Pain is what binds all species in dark Umbilical

At the 2024 Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa), the Sota Studio Theatre hosted one of the biggest surprises in experimental band The Observatory's multi-sensorial, primitive-futuristic cave concert Refuge.

- Clement Yong

Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, layers of sound are often washed out and, at points, the vocals are overwhelmed by the percussion.

Despite these gaps, the show is warmly received by the audience, who is uplifted by the rousing climax and shows its appreciation for the work being brought into the heart of Bedok with prolonged applause for the artists.

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THEATRE UMBILICAL Zul Mahmod, Rizman Putra and thesupersystem Sota Studio Theatre May 16

There are similarities here that promise equal pleasure – a pitch-black room, netting undulating overhead much like Refuge's translucent, enveloping blanket; the staccato, irregular beats of a rave propelling the entire act forwards; computer-generated visuals, streamed on screens hung around the audience members who mostly sit on the floor of the black box arena.

In vibes, and so in content. As with its predecessor, this collaboration by Zul Mahmod, Rizman Putra and the supersystem for Sifa 2025 grasps for an expansiveness in both time and space.