新谣: 我们的心声 (Xinyao: Our Voice) is a final year research project which focuses on 新谣 (Xinyao), a genre of Singapore Mandarin music from the 1980s.
It is a semi-bilingual memory-cum-lyric book project that highlights the main aspects of Xinyao: Songs that were the voice of Singapore youths then as they sang of their everyday life, their feelings and experiences growing up.
My Top 10 Xinyao
The journal-like illustrated book features a selection of ten classic Xinyao which I resonate with, and my personal anecdotes in relation to each song.
Illustrations are inspired from the lyrics, to bring the stories told in the songs to life; providing a vicarious experience of the music through the personal sharing.
Journal & Jotter Book Aesthetic
Jotter books were something that belong to the 1980s, same as Xinyao. They were essential school items used by students then.
The choice of a jotter book look for the exterior is intentional, so as to have the aesthetics of the project be reflective of the Xinyao time period. This aesthetic is subsequently applied throughout the book with majority of the book’s inner pages mimicking the look of journals, reflecting the idea of something personal and intimate.
