DOOMPH: Flying the disco flag high in Singapore

Toby Doman sheds some light on the background of Singapore’s disco purveyors

Written by Toby Doman

It’s a scene that’s well documented in the history of commercial disco music. The year is 1979. Donna Summer is accepting her crown as the popular face of the genre and local Chicago radio jock Steve Dahl is angry. His bosses at the station for which he worked have just told him he’ll be let go as they strive to pursue a disco-driven mandate. He doesn’t like the fact he’s been let go. In fact, he doesn’t like disco or what it represents. In collaboration with his local baseball team, the Chicago White Sox, fans are invited to attend their home games accompanied by one of their spare Disco records. Amassing enough to make a giant pile of 7s, pre-match, Dahl proceeds to blow them up in front of an adoring crowd. It was this ‘disco demolition’ that many chart as the day that disco died. Of course, commercial disco was only ever a part of the narrative, and its death was never really the end for the grassroots of the community.

A year later, and half a world away in Singapore, local DJ and selector Brendon Perera (or just Brendon P to his mates) is just dipping his toe into the island state’s nascent scene of alternative music. A young DJ pushing a broad spectrum of Afro, Funk, Boogie and yes, Disco. It’s a scene Perera is still at the forefront of today.

Fast forward to the 21st Century, and now with decades of experience, Brendon has teamed up with a couple of other like-minded souls to launch a new concept called ‘DOOMPH’. “The idea was to combine the 80’s New York philosophy of the Paradise Garage or Dancetaria and fuse that with more underground Disco, Boogie, Funk and 80’s Electronica flavours. Actually, pretty much like the legendary Body and Soul,” says Perera.

Since the birth of the collective, the crew has expanded to include Messrs Jean-Baptiste Berchoteau, Matty Wainwright and Stephen Day - with the odd new face joining as others left Singapore. All members entrusted to guard that original, founding philosophy of fun and quality music. Over time, the concept found new homes across the island, eventually landing at the widely respected ‘Kilo’ nightclub in 2015. It’s here that things started to get settled for the brand.

Disco as a sound is not one you might immediately associate with Singapore. However, Perera points to the heavy influence of the country’s leading nightlife name - Zouk - in bringing credible new sounds to otherwise pop music saturated local audiences.

“When I started out in 1980, it was pretty much like what we do with DOOMPH,” he says. “It was across the board musically. Zouk brought House music to the forefront in 1991, Velvet [legendary second room at Zouk] pushed more organic soulful, Latin and Afro vibes from the late nineties. Top 40 Pop, Hip Hop and R&B has pretty much been the commercial sound for most mainstream venues across the island since 1994, and still is.”

So what’s next for the crew? There’s talk of a label somewhere in the future and a firm desire to keep the flame burning once coronavirus issues hopefully subside.

It’s been a long journey for Disco as a genre. Very much back in fashion for some observers after years in the wilderness, on the surface at least. For others like Perera, it really never went away.

All-time top three DOOMPH cuts

Jackie Moore - This Time Baby

Two Tons of Fun - Do You Wanna Boogie

Tamiko Jones - Can’t Live Without Your Love (Cosmic Tiger never tire of hearing this one, so here it is)

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