The inaugural event unveils its initial round of programming, which includes the addition of a songwriting camp
Following two years of well-attended live events in Singapore (2022–2023), AXEAN has announced its return, this time in a new tropical location thousands of miles distant from its previous headquarters.
Filipino musicians include dream-pop group Bird, indie-folk group Munimuni, electronic producer crwn, and chart-topping R&B singer Maki. and soul-jazz chanteuse Muri are among the first wave of performers at the worldwide music festival scheduled for September 28–29, 2024, in Bali, Indonesia.
A meaningful confluence is about to take place at the Jimbaran Hub, which is situated at the southern tip of the island and is surrounded by stunning vistas of sunsets and lush flora. This is the first intra-regional music showcase event in Southeast Asia.
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.
The co-director of the festival, Muenprasertdee, also stressed the value of the songwriting camp, emphasizing its ability to break down barriers both literally and figuratively as well as to create strategic partnerships that have the ability to assist artists in breaking into new markets by pooling their fan bases. He mentioned Flower.far with Fern from Thailand. among the recent success stories are H 3 F from Thailand and Vũ Thanh Vân from Vietnam and the Philippines.
“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!”
Get your tickets here: https://axeanfestival.com/buy-tickets/
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