Sublime Frequencies offbeat collections of music from around the world (usually centering around North Africa and Southeast Asia) tend to fall into a few categories. There are the celebrations of a particular musician, although such egoist productions are in the minority for the label. More often it's haunting ritual music, or compilations of radio songs, news and noise, or, as in the case of Singapore-a-Go-Go, straight-up saccharine pop.
This collection, compiled by William Gibson (who also provides some nice contextual liner notes), culls 22 tracks from 7" singles and EPs released between 1963 and 1975. The Western-influenced bubblegum pop songs are infectious, but at the time represented much more than that. Easyrider might be the common image of rock'n'roll freedom, but these little tunes (generally under three minutes) by hybridized teen idols represented a newfound freedom with far more impact in their time. It's not music of rebellion, it's just happy liberty. The Republic of Singapore obtained independence in 1965, after a century and a half of British and Japanese rule, and was already a relatively wealthy state at the time. In the neighboring People's Republic of China, all music was subject to government approval, but in Singapore, Eastern and Western pop could be heard on the American military's Radio Free Asia. And with the influx of monies that comes from peaceful military occupation (Singapore wasn't the enemy but a strategic port), native teens could afford to buy guitars — and records.
The results, collected here, include such products as Grace Lee and the Stylers, whose single "Why Are You Not Smiling?" c/w "Each and Every Flower" features a photo of the singer in a miniskirt and holding a tambourine on the cover. The electric chimes of freedom were rung by the eastern surf band Charlie Electric Guitar Band's Sound of Japan, the westernization underscored by Lim Chay and the Silvertones singing "I Hate My Unrequited Love for You." And like so many comps of Western pop obscurities, there aren't necessarily forgotten superstars to be found here. Rather, it's a fun dip into a very different moment.
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