Ronin (band)
Encyclopedia
Ronin is a rock
band based in Singapore
. They are infamous for their live performances and being one of the few high profile rock bands around. Before their entry to the mainstream market, the band launched a self-released
EP
which included 5 songs, and later released an LP
which was hugely successful. Their debut album Do or Die has received rave reviews by local press, and is one of the top selling English-language albums in Singapore of all time. In 2006, the band collaborated with local Mediacorp
artiste Fiona Xie
in a love song duet, entitled "Love Will Shine on Through". The song was recorded to raise funds for a cancer
project, with a book
and a CD recorded together. One of their songs, "One More Moment", was covered by Singaporean artiste Ho Yeow Sun
.
The band enjoyed a number one hit called Black Maria in the Singapore charts, the song Crazy Son reached third. Ronin has also written the theme song and title soundtrack 'Memories' for the film Singapore Dreaming
.
On 24 June 2007, lead singer Levan Wee performed with the band for the last time, due to a combination of personal issues, as well as differences in musical direction. He is now the lead singer of ASTRONINJA. The band has since returned to the studios to continue work on their 2nd LP.
All 4 members of Ronin were students from Victoria School
. The band members have cameo appearances in the movie "Anna & Anna", starring Golden Horse winner Karena Lam. They appear as the backing band of the film's lead actor, Tender Huang.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band based in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. They are infamous for their live performances and being one of the few high profile rock bands around. Before their entry to the mainstream market, the band launched a self-released
Self-publishing
Self-publishing is the publication of any book or other media by the author of the work, without the involvement of an established third-party publisher. The author is responsible and in control of entire process including design , formats, price, distribution, marketing & PR...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
which included 5 songs, and later released an LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
which was hugely successful. Their debut album Do or Die has received rave reviews by local press, and is one of the top selling English-language albums in Singapore of all time. In 2006, the band collaborated with local Mediacorp
MediaCorp
Media Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making....
artiste Fiona Xie
Fiona Xie
-Career:Xie was spotted by a talent scout at the age of fifteen while was studying in St. Hilda's Secondary School. She modeled for numerous print and television commercials in Singapore and Hong Kong before joining MediaCorp Studios as a full-time artiste in 2001....
in a love song duet, entitled "Love Will Shine on Through". The song was recorded to raise funds for a cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
project, with a book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
and a CD recorded together. One of their songs, "One More Moment", was covered by Singaporean artiste Ho Yeow Sun
Ho Yeow Sun
Ho Yeow Sun, better known as Sun Ho, is a Singaporean pop music singer. She studied at Anglican High School and Victoria Junior College. Ho is one of the co-founders of City Harvest Church and its community services and is married to Kong Hee Sun started her Mandarin pop singing career in 2002 and...
.
The band enjoyed a number one hit called Black Maria in the Singapore charts, the song Crazy Son reached third. Ronin has also written the theme song and title soundtrack 'Memories' for the film Singapore Dreaming
Singapore Dreaming
Singapore Dreaming is a 2006 film set in Singapore. The film follows the Loh family, a typical Singaporean working-class family, through their aspirations for a better life and the harsh reality that makes it difficult for them to fulfill these aspirations...
.
On 24 June 2007, lead singer Levan Wee performed with the band for the last time, due to a combination of personal issues, as well as differences in musical direction. He is now the lead singer of ASTRONINJA. The band has since returned to the studios to continue work on their 2nd LP.
Current members
- Sean Cheng: Vocals, Guitars
- Simon Lee: GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Derryn Wong: BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Bang Ong: DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
All 4 members of Ronin were students from Victoria School
Victoria School
Victoria School in Singapore is a government secondary school for boys, founded in 1876, at Siglap Link, about one kilometre from affiliated Victoria Junior College....
. The band members have cameo appearances in the movie "Anna & Anna", starring Golden Horse winner Karena Lam. They appear as the backing band of the film's lead actor, Tender Huang.
Discography
- The EP - a 5-song EP which was self-released on January 2004. It was recorded at Snakeweed Studios, produced by Leonard Soosay and Ronin, and mastered at 301 Studios in Sydney.
- Do or Die - a full length album released on August 2005 and distributed by Universal MusicUniversal Music GroupUniversal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
. Recorded at Snakeweed Studios and produced by Leonard Soosay and Ronin.
External links
- garageband.com - Ronin profile