City Nomads Radio: DJ Godwin Pereira

PUBLISHED July 30th, 2015 10:00 pm | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:59 pm

For City Nomads Radio this month, we managed to snag an interview with one of the architects of Singapore’s thriving underground club scene, Godwin Pereira. Having lived and breathed the music and dance culture for the past decade and a half, he’s also worked with many major league DJs and developed a wide musical spectrum, leaving his punters screaming for more.

Over the last 10 years, he’s been the main man behind successful brands in our ever-evolving city, such as Ministry of Sound, DXO, Supperclub, StereoLab, and Ku De Ta. His flair on the decks, coupled with his selective ear for quality tunes has gained him a reputation of being one of the best DJs in Singapore. He talks to us about gigs, the state of Singapore’s music scene, and the soon to be launched Club kyō in Kuala Lumpur.

Hi Godwin! Do you remember the first time you were exposed to electronic music? How did it happen?
That was a long time ago! I’ve been listening to a variety of music since I was seven years old. When I was 11, I was already listening to Neitzer Ebb. But because of my brothers and their friends, I was exposed to their collection of music and British acid house.

You’ve travelled extensively to share your music at festivals and clubs – which was your most memorable gig?
Definitely Ecuador. I did 3 gigs back in 2006 and they were still the best and most memorable to date, mainly because I didn’t plan my set and the crowd was so responsive. Besides, I was still using records at that point and playing with b-side mixes than the a-side mixes.

Having been in this scene for almost two decades, and the boss man of the basement club, kyō, how has Singapore’s underground scene changed?
The style of music in the underground club culture and scene has changed. Things are supposed to evolve in the underground scene and as we, as the operators have to constantly find that edge in keeping it underground with new forms of music. Like they say, the hunt never ends.

How had your personal music preferences evolved throughout the years?
I’ve listened to all kinds of genres. I’m attracted to anything that has somewhat of intelligence. I’ve gone more into dance, house and techno. I don’t follow the billboard charts because it’s out of whack now, in my personal opinion. But I do still keep in tune to with what’s out there on a general level to get a sense of how trends are changing.

Are there any DJs you would still love to catch?
That’s a tough one…I like a balance of listening to DJs like Nick Warren and Osunlade and experiencing live acts like Surgeon and KiNK.

By the way, congratulations on expanding kyō to Kuala Lumpur! Are we going to expect something different from kyō KL?
Yes, of course. We’re introducing a secondary product which is a little different from kyō Singapore. For kyō in KL, you can 2 rooms – one with urban and the other with techno/house discipline. It’s going to be substantially bigger too. For instance, kyō in Singapore takes 400 people while the space in KL takes up to 1,500 people. Also, we’ll be having new radical lighting design for the main kyō room. As for the second room with urban music, it is going to be softer, more luxe, more feminine and more textured. Essentially, this new property is designed specifically to behave as a lounge bar with a pre club component.

We’re curious; how’s the electronic scene like in Kuala Lumpur?
There are a lot of people interested in electronic music – we hope to create and underground outlet for the community to cater to that range of entertainment. KL’s electronic scene is technically a Sleeping Giant in this territory and the people are longing for that kind of entertainment to be back.

While you wait for kyō KL to open its doors, check out Godwin’s specially curated house and techno mixtapes for your weekend listening!

July Mixtape: House Mix by Godwin P by Citynomadsradio on Mixcloud

July Mixtape 02: Techno Mix by Godwin P by Citynomadsradio on Mixcloud

About City Nomads Radio

City Nomads Radio features monthly mixtapes curated by Singapore-based DJs, a community that deserves a whole lot more love from us.