Album Notes

“(Ronin)… have mastered the act of combining pyrotechnic guitar solos, wailing and over-the-top attitude to perfection.” - Zul Othman Today Newspaper

“Ronin… dares to be different from the norm. There is no hint of Britpop, indie-punk, modern-rock, post-grunge or anything from pop today in the quintet's just-released full-length debut Do Or Die… Best thing about Ronin is, it convinces us that a rock this fundamental is long overdue on these shores.”

-Chris Ho Straits Times Life!

They’re the future of Singapore’s music. Fact. – FHM Singapore

In an age of post-rock, the death of normal music is proclaimed loudly by new, avant-garde genres. True to its namesake, the band Ronin has carved out its own individualistic path of musicianship with little regard for what is in vogue. Ronin has from its inception put its faith in two things: good songwriting and foot-shaking rock n’ roll. With their trail-blazing ethos of Do What Thou Wilt they have achieved success against the odds in a time and place where being in a rock band was once (and still is) considered a suicidal career move.


It has been a long way to the top, with still an even longer way to go for this rock n’ roll band. A future career in music was nowhere in sight back when they formed in 2002, but these five individuals stuck together through all the tough times to emerge a stronger and more focused band after overcoming each and every obstacle They’ve endured bodily harm (from each other as well as strangers), deafness, police complaints, abysmal crowds and their own ineptitude. But they had a dream to live, and nothing was going to stop their dedication. In spite of this, Ronin continued writing songs, jamming, arguing and playing gigs, to gain a growing reputation as one of the most exciting live acts in town.


Ronin has prided itself in always giving 100%: the basis for their balls-to-the-wall live performances. The band’s extensive live gigging experience reflects its own progression from obscurity to one of the top acts in Singaporean music.: They’ve played everywhere from markets, biker bars and parks to such prestigious venues as Fort Canning Park, the Singapore Indoor and National Stadiums as well as the Esplanade. Ronin has earned its large fan-base, press acclaim and reputation as a thunderous live act the old-fashioned way: by playing over 100 shows to date, no mean feat for a original music act in Singapore.


Their big break came in 2003 when they decided to record their first EP with legendary producer Leonard "The Hand" Soosay, who beat the band from a shapeless to a more focused songwriting unit. The popular success of the EP allowed the band to get higher profiled shows which led to them playing to bigger audiences. The constant gigging paid off well: Ronin was able to establish a relationship with Universal Music which led to a distribution deal for their album. It was recorded at Snakeweed Studios with Leonard "The Hand" Soosay helming the project once again.


Do Or Die was launched in August 2005. The band enjoyed a #1 hit “Black Maria” and “Crazy Son” reached #3 in the Singapore charts, and Ronin joined the new wave of Singaporean music alongside bands such as Electrico and The Observatory.