The Asia Diaries: KARTY gears up for Singapore debut with a trip down memory lane

Bangkok-based DJ and producer KARTY has been a trailblazer in Thailand’s scene, particularly in the realm of bass music. Since 2016, he's been at the forefront of this genre, driven by a passion to introduce the harder, bass-heavy sounds of d'n'b, riddim, dubstep, and bass house to the country.

KARTY's influence extends beyond his own performances; he’s also the founder of Bass Head Temple, a platform dedicated to fostering a strong community around bass music in the country.

From humble beginnings playing in small clubs, his efforts have not only shaped the local music scene but have also positioned him on the international stage, with performances at iconic events like the Songkran Festivals, It’s The Ship, Wonderfruit and even EDC Las Vegas in 2021.

Now, KARTY is set to showcase his house sound for the first time at Singapore’s prestigious CÉ LA VI venue on Saturday, August 31—a highly anticipated performance that marks his solo debut in the Lion City.

Before his premiere, Mixmag Asia invites him to look back at a previous visit to Singapore, where he shares about his love for Singaporean food, his vision for the future of house music in Asia, plus his upcoming performance at CÉ LA VI.

I’ve visited Singapore every couple of months for most of my life, either for personal leisure or for shows. I feel like I’ve really grown accustomed to the culture and it's just been awesome each and every time. On trip I took last year, I ended up staying only three days, so I pretty much ended up just exploring most of the time.

The hotel we stayed at was the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, which is actually as amazing as everyone says, and since we went during Christmas time we also had a Christmas party with TEAMWANG at the top of the hotel.

But aside from lounging around in my room or the roof I did get a chance to do some walking around, my number one priority during this trip was food. Singapore has really great food, I can’t overstate this enough, by far my favorite was the Singaporean chicken rice. Every time I look back on the photos I took during that trip it, makes me hungry every single time. I tried the same dish at a lot of different places and no matter where I went it was unbelievably amazing everywhere!

One of the reasons I love visiting Singapore so much is because it's a nice getaway from Bangkok. Sometimes, I use these trips as an opportunity to take a step back and really take in my environment, while still enjoying what I do. The shows I get to do here double as an opportunity to get to know a different type of culture.

Generally, this is what my days look like: I wake up, go out to look for something to eat and try new foods, and then we walk around and explore the city.

In the evening we hit up some local clubs and pubs, really to soak up the Singaporean style of partying. What kind of music do they like? What do people wear to the clubs here? How is it different from the culture in Bangkok? That kind of stuff. Then I get ready to go play my shows.

Something I do appreciate is the people here; everyone is so welcoming and I've made a lot of new friends from these trips. It’s another great thing because Singapore is so close and has a similar feel to Bangkok that it offers a somewhat familiar escape; like I'm in a different country...but it doesn't feel entirely foreign.

This show will be the first Singaporean debut for KARTY. I’ve done other shows here, but they’ve all been part of KARTYPARTYY, so I’m really excited to leave my solo mark here. To me it’s not just going to be "another show"—it’s so much more than that. I’ll be representing not just the whole KARTY & FRIENDS team but also myself as an individual and solo artist. CÉ LA VI has an amazing culture, atmosphere and attendees, I’m looking forward to showcasing my set as well as hopefully meeting new people and making lifelong connections.

Of course, despite the fact that I’ve performed many shows in my life, solo or otherwise, this will be a first for Singapore so I’d be lying if I said there were some nerves involved. But mostly I’m just excited to be able to just perform for everyone and help everybody there have a great time.

I also can’t think of a better time than now to make this debut. House music is currently growing in Asia, especially Thailand, and I want to bring that amazing atmosphere for everyone in Singapore to enjoy as well. Considering what I’ve seen in Singapore so far, I really think that it can take off, but most importantly I want to use this as an opportunity to introduce it to people who may not be familiar with it yet. Like they say; you gotta try everything to know what you like and don’t!

CÉ LA VI has a great reputation, I’m super thankful I get to partner with them and perform there. But this also plays into that whole idea; I already know that the people there will love house music, so I want to increase their opportunities to enjoy it, and the only way to do that is to cultivate a culture around it. I kind of have this ambition to cultivate that in Singapore by bringing the best parts of Bangkok and growing it into the amazing thing I know it can be. Hopefully, in the future, we could have KARTY & FRIENDS at the same weekend.

For example, there isn’t a huge backstage culture yet, and I really think people would love to experience it uniquely in Singapore. My shows include elements where everybody can sort of groove to it and vibe, so having that backstage aspect could really elevate the whole experience.

This upcoming performance at CÉ LA VI represents so many things to me; my international solo debut, representing KARTYPARTYY and an opportunity to nurture the growing house music scene. So, in many ways, this set is super special to me!

Get tickets to KARTY at CÉ LA VI on Saturday, August 31, here.

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