Zircon Lounge
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1980s |
| Defunct | 1988 |
| Headquarters | Singapore , Singapore |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
Zircon Lounge was a Singapore-based band that formed in the early 1980s and gained prominence with their groundbreaking debut album, Regal Vigor (1983). Regarded as pioneers of the new wave genre in Singapore, the group disbanded in 1988 but is widely acknowledged for sparking the alternative music movement within the country.
History
Zircon Lounge originated from Damien Sin's garage rock ensemble Transformer, which also featured music journalist Chris Ho. After Transformer dissolved in 1982, Zircon Lounge was established with Ho on vocals, Tan Tiang Yeow handling lead guitar, Ernie Woo Huay Pin on bass, and Ronnie Chung Shih Loong playing drums. The band's name was drawn from a lyric by the American punk band X.
At first, their repertoire consisted mainly of covers from artists like Patti Smith and Lou Reed. However, they soon transitioned to creating original songs influenced by American new wave acts, Iggy Pop’s style, Jean Genet’s literary themes, and Alan Vega’s sound. Their objective was to disrupt Singapore’s dominant cover-band culture. Ho stressed that their approach centered on creativity and embracing risk.
Their inaugural album, Regal Vigor, launched by Warner Music Singapore in late 1983, combined seven original tracks with three cover versions. The production was overseen by Dick Lee and featured guest performances from Anita Sarawak, Jacintha Abisheganaden, and Broery Marantika. Notably, singles like "Savior" and "Chanachai" incorporated distinctive Thai musical elements.
The album received acclaim for being a daring local production effort, with critics acknowledging Zircon Lounge’s genuine command of rock 'n' roll. Their live shows were recognized for pushing boundaries and drew favorable comparisons to the Velvet Underground.
To support Regal Vigor, Zircon Lounge held a week-long residency at The Rainbow venue alongside international groups New Joy and Cut Glass, including covers such as Joy Division’s "Transmission" in their setlist.
Despite positive reviews, Regal Vigor achieved modest sales of approximately 1,000 units, prompting Warner Music to terminate their contract in May 1984. This contrasted sharply with mainstream artists like Tracy Huang who sold around 50,000 copies per album.
Undeterred by losing label support, Zircon Lounge maintained an active live presence and experimented with new compositions inspired by David Bowie’s cut-up writing technique. Lead guitarist Tan intended to return to England later that year for academic pursuits.
In June 1985, they contributed two tracks to WEA Records’ compilation Class Acts, which attained local sales exceeding 20,000 copies. By March 1986, with fresh additions Chee Kee Chien (guitar), Abdul Razak bin Mamat (drums), and Nasir bin Abdul Rashid (bass), the band performed at the National Stadium’s "Let's Rock" event, unveiling new material including "Cold in Buriram."
August 1986 saw their involvement in WEA’s Class Acts Two compilation featuring "Vaneepok" and "Cold in Buriram," the latter climbing to No. 3 on local charts and drawing parallels to The Doors’ sound.
In 1987, Zircon Lounge appeared on the live cassette release No Surrender – Live at Anywhere and contributed "Cold in Buriram" to the Made in Singapore compilation album. Their final performance took place at the Yin & Yang Festival hosted by the National University of Singapore before disbanding.
Years later in 2003, Chris Ho reunited with Tan Tiang Yeow for an electroclash project named Zircon Gov. Pawn Starz, culminating in the release of the album Follywood in 2004.
The track "Guide These Hands" by Zircon Lounge was featured in the 2009 collection +65 Underground, which chronicles Singapore’s indie rock evolution.
In 2013, producer Fauxe issued a remix of their song "Strangers." Announcements were made regarding a remastered edition of Regal Vigor accompanied by bonus tracks and a new EP released under the name Zirconia; however, these plans had not come to fruition by 2019.
Members
- Chris Ho (vocals) – A multifaceted artist known for his contributions as a musician, writer, filmmaker, and radio presenter; he played a pivotal role in shaping Singapore’s underground music landscape and earned the title of Most Outstanding Asia-Pacific Radio Personality in 1987; he passed away in 2021.
- Tan Tiang Yeow (guitars) – A singer-songwriter with a career exceeding twenty years; he has produced solo works such as What I Require (1994) and This Generation (2003), and manages his own graphic design company.
- Ronnie Chung Shih Loong (drums)
- Ernie Woo Huay Pin (bass)
- Farihin Fattah (saxophone)
- Song Kee Hiang (synthesizers and keyboards)
- Chee Kee Chien (second guitar)
- Abdul Razak bin Mamat (drums)
- Nasir bin Abdul Rashid (bass)
Discography
- Regal Vigor (1983)
A1. Shivers, Shivers A2. Myself To Myself A3. Savior A4. Tight Rope A5. Sweet Jane (Notes from "The Thief's Journal")
B1. 4 Hours B2. Chanachai B3. Cover Your Eyes B4. Strangers B5. Sweet Jane (Version)
External links
- Zircon Lounge's Regal Vigour featured on Singapore Storeroom
- Official website of X' Ho
- Review of Zircon Lounge's Regal Vigour on rock in the fine city
- Interview with X'Ho
- Entry on Chris Ho
- Entry on Tan Tiang Yeow