Single reviewsThe Other Side Reviews

Jonny Ong – Taking Silence (2020)

Jonny Ong has teamed up with singer-songwriter Inch for a dip into the genre melting pot that is ‘Taking Silence’. Drawing on New Orleans jazz, trip-hop and psychedelic rock, the single reaches out into orchestral cinematic sounds. An epic journey of emotions and sounds, the single fuses Ong’s powerful tones with the richness of Inch.

The first collaborative effort released by Ong, it starts a series of experimentation and a journey into pushing boundaries. While the single fuses both artists styles, it maintains the blending of cultures and countries that Ong has become known for. Since starting his musical journey at a young age, he has incorporated new instruments and styles into his neo-psychedelic sound.



‘Taking Silence’ lightly eases you into the soundscape with some psychedelic sounds. The gentle tones of the opening continue to weave through the soundscape as they are joined by some trip-hop beats. There is an edge of jazz woven into the melody lightly hiding in the instrumentation. The strings that rise from nowhere before retreating add a cinematic hit to the music. These tones swell up throughout the single to create a lush soundscape that perfectly blends different musical styling. The movement of the music is very easy until it swings with a heavier hit of jazz later in the track. This change is artfully done and gets you grooving to it.

Inch’s vocals are the first to slide against your ears. Her lilting performance draws you into the lush sounds of the trip-hop beats. Her vocals have a soothing feeling to them as she sets you at ease and gets you floating on the orchestral strands of the melody. Once the change in melody hits, you are treated to Ong’s rock vocals. His performance draws you into a rougher sound for a swing in the emotions of the track. Between the two vocal performances, you are filled with light feelings before growling into a darker state.

Jonny Ong and Inch team up for a journey through lightness, growling darkness and fusion melodics in ‘Taking Silence’. This is an amazing single that takes bits of different musical styles and combines them for an artful exploration of emotion. The light tones of Inch’s vocals contrast the growls of Ong’s voice while each is complemented by the swinging melody.

Find out more about Jonny Ong on his Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.