Taiwan’s NIO, Cicada and Robot Swing to Perform at AXEAN Festival

Three Taiwanese acts will be headed to Singapore for the first time to perform at the AXEAN Festival. Alternative pop singer songwriter NIO, instrumental band Cicada and R&B band Robot Swing alongside renowned rapper and hip-hop producer LEO37 will perform at the first intraregional music showcase festival in Southeast Asia.

NIO is currently the most exciting pop sensation in Taiwan, having recently won the popular songwriting reality show Music Maker ( 乐主理人), solidifying his spot as one of the best young singer songwriters in Taiwan at the moment. NIO released his four track EP ANTI FOG LENSES earlier in February this year, and has recently returned with new singles ‘Sometimes’ and ‘When You Gonna (Get Your Shit Together)’.

Cicada is a four piece instrumental band formed in 2009, and named after the insect that people often hear around themselves in nature and is instantly recognisable by its sound. The band was nominated for the “Best Instrumental Album Production” award at the 2020 Golden Melody Awards for their album Hiking In The Mist, as well as the “Best Instrumentalist” award at the 2023 Golden Indie Music Awards for their latest album Seeking the Sources of Streams. The band was also involved in creating the soundtrack to the critically acclaimed 2022 Japanese thriller film A Man, which premiered at the 79th Venice Film Festival. For their work on the film, Cicada was nominated for the “Best Music” award at the 46th Japan Academy Film Prize.

Robot Swing is a jazz funk band that is symbolic of the ever evolving indie music sound in Taiwan. Incorporating elements of R&B, soul, funk and jazz in their music, the groovy band has collaborated with musicians from all backgrounds, including pop sensation Hung Peiyu, Tamil rapper SVDP and saxophonist Hsieh Minyen. They were recognised with a nomination for the “Best Rhythm & Blues Song” at the 2021 Golden Indie Music Awards. Their debut album System Booting… was also nominated for the “Best Band” award at the 2023 Golden Melody Awards, and won the “Best New Artist” award at Singapore’s very own Freshmusic Awards.

Robot Swing will be joined by frequent collaborator and producer LEO37, a Canadian-Taiwanese veteran hip hop musician and rapper who is instrumental in the advancements made by the Taiwanese indie hip hop scene over the past decade. LEO37 has been involved in some of the biggest hip hop events in Taiwan’s history, including the first-ever appearance of Wu-Tang Clan in Taiwan, as well as some of the largest and highest grossing hip hop shows in Taiwan, taking the Taiwanese hip hop talents onto a global stage.

AXEAN Festival will be held at Goodman Arts Centre from October 28 to 29. Tickets are available online on a pay-as-you-wish basis, and beers can be pre-bought. Musical acts involved this year include Singaporean musicians Shye, ABANGSAPAU and Jean Seizure, as well as other exciting regional acts such as Reality Club, The Itchyworms, Helsinki Lambda Club, KIKI, Ena Mori, BULGOGIDISCO, Shelhiel and more.

The Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) serves as a presenting partner to AXEAN Festival this year, continuing in their commitment to supporting Taiwanese artists to take their works beyond borders to overseas markets.

Also enjoy beers from seven independent craft breweries at the inaugural Beer Village at AXEAN Festival. Two limited-edition collaboration beers with two Indonesian breweries on sale. Tickets to Beer Village are priced at S$35 per ticket for one-day access or S$115 for four one-day access tickets.

Bali-based Islands of Imagination will debut in Singapore with a Buah Keluak Tropical Stout in collaboration with That Singapore Beer Project, a brewery serving fresh, original, people-centred beers since its inception in 2018. Expect a stout infused with the cacao richness and earthy mushroomy notes of the Buah Keluak.

Indonesian brewery Kulturale and Singaporean brewery Off Day Beer Co dreamt up a New England IPA inspired by the classic orange-flavoured Dreamsicle found in almost every provision shop across Southeast Asia.