The Observatory's Playfreely festival returns with a line-up of groundbreaking, all-female musicians

ESTIMATED 
The Observatory's Playfreely festival returns with a line-up of groundbreaking, all-female musicians

Playfreely has maintained its status over the years as an uninhibited space rooted in freewheeling, collaborative experimentation — a showcase of craft taken to diverse extremities. Last year's edition, a collaboration with Japan's Asian Meeting Festival, was a sonic adventure all on its own.

Organized by members of avant-garde rock band The Observatory, they've taken a leap forward for this year's edition by assembling a line-up of all-female music artists, titled Playfreely: No Man's Land, which is set to take place at The Projector.

"Playfreely exhorts fearlessness," the festival's organizers write in a press release. "In this special installment, we celebrate musicians who super-charge their verve to galvanize change in today’s world."

The festival has roped in experimental music veterans from Japan alone: Yoshimio — also known as Yoshimi P-We, the influential drummer of experimental rock band Boredoms and ringleader of OOIOO — and Sachiko M, a mainstay in Japan's transgressive "onkyo" scene.

BANDWAGON TV

The historic Vietnamese instrument, the dan bau, will be performed by esteemed musician Ngo Tra My, and Norwegian saxophonist Mette Rasmussen will display her full textural power with her instrument at the event, which will feature a mixture of solo and collaborative sets. 

Here's the full list of performers for Playfreely: No Man's Land

Alice Chang
Crys Cole
Sachiko M
Guro Moe
Ngo Tra My
Cheryl Ong
Mette Rasmussen

Suhaili Safari
Vivian Wang
Yoshimio

Tickets for Playfreely, taking place on December 13th and 14th, are now on sale over at The Projector's official website at S$25 per night.

Watch the trailer for Playfreely: No Man's Land below: