Surprise Chef at Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay

From little things, instrumental juggernauts grow.

Hailing from just outside of Melbourne, Australia, the members of Surprise Chef first gathered in 2017 with the modest aim to tape a couple of spontaneous funk jams. Those analogue sessions and recordings went as planned, simultaneously uncovering a chemistry and camaraderie that has come to define the lives of the band members ever since. Utilising time and space to build evocative soundscapes that invite listeners into their world, the quintet’s distinct sound pulls from ‘70s film scores, the funkier side of jazz and the samples that form the foundation of hip hop. There's a little bit of everything in their music: punchy drums, infectious keys, rhythm guitars that emulate a Studio One record, and flute lines akin to those heard in a Blue Note session.

After the release of their first two records, All News Is Good News and Daylight Savings, the band amassed a die-hard fanbase and brought their sound from their home studio to every corner of the globe. Along the journey they’ve garnered praise from the likes of Questlove and Jurassic 5’s DJ Nu-Mark and were sampled for a collaboration between 88 Rising’s Rich Brian and Wu Tang's legendary Ghostface Killah. The band is signed to Big Crown Records, joining a lineage of contemporary and classic sounds that have influenced Surprise Chef’s music.

After spending the first half of 2024 immersed in their critically acclaimed re-score of the 1970s Australian cult classic Wake in Fright, Surprise Chef found themselves in an entirely new creative space. Fresh from the intensity of that project, the recording sessions for their latest record, Superb, were intended to be the opposite process-wise; lighter, less intense, more free and spontaneous. adventurous, funky, experimental and free. Blending the cinematic soul of David Axelrod with the infectious grooves of Timbaland or The Neptunes, this album reflects the band’s versatility, virtuosity and creative spirit. Be one of the firsts to catch this band live in Singapore as they make their debut at the Esplanade Annexe Studio.