After mounting successful in-person events in Singapore for two consecutive years (2022-2023), AXEAN announces its return in a new tropical destination thousand miles away from its former homebase.
Filipino artists such as chart-topping R&B artist Maki, indie-folk collective Munimuni, electronic producer crwn, dream-pop band bird. and soul-jazz chanteuse Muri lead the first wave of acts performing at the international music festival which will take place in Bali, Indonesia, from September 28-29, 2024.
The first intra-regional music showcase event in Southeast Asia gears up for another meaningful convergence at the Jimbaran Hub, located on the southern tip of the island, and surrounded by breathtaking greenery and sunset views.
First time in Bali
“It has always been our vision to make AXEAN a regional traveling festival, changing host countries every year, or even having multiple smaller editions in different countries,” AXEAN Festival co-founder and team leader Piyapong Muenprasertdee reveals. “The reasoning stemmed from us seeing that most Southeast Asian music markets are either very domestic, or receptive towards only western or K-pop artists when it comes to international artists. Thus, if we could help domestic artists cross borders within the region, there could be more opportunities for them to grow an international fanbase. After 2 years being in Singapore, we felt it was the right time to try a new place, and Bali being a tropical paradise with a growing music scene, we think it is the perfect location for artists, delegates and music-lovers alike.”
The festival activities will kick off with a music industry mixer and a private music showcase of Balinese talents on the day prior to the festival. It will be followed by a two-day music conference with networking activities in the morning and a music showcase festival featuring more than 50 music acts from Southeast Asia and beyond.
First wave of lineup
This year’s edition of AXEAN Festival takes pride in its diverse but strategically curated lineup from different parts of Southeast Asia and the rest of the world.
The lineup includes: At Adau (MY), Batavia Collective (ID), bird. (PH), Common People Like You (TH), COTERIE (AU), crwn (PH), Dialog Dini Hari (ID), Funkindustry (FR), Gabe Watkins (TH), Grrrl Gang (ID), HARIKUYAMAKU (JP), I’mdifficult（TW)，Josh Makazo (SG), lightcraft (ID), Linying (SG), LUSS (TH), M-Fatt (KH), Maki (PH), Milledenials (ID), mindfreakkk (TH), Munimuni (PH), Muri (PH), Norith & YuuHai (KH), Puman (CN), Rangga Jones（SG), RuthKo（KH)，San & The Workshop (SG), Skandal (ID), The Dinosaur’s Skin (TW), The Hertz (HK), Tuimi (VN), Uudee’s Swashbuckling Dandies (MN), Vanthan (KH), VVAS (TH).
International songwriting camp
The acclaimed international showcase festival will wrap up with a private songwriting camp, the newest addition to its diverse and extensive range of programming. The initiative aims to foster a spirit of creativity and inclusivity in a globalized setting while nurturing cross-cultural collaboration amongst the finest and most promising songwriters, producers, and artists in the ASEAN region and also from other regions of the world.
AXEAN Festival co-founder and co-director David Siow advocates for a more DIY approach to the songwriting camp, backed by its purpose of empowering and connecting a community of music creatives from all around the world, while ensuring equitable outcomes and opportunities from the series of collaborative sessions.
“For us, it’s all about enabling artists and furthering their careers; for Bali, it just made sense to do a camp and create good vibes, memories, and tracks for all involved,” Siow explains.
Muenprasertdee, the festival’s co-director, also emphasized the importance of the songwriting camp, not just in breaking barriers literally and metaphorically, but also in producing strategic collaborations that have proven to help artists enter new markets by sharing fanbases. He cited Flower.far from Thailand with Fern. from Philippines; and Vũ Thanh Vân from Vietnam with H 3 F from Thailand as some of the recent success stories.
“We hope a songwriting camp will help create an environment to foster more artistic collaborations and cross-border fanbases. Apart from some of this year’s showcasing artists, we have also invited some alumni, guest songwriters and producers to make it more fun and productive! Be on the lookout for new music coming out from our camp!”
