the day into a series of translucent dreams, made up of filmy keyboards, overlaid washes and floating structures. Martin Denny would be proud."Sonicbrat: HI.A.TUS (album). Electronica Reviewed by Ken Hollings, WIRE (UK), issue 279, May 2007
  • "新加坡Asylum Soundlab廠牌的出品，帶來是SonicBrat這名星州電音製作人的HI.A.TUS專輯。看他的Blog，得悉他是一名電子合成器收藏家。但他打造出的電音樂章，卻是如斯的美不勝收，除了一首首精巧別緻的IDM樂曲外，The Lacuna Medley、Hiatus Lullaby、Eudaemonia等多首以Erik Satie式鋼琴作主導的曲目，更極盡發思古幽情。" HOMPY (Hong Kong) album review, SonicBrat: HI.A.TUS (album) ~Translated Site~
  • "...Trapped in their desires and longings, unable to communicate, they each build a private universe, amplified by Darren Ng’s exquisite work on the soundtrack." Reviewed by Bérénice Reynaud, Senses of Cinema, SOLOS
     (2007)
  • "Darren Ng's intensely moody music and sound design are seamlessly one, giving the film an uncommon audio dimension." Reviewed by ROBERT KOEHLER on www.variety.com, SOLOS (2007)
  • "Caught last night's last night of The Pillowman and i must applaud the excellent work you did with the sound design and live music. It sent shivers down my spine. Can't wait to hear more from you." KittyWu Records, THE PILLOWMAN (2007)
  • "I loved the music. It was atmospheric." audience, THE PILLOWMAN (2007)
  • "I love what you did at "The Pillowman". It really sets the mood of the whole play and I can't help noticing you playing your guitar at the box area above.  Love the play, love the music." audience, THE PILLOWMAN (2007)
  • "The exhibition, complete with specimens of animals and sound installations, is a pleasure to walk through."Empire of Nature - William Faquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings (NAMOS); reviewed by Tammi Low, I.S Magazine, September 2007
  • "With the help of dreamy soundscapes by Darren Ng (a.k.a. Sonicbrat), hypnotic shadow play and seamless set changes, Wong Kar Wai Dreams should be, well, a dream for fans of both local theater and Wong Kar Wai’s."WONG KAR WAI DREAMS, 2007 www.aziacity.com,
  • "For some reason, I found that scene to be especially cinematic, a tone set in no small parts by the evocative score by Darren Ng, of whom I have to give special mention to." Meta, A tiny blip in the continuum, WONG KAR WAI DREAMS, 2007
  • "At the food gallery, one can smell the aroma of different traditional dishes, hear the distinctive sound of tok tok mee being prepared and feast one's eyes on the artistic presentation of different ingredients and cooking utensils." Channel News Asia, Pearl Forss - Food Gallery (National Museum of Singapore), 2006
  • "Singapore’s oldest museum has re-opened, claiming it has “the youngest and most innovative soul... Living Galleries. Creative use of multimedia, innovative sound design and a high degree of interactivity offer visitors an engaging, multi-layered experience." TTG Asia, Mak Ying Kwan - National Museum of Singapore, 2006
  • "...And that she manages this as a disembodied head while singing a cheesy Chinese pop song of unrequited love (arranged with delicious cheapness by Ng) is impressive indeed... They were assisted by great design across the board." THE FLYING INKPOT, Matthew Lyon - I'm Just A Piano Teacher, 2006
  • "...After the drum scene, we hear a cacophony of noise - sound designer Darren Ng's striking aural caricature of a horror movie stabbing scene - and we suspect that the Son has finally taken revenge for a lifetime of maternal manipulation and has killed his mother." THE FLYING INKPOT, Matthew Lyon - I'm Just A Piano Teacher, 2006
  • "... fantastical musical interludes..." THE FLYING INKPOT, Deanne Tan - I'm Just A Piano Teacher, 2006
  • "Lighting and music design was wonderful. Designers surprised us with new stuff..." Audience, TFP - I'm Just A Piano Teacher, 2006
  • "... Luscious music arrangements by celebrated sound designer Darren Ng and an atmospheric lighting design by award winning designer, Lim Woan Wen." SISTIC, TFP - I'm Just A Piano Teacher, 2006
  • "The visuals were given forward motion by Darren Ng's cinematic, Chinese-style score. The epic swells of his music superimposed grand emotions on the shadow archetypes, telling us that these were people whose passions could shape their world. The music promised us stories of empire and majesty, stories for the ages... ... the music sculpted a world for the bizarre characters to inhabit..." THE FLYING INKPOT, Matthew Lyon - First Family, 2006
  • "Darren Ng, the sound designer for the play, is doing the operating the sound LIVE. It's always nice to see theatre plays where the sound is designed by Darren. I love the sounds damn loads. I have to say that he is awesome." Audience - First Family, 2006
  • "One of Singapore's top sound designer/sound sculpturist and music composer Darren Ng..." CITYLIGHTS CHICAGO, Andrew Tan, 2006
  • "For the sake of the hearing audience, sound designer Darren Ng provided an amazing live sonic backdrop to the piece, creating ambience and clarifying action, including a slick series of effects to accentuate body blows - the punches and crunches that proliferated with the violence of the play's subject matter." THE FLYING INKPOT, Ng Yi-Sheng - The Art of War, 2006
  • "The gloomy set, deep bass beats and surreal lighting provided the perfect backdrop for Ariel Dorfman's psychological thriller about a woman..." THE FLYING INKPOT, Deanne Tan - Death and the Maiden, 2006
  • "The ominous change in Tan's character... was given a nightmarish, surreal turn with the innovative use of music, light and shadow." THE FLYING INKPOT, Deanne Tan - Death and the Maiden, 2006
  • "The show was fantabulous! I was astonished by the amazing acting of Karen Tan, but the other two actors did great as well. The set was well designed, and the sound effects/lightings were all very well arranged." Audience - Death and the Maiden, 2006
  • "The music and sounds were awesome and impressive." Audience - Futhest North Deepest South, 2006
  • "LIVE sound design by darren ng (award winning for a reason)" Audience - DOUBT, 2006
  • "Sunday Times Lifestyle (1 Jan, p L8-L9) featured fashion designer Jonathan Seow of Woods & Woods, Samantha theatre director Scott-Blackhall, playwright Chong Tze Chien, sound designer Darren Ng and multimedia artist Brian Gothong Tan among the 20 hottest people to watch out for in the year ahead." DESIGN SINGAPORE, In The Media, 2006
  • "I must say that Darren Ng did an awesome and fantastic job! Kudos to him!! His "glassbox project" made me reflect upon our life, our living and our safety in Singapore. His project, very unlike his previous "existence", showed us the chaotic side of the world. But then again, without chaos you won't know what's peace. You won't know how to appreciate peacefulness, tranquillity and serenity. This is definitely a rewarding and worthwhile show." Audience - SonicBrat: GlassBox ProJect, 2006
  • "Darren Ng is the sound designer, and by plunging us into the myriad worlds of imagination, he enhanced our aural gratification." Dr Kenneth Lyen - Chesnuts Episode III, 2005
  • "Soundman supreme. The sound designer has his fingers on the volume knobs and decks of almost every theatre production in town at the moment. ..." Singapore Straits Times LIFE!, 2005
  • "The magic of these moments was heightened by Darren Ng's lush piano score, which he played live. In the lighter, more whimsical sections of the play, Ng's music was like being bathed in gentle light, or like a mother sitting by a child's bedside, gently waking him; and in the darker or more intense sections, it was like being lost in a mysterious forest. Yet even at its darkest, the music retained a sense of innocence, a sense of security."TWISTED, 2005 THE FLYING INKPOT, Matthew Lyon -
  • "The lights were fantastic, the puppers cute, the cast amazingly co-ordinated, and the music perfect." Audience - TWISTED, 2005
  • "The live music is wonderful. The keyboardist is concentrating so intensely and so obviously enjoying his music, he was emitting an aura of magnetism." Theatre Practitioner - TWISTED, 2005
  • "... Somewhat surprisingly, the music, a curious mix of Chinese opera and jazz – with Timothy O’Dwyer on the saxophone – didn’t seem out of place. Composer Saidah Rastam and soundscape artist Darren Ng must be credited for the successful fusion." TODAY, David Chew - SPIRITS, 2005
  • "... a mention must go to Darren Ng's almost synaesthetic sound design, which was at its best when it showed us a landscape part primordial and part industrial, a place of dark beasts and dark machines holding each other at bay. But he managed the more hopeful moments with aplomb too, and his accompaniment to Devine's shadow dancing pushed it even further towards transcendence." THE FLYING INKPOT, Matthew Lyon - Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, 2005
  • "... His lights also worked with Darren Ng's sound and music design to enhance the moods of the darker scenes, creating a street-lit cathedral with unsung digital hymns."THE FLYING INKPOT, Matthew Lyon - Porcelain, 2005
  • "Theatre Awards toast best and brightest of Singapore theatre ... Philip Tan and Darren Ng Tzer Huei for The Sound Of A Voice by luna-id Theatre ..." THE STRAITS TIMES, SPH, 2005
  • "... I liked the sound (a la 'Stomp'), and the visual tricks (such as the cast striking matchsticks for light when Newton leads Mobius down a planned escape route) added interesting layers to the already plump storyline."THE PHYSICIST, 2004 THE FLYING INKPOT, Fong LiLing -
  • "Sound designer Darren Ng created appropriately nostalgic sound effects which played in the background while Shirley reminisced about her colourful past. They gave the performance texture..." THE FLYING INKPOT, Fong LiLing - Shirley Valentine, 2004
  • "Darren Ng did come up with some interesting small effects. For instance, during the interval, an eerie, echoised version of songs..." QUARTERLY LITERARY REVIEW SINGAPORE, Richard Lord – Dead Certain, 2004
  • "Sonic Brat is a one-man show conceptualised, designed and performed by one of Singapore's top sound designer/sound sculpturist and music composer Darren Ng... a sensory treat for anyone who is willing to push their hearing abilities to new heights. It's time to get bratty with sounds!" INTO THE WORMHOLE, Juliana - SonicBrat: EXISTENCE, 2004
  • "... the sound effects create a reverberating echo that accentuates the surreal quality of the performance by fusing live and mediated sounds." THE FLYING INKPOT, Marcus Tan - The Lover and the Dumb Waiter, 2004
  • "Darren Ng's sound design was impressive by being understated and complementary, especially in helping to create the sense of the outside world in The Lover." Now Stage This, Jonathan Lim - The Lover and the Dumb Waiter, 2004
  • “Praise for the success of this production also goes to composer-sound designer Darren Ng Tzer Huei and set designer Sebastian Zeng.” QUARTERLY LITERARY REVIEW SINGAPORE, Richard Lord – Popcorn, 2003
  • “She [The director – Samantha Scott-Blackhall] is aided in no small way by the sound engineering of Darren Ng who orchestrated the transitions with a suitably moody, eloquently evocative score.” THE ARTS MAGAZINE, Dr K K Seet – Modern Dance For Beginners, 2003
  • “Perhaps what was most impressive and most memorable were the ways in which the transitions between scenes were so effectively incorporated into the dramatic action, thereby creating continuity in the otherwise loosely-related narratives... While the music provided an interlude for Mark and Debra to switch roles and costumes, it also became a dramatic device that served as a bridge between the different scenes. The music assumed central significance, as it became a line of action that “stood-in” for the narrative absence of the characters. Written and devised by Darren Ng the music cleverly fused diegetic and non-diegetic sounds, thereby allowing it to create a narrative of its own.” THE FLYING INKPOT, Marcus Tan – Modern Dance For Beginners, 2003
  • “Kudos… to the use of lights and sound. A lot of planning and thought had clearly gone into this production…”One Flea Spare, 2002 THE FLYING INKPOT, Kenneth Kwok
  • “It is, in fact, the best show I’ve ever seen luna-id put up. From Sebastian Zeng's set and costume design to Bradley Peter Bowyer's lighting plot and Darren Ng's music and sound, production values were first-rate.”One Flea Spare, 2002 QUARTERLY LITERARY REVIEW SINGAPORE, Richard Lord
  • “And the music is quite good - a very tentative melody that adds just that right dash of suspense.” THE FLYING INKPOT, Musa Fazal – Down The Road, 2001
  • “Right from the start of the play, the epilogue punctuated with the haunting sounds of a distant gong, prepared audience for the sad tragedy that was to unfold. Almost like the music set for a funeral, it omitted a sense of doom, the 'gongings' reverberating an ominous warning of death.” HAPPENING!, Yvonne  Phua – Romeo & Juliet, 2001
  • “Music? It was beautiful, evocative, and unlike an MTV video, did not overwhelm the action. It let the text stand, and yes, it did link the scenes very well.” Audience, Adam – Romeo & Juliet, 2001

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