One of Singapore’s most beloved instrumental rock outfits, Amateur Takes Control, are making their long-awaited return with their latest album A Pale Decrepit Dot. The release on KittyWu Records marks the post-rock icons’ first new material since their acclaimed 2017 effort ATCEP2.
Made up of guitarists Adel Rashid, Ahmad Ariff and Field Teo, bassist Isa Ong and drummer Hydhir Ramli - the vaunted quintet have been generating excitement for their comeback with a series of high-profile shows around the region in recent months, as well as a pair of highly praised singles titled ‘Arak’ and ‘Doomscroller’ (one of best local songs of 2024).
We talked to the band to find out more about the creative vision and destructive themes behind their visceral new LP.
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It’s been close to 8 years since ATC last put out an album. How has the band changed or evolved since 2017?
We’ve had a new member, Hydhir, join the band in 2019 and we used that as a good opportunity to explore different directions for our music. We actually played quite a lot of shows since the world opened up again and we had played the songs from the album for a few years, testing it with the audience and refining them in the studio before we recorded it.
Sound-wise, our songs have definitely taken a darker and heavier tone too. This was more subconscious than an intentional decision, largely catalysed from pent up frustration in our own lives as working adults.
Growing older has also played a part in the things we do and how we see them too - we’ve become more careful yet deliberate with our craft, from the writer’s room, to the studio up to stages. Perhaps getting older is making us cherish these moments more, and really putting in thought and work towards making these moments count for as much as they can.
What are the themes and meaning behind the new album A Pale Decrepit Dot?
The album forms a collection of reflections that we’ve been having over recent years while interfacing with the world we live in. There’s this overwhelming onslaught of information and media presented in an endless, transitionless scroll, from death to brainrot content, and as these only get higher and higher in resolution, so does the pressure of being a human in this world. We’re so extremely privileged as a band living and breathing where we are, and this coupled with the abject misery we witness on a daily basis through our supercomputers strapped on our wrists casts us in an almost absurd, impossible position. We suppose the album, darkness and gloom aside, serves as a deep reminder of what’s truly out there and the things we should know and hold as humans.
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The artwork accompanying the singles and album is incredibly evocative. Who designed them and could you elaborate on the visual significance of those 3D sculptures?
The album art was done by our friend Kit. We wanted to work with a local artist that we haven’t worked with before. We’ve always been fans of his work - especially his series of humanoid sculptures which we felt really reflected the band’s sound as well as the overall themes we were exploring in our album.
There’s something ancient and powerful in the medium of sculpts - timeless, and to us resonates deeply with the album’s theme of the human condition and struggles. How old and timeless this struggle must have been, especially looking back at early thinkers and philosophers grasping at and for meaning. This, coupled with the familiar, relatable yet grotesque and crumpled expressions of Kit’s sculpts were a perfect match to these collection of songs.
The particular piece for the album art was made by Kit late 2024 while he was undergoing an art residency in Japan. He had our mixes early and we left him in control of the artistic process.
Please describe the creative process/vision behind each track on the new album…
'Arak' - We’ve always been a touch guilty of long songs, so this served as a remedy - a short, straightforward song that hit hard and fast from the get-go.
'Eye For Eye' - We wanted to keep things raw and intense, so we stripped it down to just a few chords—it’s aggressive but still carries this emotional weight that really pulls at something deep inside.
'non-zero' - 'non-zero' is one of the more visceral tracks on the album—it’s gritty, explosive, and we feel demands to be played loud to fully feel its impact. The final riff ascends and swells with grating, sharpened guitars and chaotic drum fills.
'Göbekli Tepe' - We’re captivated by Göbekli Tepe. It’s a site in Turkey dating back to around 9600 BCE—way before known agriculture or settled societies existed. What were their struggles and what did it mean to be a human then? We’ve experimented with a mixture of pitch effects, stutter triggers and string harmonics to extend the reach of our guitars.
'Radon' - This is an old one from around 2009-2010 written with our past members, Ahmad Khaliq and Junaidi Kusnong. With the addition of new members, 'Radon' is also a tale of rebirth of sorts, with the song being given a chance to re-tell itself through new instrumentation. We particularly enjoy playing this one live for its distinct and multiple sections of riffs after riffs that keep us on our toes on stage, like back to back sprints.
'Doomscroller' - We wanted to present a grand sense of scale and atmosphere, inspired by the immersivity of otherworldly epics in sci-fi films. It begins torrential and manic, with a middle section that descends into an apocalyptic abyss of futility and hopelessness. Passages of serene and calm are crucial to highlight the possibility of hope, amidst a barrage of crushing, and at times almost oppressive guitar instrumentation. These opposing themes form the core of 'Doomscroller', when our bright is too slight to hold back all our dark..
'Rubble and Resolve' - This was the first song we wrote for this album. We captured remnants of our post-rock roots in the second half with lyrical intertwining guitar melodies. Starting more present and punchy, flowing to quiet inward reflection that listeners can leave the album with.
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The band has been touring a fair bit in advance of this release. Could you tell us about your recent experiences playing in India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand?
We have to give credit to our drummer Hydhir for hooking us up for all the shows we’ve been playing overseas in recent years. He’s well connected with industry folk all around the region and we’re grateful that promoters are taking the chance to host us.
It’s always a good time performing in cities that we haven’t been to before and meeting new people, from fellow musicians to really supportive audience members.
One of our highlights would have to be Ziro Festival in Arunachal Pradesh. We never thought we would be playing across beautiful padi fields and long cascading valleys on a massive stage made of handcrafted bamboo.
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What does the rest of 2025 look like for ATC?
We’re hoping to play a lot more shows overseas. It’s terribly addictive, and we’re having so much fun as a band playing to strangers.
