A Blast from the Past to Present

By Sara Koh

Find out what was the inspiration behind the production that brought on the feet-tapping and heart- pumping atmosphere at Replug’s set in South Agora on Tuesday.

Known for their unique acoustic take on a wide spectrum of music, Replug never fails to draw a crowd at their sets around campus. The group first started in 2006 and have been playing many shows around Republic Polytechnic ever since. On 5th August 2014, the group had their Pre-IGNITE! performance titled “Music: EVOLUTION | REVOLUTION”. A steady flow of crowd was streaming in to the venue 15 minutes before call time. By the time the first note was played, a roaring crowd had already formed in front of the stage.

Four-piece band “stillsunrise” opened the show and were a major hit among the crowd, serenading them with their unique sound. The touch of violin in their original songs such as For Now gave an interesting twist and identity to their music. They also performed their own rendition of popular songs such as All I Want by Kodaline, which had loud applauses.

Keeping Up With The Beat: One of Replug’s senior band rocking out on stage to “September” by Earth Wind and Fire. PHOTO BY: Sara Koh

The performance by Replug came soon after and was made up of various hits ranging from Blue Suede Shoes by Elvis Presley to Natalie by Bruno Mars, all ranging from the 50’s to the current day. The crowd was moving to the beat and were evidently enjoying themselves; many of whom had friends on stage and were screaming their friends’ names in show of support. “We wanted to add in hits that the various years in the music industry were known for. That’s why we didn’t just pick any song; we picked the iconic song that represented that particular musical era.”

According to Muhammad Shafiq, 21, a member of the production team from Replug, the performance was inspired by a Pentatonix video on YouTube. Pentatonix is an American a-capella group made up of five members. Shafiq was on his way to school and had been watching the video when he got inspired. “The video was titled ‘Pentatonix Music Evolution’ and I sort of got inspiration from the title; to have a production showcasing hits across the years.”

When asked what music evolution meant to them, Sakinah Tahir, 21, another member of Replug, said that it meant the “progress of how music had evolved over the years” and it also shows the “improvement in music”. She continued on to say that the production also coincides with the passion part of IGNITE!’s running theme, Passion and Compassion, where it portrays the group’s passion for the music from way back until now.

Replug has played a total of 40 shows in 2013 alone and they show no signs of slowing down. They will be opening the second day of IGNITE! Music Festival on 16th August 2014.