Ronin (band)
Ronin was a rock band based in Singapore. They were known for their live performances and being one of the few popular bands in the hard/classic rock genre from Singapore. Before their entry to the mainstream market, the band launched a self-released EP which included five songs, and later released an LP which was hugely successful.[1] Their debut album Do or Die 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.
Ronin | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Singapore |
Genres | Rock |
Years active | 2003–2008 |
Labels | Universal |
Members | Sean Cheng Derryn Wong Simon Lee Bang Ong |
Past members | Levan Wee |
The band enjoyed a number one hit on local radio station 98.7, Black Maria in the Singapore charts, the song Crazy Son reached third.[2] Ronin has also written the theme song and title soundtrack 'Memories' for the film Singapore Dreaming.[3][4]
In 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.[5] The band continued for a short while after, but has been inactive as of 2008.
Members
- Sean Cheng: guitar
- Simon Lee: guitar
- Derryn Wong: bass
- Bang Ong: drums
All four members of Ronin were students from Victoria School. The band members have cameo appearances in the movie Anna & Anna, starring Karena Lam. They appear as the backing band of the film's lead actor, Tender Huang.
- Previous members
- Levan Wee: vocals (left in 2007)
Discography
- The EP – a five-song EP which was self-released in 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 in August 2005 and distributed by Universal Music.[2] Recorded at Snakeweed Studios and produced by Leonard Soosay and Ronin.
References
- "Leonard Soosay's 10 greatest anthems for Singapore | JUICE Singapore". JUICE Singapore. 9 August 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
- CD Baby Archived 21 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine - notes on "Do or Die"
- www.funkygrad.com Archived 23 January 2013 at archive.today - Ronin interview
- www.singaporedreaming.com Archived 4 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine – Full credits
- "Levan left Ronin". www.soft.com.sg. Retrieved 31 October 2018.