31/05/2026

theSunday Special VII ON SUNDAY MAY 31, 2026

Spooky Wet Dreams remains a steady presence in the local indie circuit through consistent live performances. – PIC COURTESY OF SPOOKY WET DREAMS

From left: Timothy George, Joseph Khoo, Darrel Jacques and Isra Gomez build songs through revision and experimentation. – PIC COURTESY OF THE BABY COSMOS

Spooky Wet Dreams is the blueprint Spooky Wet Dreams was formed in 2015 by twins Shazwan Zulkiffli, known as Ze, and

Shazwani, or Nani, after years of playing together in school. “The main lyricist and ideator is me, but we all compose together,” Ze said. The band works across its own members, including Matt Liew,

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Netunoblu on drums and Arief Fuad, with production handled internally depending on the track. Nani handles rhythm and keeps the process organised. Her role is less visible, but it shapes how the band holds together. “She keeps everyone in check,” Ze said. The writing stays focused on things people do not usually say directly. That has been consistent since their earlier releases. “Spooky’s identity has always been about writing about things people don’t really express,” he said. Earlier work leaned more openly into political frustration. The tone was sharper and the delivery was more direct. “I feel like we’re still political, just covering different parts of political impact.” The subject has not changed, but the approach has. Nani points out that they no longer rely on volume to get the point across. “We realised we don’t always have to be loud and angry to actually say something,” she said. That change came with time. The band has been active long enough to move through different phases without having to restart its identity. “As we grow, Ze’s vocals are getting deeper, more low end,” Nani said. Ze links that to finding a voice that fits. His

Spooky’s identity has always been about writing about things people don’t really express.” “ for demos, placeholders or repetitive work that does not need a human touch yet. He draws the line at finished music, where the output is meant for listeners. Lisa does not make that distinction. She rejects generative AI outright, pointing to how AI tracks are already filling streaming playlists, especially in lo-fi and instrumental spaces. For her, the issue is not just quality but where the money goes, with royalties moving away from real artistes. The Baby Cosmos approaches it from a distance. The band does not use AI in its process, partly because of its DIY setup and

The Baby Cosmos treats each live set differently, adjusting arrangements from show to show. – PIC COURTESY OF THE BABY COSMOS

partly because its writing depends on group interaction. Songs are built through trial, revision and live testing, which leaves little room for generated shortcuts. Spooky Wet Dreams sits somewhere in between. They recognise AI as part of a wider system-shaping music, but their focus stays on writing drawn from lived experiences. Their concern is about what gets lost when the musical process is replaced. Wider, more varied indie space The local indie scene has grown more layered over time, with more voices, more approaches and more room for bands to work on their own terms. What stands out is the range, not just in sound, but in how artistes choose to write, record and present their work. There is no fixed direction, and that is what keeps it moving. Across that range, what stays consistent is the intent to make something honest, to put something out that reflects where they are. That, more than anything, is what continues to shape the scene.

influences range from punk bands such as Ramones and The Clash to crooners such as P. Ramlee and Frank Sinatra. “I realised my voice was always there, I just had to find it again,” he said. The band draws from a mix of influences across its members. That comes through in rhythm and structure, rather than being tied to one sound. On the practical side, they operate like most bands in the scene. Not everyone is doing this full-time. “Not everybody can do this full-time,” Ze said. They balance the band with other work, recording in different spaces depending on what is available. Even with that, they have stayed consistent with releases and live shows. AI in music Artificial intelligence (AI) comes up differently for each band, but none of them treat it lightly. For Fuad, the divide is internal. Arief sees AI as a tool that can sit in early stages, useful

Ze is the main lyricist and ideator of Spooky Wet Dreams. – SPOOKY WET DREAMS PIC