The Long Story
A band formed to explore musical boundaries and limits, WIRED offers an exciting mix of straightahead jazz, funk and everything in between, WIRED had its genesis in the chance meeting of two young musicians, drummer Soh Wen Ming and pianist Chok Kerong, in 2002 through a mutual friend. Wenming happens to be only a day older than Kerong.
'Born A Day Apart'
Wen Ming and Kerong were constantly practicing and searching new approaches to playing their respective instruments. Apart, they played with different musicians, Wenming with a pop/rock group, and Kerong with an R&B/groove based band. What they really wanted to do was to play music that was more jazz based.
Without a suitable bass player, they still practiced with just keyboards and drums. While this might seem odd to most, it helped to strengthen the musical chemistry between the two.
'Bass-less'
The need for a bass player presented itself more and more as the musical explorations became more urgent. They knew that the bass player would have to have the same inclinations and drive that they did. A love for all-you-can-eat buffets was a bonus.
Japanese Buffet?! ON!
Wen Ming and Kerong knew of and had played informally with Joshua Wan, a respected pianist, bassist and composer in the local scene. However, they were intimidated by his impressive resume (check his biography out!) and weren't sure if he would agree to commit to a band that did not necessarily have the opportunity to perform all the time. Despite these factors, it was worth a shot because Joshua had previously asked Kerong to play in a project band that would perform originals. Unfortunately, that band never materialised. In end 2003/early 2004, this one did.
'First Gig'
Rehearsals started soon after, and within 2 months or so, the band was offered a weekend long concert spot at the Esplanade Waterfront in April. Rehearsals intensified, and from 16 18 April 2004, the members of the band (who performed under the name WYRED initially) experienced one of their most mentally and physically draining gigs ever. Each day of the performance ended with the group members soaked in sweat and pumping with adrenaline.
To Edmond
The band also took the opportunity to remember the late Edmond Branson Jr. during the concert. Branson was one of Singapore's finest drummers and the leader of Singapore's premier percussion group, Tribal Tide. He passed away a number of weeks after the band was formed. Edmond was Wen Ming's teacher, and Joshua had been a friend and colleague to Edmond for countless years. For each day of the concert, the band dedicated a piece of music to his memory.
Now what?
The band hopes to work on more original material, and in the meantime, they perform occasionally at local jazz joint Jazz@Southbridge. This gig allows the trio to play more straightahead jazz, which has more space for group interplay and improvisation. This is in contrast to the Esplanade performance, which featured complex arrangements and 1970s type funk jazz-fusion type tunes. Right now, the band is constantly practicing as a group and as individuals, and a distinctive group sound is being carved out. Keep checking back for updates on the band's gigs!