THE GUY BRINGING THE BEATS TO THE MASSES: Manfred Lim (Myrne), 23, DJ and EDM producer

M anfred (stage name Myrne) is the first Singaporean to play at electronic music festivals Ultra Music Festival in Miami, and Tomorrowland in Belgium (crowd sizes: 165,000 and 185,000 respectively). He also co-produced I Wanna

Know, the lead single of American DJ-producer RL Grime’s latest album (after the latter hit him up on Twitter). And in March, Manfred’s first full-length album,

(B4nger Project) with Singapore singersongwriter Gentle Bones was released.

So you could say this student (still studying political science at Singapore Management University!) has had quite a year. And to think, it all started because of… the late Swedish DJ Avicii?

Manfred was particularly intrigued by a hit song the mega-popular DJ Avicii (who passed away in April this year) had remixed, and started delving into his discography. “In a video of Avicii working in a studio, there was a lot of fancy equipment and mixing desks, but he wasn’t using any of it. He was just on his computer,” Manfred says. It made him realise that he could do it too.

This was in 2012. Manfred worked on his technique, and also scavenged for obscure dance records – from the sparse syncopated rhythms of dubstep to throbbing bass music – to learn about different genres. “It gave me a clear idea of what other musicians had done, and what holes in the electronic music fabric were left for newcomers like me to fill.”

Since then, he has gone from performing at chalet parties for friends to DJing across the world. Yes, he’s worked hard, but luck certainly played a part. He was visiting friends in Los Angeles when he met Brownies & Lemonade, the events group that showcases under-the-radar acts. “They invited me to play on stage at Ultra Miami,” he says.

“At Ultra Miami and Tomorrowland, I saw the flags of different countries and thought ‘this is sweet’ – that the sets I played in Singapore with my friends could be played in Europe, and the audience could like it too. What I want to be is a pioneer of a kind of music that can transcend borders,” says Manfred, who was signed to American DJ Diplo’s music label Mad Decent.

Next, he aspires to be a singer-songwriter, introducing his own lyrics, melodies and vocals. “I’m trying to turn off the metronome and strip back to an analogue piece of work. So that even if it’s playing in the background of a cafe, it won’t feel out of place,” he explains.

Myrne will be performing at It’s The Ship, Asia’s largest music festival at sea, from Nov 4-7, 2018.