Singapore’s Caracal debut new member and songs at *SCAPE Music Day Out

Singaporean post-hardcore stalwarts Caracal have debuted a new member, as well as fresh material, during their performance at *SCAPE Music Day Out on Saturday (October 17).

The band’s new guitarist, Michelle Quek, made her first appearance with Caracal for the virtual festival and conference, alongside bands such as BAD DOD, .gif and Tim De Cotta, to name a few.

To kick off their set, Caracal premiered a new tune, before jumping into ‘Manicenigmatic’ and ‘Constrictor’ from their 2018 comeback EP ‘Take It Apart And Put It Back Together’.

The fourth song the band performed was also a new song which they’d written during Singapore’s coronavirus lockdown (also known in the country as the circuit breaker period). Caracal closed out their five-track set with their 2019 single ‘Mouth Of Madness’.

Watch Caracal’s *SCAPE Music Day Out performance below.

Per a press release, Caracal revealed that they had intended to reveal Quek as their newest member in front of a live audience, but “COVID-19 has made intimate experiences in the music world difficult”.

The band has since officially introduced Quek to their fans on Instagram. Check out the post below.

View this post on Instagram

Thankful to have been able to share new songs and introduce our newest member of the gang, @azr.mich, at *SCAPE Music Day Out! It wouldn't have been possible without the love and hard work from @scapesg, @lepsyfilms, @snakeweedstudios and the #sgmusic community. We can't wait to continue the journey with you soon. Catch our performance at the link in bio. 📷 @_wizbit #caracalnoise

A post shared by caracal (@caracalnoise) on Oct 18, 2020 at 6:30pm PDT

Prior to joining Caracal, Quek was part of the progressive metal band Banana Suicide Forest. She joins Caracal as longtime guitarist Gabriel De Souza’s replacement.

View this post on Instagram

After 14 years of playing music with Caracal, it is with a heavy heart that I have decided to part ways. Being in this band has led to experiences that no amount of money could buy. I got to meet so many awesome people, of which some I now call friends. Fourteen years is a long time; we basically grew up together as brothers, and got to share so many different moments and emotions. There really is no particular reason for my departure, other than wanting to focus more on myself, and feeling that it would be unfair if I were to continue without being able to give my bandmates 100 per cent. With that said, thanks for the support over all these years, and thank you Caracal for allowing me to express myself through the art of music with you guys. I will still be toying around with music, but in a more casual, light-hearted way. Please continue to support these talented brothers and sister of mine on their journey, because they are amazing beings. One more for the road this Saturday 11th Jan with @plainsunsetrocks and @ssuneaterr One love, and till we meet again! -gab

A post shared by caracal (@caracalnoise) on Jan 8, 2020 at 12:47pm PST

De Souza announced his departure from Caracal in January after 14 years. De Souza said that there was “no particular reason” for his departure, other than “wanting to focus more on myself, and feeling that it would be unfair if I were to continue without being able to give my bandmates 100 per cent”.

It is currently unclear when Caracal plans to release its new material.