Suhaimi Subandie of Stompin’ Ground: Singaporean hardcore punk legend and avid toy collector

THE BEGINNING OF STOMPIN’ GROUND

“Music has always come naturally to me,” Suhaimi shared. The self-proclaimed kampung boy remembers being exposed to all kinds of music at a young age, living with his mother and extended family. He had aunts and uncles who were professional musicians, and one of them even recorded an album.

In the early 1980s, Suhaimi and his family were moved to an apartment in Tampines, where the new surroundings proved less favourable.

“The place where we lived wasn’t very good. I told my younger brother that I didn’t want him to hang out with the wrong crowd. So, around 1984 or 1985, I started a skate group called Circus of Mutants for people my brother’s age, who were 14 to 16, in order to create a safe community for them.”