Thursday nights for me are usually an unremarkable affair; they’re either spent having quiet drinks with friends, or binge-watching whatever Netflix series I’m hooked on at the time. But I have to say, being serenaded with the shimmering synth-pop of Rainbow Chan at Freda’s last Thursday was much more preferable to my usual agenda.

Lit by intimate blue and red, and accompanied only by two synthesizers and a back-up singer, Rainbow Chan delivered tracks off her upcoming EP, FABRICA, with subtle complexity. She and her vocal partner formed a harmonic duo against a background of effervescent and at times haunting melodies, surrendering songs such as Let Me to their adoring audience with enigmatic energy.

A particular stand-out was her live debut of The Creator; an unapologetic, thought-provoking composition with powerful lyrics. In the time of a gross number of sexual assault-related allegations toward entertainment industry professionals, The Creator appears as a triumphant anthem for female, female-identifying, non-binary and trans individuals. The strength and emotion with which Rainbow performed this song with was nothing short of inspiring, with the lyric, “You do not make me who I am”, resounding as an uplifting mantra amongst the audience.

To leave a venue enchanted, invigorated and moved is a rarity for me these days - but Rainbow Chan’s set, laced with glittering falsetto and reverberating synth, coaxed all these feelings and more.

“FABRICA”, the new EP by Rainbow Chan, is out on November 17th.  
https://rainbowchan.bandcamp.com/album/fabrica