There’s a masked figure carrying a rope through the mountains of the Philippines, looking for a place to find peace. The character first showed up in Fictional Character’s debut music video and comes from vocalist/guitarist C’s old conceptual photography work — a nameless, anonymous individual wandering through frames. On “En Dedans,” released February 27, the figure returns. It wasn’t planned that way. C had a different concept lined up for the video but pushed to get the release out, pivoted on the spot, rebuilt the shot list the same day they arrived at the mountain location, and just executed. The old character fit. So here it is again, rope and all.
Fictional Character are a post-black/blackgaze unit from Singapore — C on guitar and vocals, A on drums, O on bass, and J on viola. The current lineup came together gradually: O joined around 2022, and J came in at the end of 2024. “En Dedans” is the first released track where all members actually recorded their parts, which matters more than it might sound. Previously, C handled nearly everything in the studio unless it was a collaboration. This time, the songwriting was genuinely shared. “I usually start with the skeletal structure and we work from there,” C explains. “There are times where we play one track live but with different rendition. Like the song is progressing.”
The drums were tracked at Chuck’s Woodlands Ring of Fire Studio. Everything else — guitars, vocals — was done in C’s bedroom. Interface, an old affordable mic, and that’s it. “I prefer recording my guitar and vox tracks in my bedroom. You can say it’s a necessity and I feel comfortable.” The track was mastered by Kuwago Nights Studio, with artwork by Cat In A Hole.
Adding a viola to blackgaze is not a standard move. It happened partly out of necessity — Fictional Character’s other guitarist left Singapore, and they continued as a three-piece for a while. “That moment I think was the best time to have a string player on live and act as second guitars and a layer of string section,” C says. They scouted for someone, got a recommendation, and landed J. “Adding a violist on live definitely added a different layer and atmosphere. It was on my bucket list for this band.”
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The music video was shot entirely by the band and their circle. C was behind the camera for most of the footage, with violist J handling the solo shots during the band sequences. The mountain scenes in the Philippines were filmed with C’s brother, cousin, and a longtime friend who wore the mask. “It was also a good time to bond and hike with my brothers and friends,” C says. “Luckily my brother and our friends are also artists so it’s easy to work with them just like the old times.” Full DIY, full control.
Sonically, “En Dedans” sits in the band’s usual territory — post-black, blackgaze, post-rock, with threads of blackened skramz woven through. The lyrics are blunt and heavy: “I want to end everything / When will this fucking end? / A devil on my back / And he’s now behind my ears.” But there’s a pivot halfway through — “But the two of you are there / And I can’t just leap from the chair” — that pulls the track back from the edge. The Bandcamp page carries a note: “If it gets too heavy, don’t carry it alone. Talk to someone.” C describes the broader theme as: “Grace flickers where the nameless kneel and the faintest light can still burn. A whisper for the wanderers and fallen.”
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As for Singapore’s post-black/blackgaze scene — there essentially isn’t one beyond Fictional Character. C isn’t aware of another act doing this specific thing in the city. One active band that incorporates post-black elements is Naedr, though they lean more toward skramz. Naedr’s former vocalist actually introduced the band to J, and both are now in a project called Mordhau. But the isolation doesn’t seem to bother C much. “I’m a fan of mix genre shows. Even when we organize shows, we try to put on different bands with different genres so it’s not boring.”
That approach has put them on bills alongside acts from completely different corners. When Liturgy came through Singapore for a solo set, Fictional Character and noise act Khronoform503 opened. The lineup was organized by Dogswain and Ourstrayliberties specifically because the variety worked — solo transcendental black metal, a full blackgaze band, and a solo noise act on the same bill. When they opened for Pale in Malaysia, the show included a shoegaze act and two other metal bands alongside the post-black headliner. C even lent his guitar to Pale mid-set when they ran into technical trouble.
The Southeast Asian touring circuit for this kind of music has been building. Over the past couple of years, Deafheaven, Harakiri For The Sky, Asunojokei, Show Me A Dinosaur, and Alcest have all come through the region. Sylvaine is playing Singapore in April 2026. “Not a lot of post-black/blackgaze from other continents travel to SEA to play so I’m very glad that in the past few years I’m able to watch them or even opened for them,” C says. The shows open doors — audiences discover the genre through international headliners and sometimes stick around for the local stuff. The bigger challenge in Singapore is practical: venue rental costs make small DIY shows difficult. “Props to our local organizers who still setup shows with this type of challenge.”
Asked about bands from across Asia worth paying attention to in the atmospheric heavy space, C rattled off a list: Pale and Kokeshi and Cissné from Japan, Soulless, Pure Wrath, and Slfr from India, and Mirthless and Gempita from Malaysia.
“En Dedans” is a standalone single. Fictional Character are currently writing new material for 2026, with new recordings and another video on the way. Behind-the-scenes footage from the “En Dedans” shoot is expected soon, and a clip from the recording sessions is already up on the band’s Instagram. The track is available on Bandcamp.
