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THE STORY SO FAR
Stretched between acoustic melancholia, neo-soul,
post-rock and electronic-pop – the extremities that mark
Charlie Lim’s music, is a certain sense of cinematic
gravitas that takes you on a sonic journey set against the
rich narratives of life’s tales.
a glowing review of 4.5/5 stars, and was also awarded
Best Pop Album of 2015. Popular media outlets such as
Time Out, TODAY, Bandwagon, Popspoken, Beehype,
Honeycombers, and JUICE all considered the record as
one of the Best Music Releases of the year.
Charlie’s latest release, TIME/SPACE, is a double EP
containing two collections of songs – with TIME
reflecting his singer-songwriter sensibilities and SPACE a
manifestation of his DIY approach to experimental pop
production. It explores the gamut from darkness to light,
sadness to joy – and like a slow inhale and exhale, is
ultimately uplifting.
The quintessential Charlie Lim experience ultimately lies in
the live show. Whether as a solo act; or with his super-band
The Mothership, Charlie sculpts a musical narrative so
mesmerising that audiences often find themselves rudely
jolted back into reality upon its conclusion.
From the satirical ragtime-piano intro of the opening
teaser ‘Blah Blah Blues’ and the apocalyptic alt-folk
meltdown of ‘Bitter’ on TIME, to the dark electronic
grooves and Prince-inspired vocals on ‘Conspiracy’ and
the slow-burning cinematic closer ‘I Only Tell the Truth’
on SPACE, the record is a meticulous representation of
Charlie’s inimitable artistic brooding. Even within its
ambitious stylistic arc, the record never strays from being
seamless and intimate in its storytelling, tied together by
a delicate thread that is Charlie’s velvet vocal.
Within an hour of its release, TIME/SPACE clinched the
top spot on the local iTunes chart, and his songs have
reached more than 1.5 million plays on Spotify since.
Singapore’s leading newspaper The Straits Times gave it
Charlie’s music has since opened doors to the region’s
biggest stages – with a 7-city tour across Asia, playing
key festivals such as Mosaic Music Festival, The
Gathering, Singapore International Jazz Festival,
Clockenflap (Hong Kong), Java Jazz Festival
(Indonesia), Urbanscapes (Kuala Lumpur), Jarasum
Jazz Festival (Seoul) and Music Matters Live, alongside
international artists such as Kimbra, Sigur Rós,
BADBADNOTGOOD, Hiatus Kaiyote, Caribou, Ta-Ku,
and Snarky Puppy.
Following two landmark, sold-out shows at The Mosaic
Music Festival in 2014 – an achievement never claimed
by a Singaporean artist – Charlie premiered
TIME/SPACE at Singapore’s premier music venue, the
1,600-seat Esplanade Concert Hall; yet another first.
“ Regarded as one of Singapore’s finest
musical exports, Charlie Lim has come a
long way since the release of his début
album in 2011. His relentless tour
schedule that has seen him perform
multiple tours across Asia, Australia, in
front of 25,000 people for the SEA Games
and most recently, in London as part of a
carefully curated group showcasing the
best of Singapore’s local music scene. It
seems finally the world is beginning to
take notice of what Singapore has been
acutely aware of for years, Charlie Lim is
something quite special.”
Luke James, for MUSIC WEEKLY ASIA,
July 2015
“ A million miles removed from the
high-gloss jangle of pop acts today…
His talent, anchored on lyrics that
are as intimate as they come as well
as a voice that is both grand and
sweeping, can draw the interest of
both mainstream and musical elite.”
MUSIC NEWS ASIA
“ As a whole, TIME/SPACE works
brilliantly as a unified body of work.
When you strip the songs down to
their bare minimum, it is Lim's
emotional profundity transplanted in
the songs, and his rich, expressive
voice that bring all the tunes together
. . . Halfway through 2015 and
Time/Space is already one of the
strongest contenders so far for album
of the year. 4.5/5 Stars”
Eddino Hadi, for The Straits Times,
July 2015
“ If I could sum up Charlie Lim’s gig…
it is both head and heart music.
Charlie’s show ticked all the right
boxes for me…it not only immediately
grabs you when it starts, but there’s
also enough technicality to please any
muso to no end.”
TODAY
“ Is Charlie Lim the future of Singapore
rock? I certainly hope so especially if
the future of Singapore rock is as
erudite, creative, humble and
entertaining as Charlie Lim most
certainly is!”
Kevin Matthews, for POWER OF POP,
May 2015
“ We love watching new audiences
drop their jaws when they hear
that magnificent old-soul croon
coming from Charlie’s bespectacled figure. Truly a blues-man for
the new age.”
Awarded ‘Best Live Act’,
JUICE Magazine
“ Trademark sky high falsetto
register, check; off the cuff
improvisational vocal solo-ing,
check, kickass band, check.
Seriously, what does the lad
feed on? It is absolutely certain
that Charlie Lim is headed for
the big time. Watch out world.”
BANDWAGON
“ And then there's Charlie Lim, whose name
is as ordinarily Singaporean as his music is
extraordinarily without boundaries. More
than plying his trade in different music
genres - jazz, funk, soul, R&B, electronica
- and mashing up musical idioms and
conventions, he transcends defined styles
with a masterly, if impish, hop, skip and
jump . . . Lim is the future, where local
musicians have nothing to prove anymore
and their biggest satisfaction comes from
overcoming challenges that are not yet
known.”
Andy Chen, for THE STRAITS TIMES,
June 2015
MILESTONES
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F1 Grand Prix
Oz Asia Festival, Adelaide
We The Citizens Fest with Ta-Ku, Mark Ronson
Signed to Universal Music Singapore
SHINE Youth Festival with Gentle Bones, ShiGGA Shay, Jay Park
Hong Kong showcase with Beat Brothers
Getai Soul Festival with The Steve Mcqueens,
Barry Likumahuwa, Good Life Project
Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia with Chris Botti & Sting,
Jacob Collier, Kurt Elling
Singapore International Jazz Festival with BADBADNOTGOOD,
Hiatus Kaiyote
Official Music Video Launch of ‘Bitter’
Performed with Intriguant for Laneway Festival Singapore
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Awarded ‘Best Pop Album of 2015’ by The Straits Times
Awarded ‘Best of 2015’ and ‘Best Song’ by iTunes
Awarded under ‘Best Releases of 2015’ by Time Out, Bandwagon,
Popspoken, TODAY, Beehype, JUICE Magazine
Titian Budaya Festival in Kuala Lumpur with Liyana Fizi
Official Music Video Launch of ‘I Only Tell the Truth’
Brisbane Festival, Australia
Supported Kimbra for Singapore Tour
100 Bands Festival
Reached #1 Album on iTunes Singapore within an hour of release
Launch of TIME/SPACE at Esplanade Concert Hall
Performed closing song for finale of SEA Games at the National Stadium
SGMUSO Live Showcase in London
Sofar Sounds in London
Supported Émelie Simon for Singapore Tour
Sing Jazz Festival with Snarky Puppy, Jessie J, Bobby McFerrin
The Gathering Festival with Pleasantry, Belle & Sebastian, Caribou
Sofar Sounds in Melbourne, Australia
Commissioned to write theme song with Corrinne May for SG50 project
Ignite! Festival with The Sam Willows, Plainsunset
Recipient of National Arts Council’s Presentation & Participation Grant
Shenzhen and Hong Kong showcase with Teriver Cheung Trio
Closing act for Mosaic Music Festival, selling out both shows
Commissioned to write two theme songs for the 2015 SEA Games
Sofar Sounds in Leeds, UK
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WAM Festival in Perth, Australia
Singapore Day in Sydney, Australia
Signed with FMIC as a Fender International Artist
World Youth Jazz Festival in Bogor, Indonesia
Night Festival
Cover for JUICE Magazine
Selected for Club Monaco’s Tastemaker Campaign
Georgetown Festival in Penang, Malaysia
Rainforest World Music Festival Preview in Subang, Malaysia
Earth Hour Singapore
2012
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Cover for HYPE Magazine
Clockenflap Music & Arts Festival in Hong Kong with Lucy Rose, De La Soul
Performed at the Esplanade Concert Hall
with the Singapore Philharmonics Winds Orchestra
Awarded ‘Best Live Act’ by JUICE Magazine
Urbanscapes Festival in KL, Malaysia with Sigur Ros, Yuna
Bandung and Yogjakarta tour with Liyana Fizi
Manila tour supporting Side A, Carlos Castano
Tokyo tour supporting Chocolat & Akito
Ben Sherman Plectrum Sessions Featured Artist
Featured in UNDERSCORE Magazine’s Creative Cultures
Jarasum International Jazz Festival in Seoul, Korea
Sold out concert at Esplanade Recital Studio
Fred Perr y Sub-Sonic Sessions
Music Matters Live in Singapore