Written by Elijah P. Terno Recording’s wunderkind Lory has stepped out of his comfort zone from being a lone bedroom pop producer from Parañaque to becoming a full blown three-piece with added layers in the mix. In his latest EP “Cramped”, you get to see Mikee Mendoza becoming more lethargic-sounding, scooping all the gruff and making his surroundings a bit louder, albeit a bit rougher than usual. He’s grown to unlike the pop fluff and embrace much of the textures. It’s almost getting there, it just needs a little stir in the pot. In other words, Lory and his friends just need a little bit of spoiled choices in soundscapes rather than choose to spoil the party entirely in reflection of past material. “Cramped” is treated as a sampler to Mikee’s next endeavors for his solo project rather than a bookend to his phase of city pop. Moving on to greater and bigger soundscapes rather than staying in the four corners of his room, you have tracks like “Huli Na Ba Kayo”, “Di Siguro” and “The Sun” embracing all the noise and continuously experimenting what he can do as a musician. Is the EP an “achievement” of sorts? Listeners would doubt its pop resonance and bright textures and would possibly question its length, but “Cramped” is more of an intentional practice of sorts. In “Slow Down”, you’ll be surprised by how this sounds like it should stay from the previous EP. Confidence is what is lacking in Mikee’s presence and maybe a bit of a looser and more liberating use of vocal filters to make Mikee’s voice shine as well as his lead guitars. But as his deadpan delivery persists in the latter half of the EP, the voice becomes a grower in a sense where Mikee’s voice does shine if you look at it in a more uncharismatic-charismatic lens. LORY’s “Cramped” has its ups and downs but to the project’s benefit, the reception is enough to not dismiss the project entirely for the lack of trying and enthusiasm being brought. There are guitar lines and synths being put to good use and maybe “Cramped” is seen better as Mikee’s ground zero compared to what the debut project was at the dawn of the post-lockdown last year. Support the art and the artist:
Author: TFL
EP REVIEW: Disco Mobile Service – You’re Here Now
Written by Louis Pelingen Sometimes, we wonder what has changed with the places we missed visiting beforehand. We wonder if these places still end up today, if there is a change of tone and presence in the familiar paths and sceneries we always encapsulate in our minds so many times. Did these places, even if met with the chance of being abandoned, still hold up their gentle images to poke our unnerved spirits within sociopolitical events breaking us all apart? For Disco Mobile Service aka Jomied Armancio hailing from Visayas, he aims to form a record that collages samples to compose a tropical dystopian soundtrack for the country given political events that gets harrowing at every turn. It was an idea that he eventually worked on in 2022, moving past the universal mental anxieties most of us have gone through during pandemic lockdowns and steadily working his way to finally put out his first ever project under Disco Mobile Service, ‘You’re Here Now’. In this EP, Disco Mobile Service records still memories, and fragmented ambiance from environments he himself visited, and constructs sonic frameworks around it to formulate said tropical dystopian soundscape. Disco Mobile Service wanders around with this framework with measured ambient dub and downtempo, his compositions never snapping apart immediately and opting to modulate in and out of the sonic scope. ‘Eyesocket’ opens up its observations of this muted concept, the thumping tropical beat marches through as recordings of foggy birdsong are enveloped with these hypnotic synth swells. ‘New Forest Exit’ lurks further in the undergrowth of tactile and grainy field recordings as the dour synths drone through the song. The tempered percussion lines linger and rumble alongside spare yet gleaming keys combat that dourness within the forest of fleeting recordings. ‘Concrete’ ends the EP in its most ominous, waves of noise fogging the start before pillars of worrying synths wash over the track. The drum beat composed of tropical percussion and digital drums consistently stomps all the way through, paving its way through drops of conversations and beeping vehicles as it toughens up its rhythm lines, ending the EP where that propulsive beat lives through the dystopian view of the record. Despite a few instrumental passages that do jitter the flow of a few of these songs, ‘You’re Here Now’ is a statement of affirmation of where we are now currently after a myopic past few years. It reinstates our inner emotions in the present, viewing the rips and pieces of the past that we collected and remembered in our kaleidoscopic memory. It is ominous how Disco Mobile Service utilizes atmosphere and modulation in his compositions. But even with the dystopia that surrounds this EP, that trudging beat reminds all of us that even with the crushing state of the country at large and the environment that we thought to have changed for the worse, we are now wrapped with coats of comfort despite casted shadows that reminds us how much it’ll get uncomfortable in the future. Support the art & the artist: [bandcamp width=350 height=470 album=2609554962 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false]
ALBUM REVIEW: Cheats – Houseplants
Written by Elijah P. After almost 5 years since their last album “Before The Babies”, alternative-rock 7-piece Cheats talk about everything that’s past after their sophomore album; everything that’s past the lockdown, and everything that’s past the grieving process in their latest album titled “Houseplants”. Housing over 12 tracks and running over at 49 minutes, it took a while for the band to let the songs they’ve written for this album to sit and simmer. Let alone some songs were written when their members were facing turbulent times of their lives, even pre-pandemic. If their debut was a honeymoon period for indie rockers and their denim jackets, “Before the Babies” were the millennial anthems and wishes that could’ve been, then “Houseplants” is a culmination of the band’s chemistry, both as a musician and non-musician perspective. Although lengthier and front-loaded than their previous albums, Cheats hold no punches when it comes to writing lines about appealing to a lover, asking for someone to stay even longer or to survive in a tragic event, and so on and so forth. “Houseplants” has all members grow artistically not just individually but also as a unit, especially for the tandem of vocalists Candy Gamos and Saab Magalona-Bacarro; Their layered vocals hit the notes on top of every single textured guitar riffage, possessing every bit of melody that’s been in the playbook of pop songwriting while surfing on a Broken Social Scene-esque template. In tracks like “Cans”, “Honey Calm Down”, “Kapit” and “Hakbang”, vocals shine throughout the entirety of its runtime, gracefully singing every anthemic hook after hook. “Not To Be Alone” and “Cake” are slower and gritty drum machine-assisted tracks where rhythm guitars shine the most. “Houseplants” has it all balanced to a T. But maybe those benefits won’t be able to weigh the actual length that it goes to finish the album in one sitting. Some tracks like Snooze (Pinto) and “Cashier Club” are slightly meandering and should’ve been cut from the album overall due to its least powerful performances, mostly caused by the anthemic and compelling tracks that come before them. Surprisingly enough, frontman Jim Bacarro takes a bit of a backseat in leading the album vocal-wise. And another surprise to mention is Johnoy’s Danao “Morning After” performance, calling back to The National’s Matt Berninger due to their brooding vocal tone. Overall, Cheats’ latest offering is a product of the band’s 2-year long wait. It all had the pros of a Cheats song: fuzzed-out guitars ringing in the back, commanding percussion leading the way and most importantly the three vocalists trading every line like it was a sport. And the cons are either the band not slightly surpassing the fervor of the previous albums or the performances that didn’t show any riskier moves or soundscapes. But this was an album or rather a period where everyone took their time to live a little, surviving most of the time. Then you have “Houseplants”, an album that could’ve been released any other time, but instead, it was released at a time where we wanted it the most. Support the art & the artist:
ALBUM REVIEW: Whereistome. – First Edition God Complex
Written by Elijah P. Some music journalists claimed “First Edition God Complex” to be a first glance at a “hyperpop” or deconstructed version of pop in the context of the Philippine music scene. Meanwhile, producer and singer-songwriter Tome. describe themselves vaguely to be “pop”. Maybe as a form of guessing for music writers or listeners just to create this sense of curiosity. And as the ears try not to deceive the listener, their debut album falls under the r&b and glitch pop canon. This album exhibits experimental production and sensual r&b that goes far beyond their usual sonic spectrum. But before anything else, Tome. doesn’t push anything further than aping already innovative production techniques from their influences or constant left turns in the mix that is already done years before. Rather, they advocate something than just mere “copying” – as some naysayers would mention. Tome. does it in ways where their emotive songwriting could expand the worldbuilding in writing in “First Edition God Complex”. After listening to the album in full, the listener can say that this is Tome’s own world and we’re just living in it. The first three tracks of the album, “gravity (intro)”, “ATLAS” and “iridescence”, give us a taste of Tome’s offerings, setting a precedent going forward to the debut album. There are copper snares, metallic-sounding percussion, and heavy synths that pale in contrast to their EPs 2 years ago. Album highlights like “AMOEBA”, “NO!!”, “BAKUNAWA” is designed to be played at an underground club filled with leather and flashing lights. Although not aimless, there are hints that Tome’s still getting there in terms of polishing their own sound. But in terms of the unrelenting “oomph” factor, the album’s production is tighter than most alternative-r&b records that claim to be the “hardest”, and Tome. does it with trial and error. The guests in tracks like “ATLAS” and “4LIFE” have significant misses in guests keeping up to Tome’s stylistic production and pacing. But that doesn’t diminish the quality of Tome’s r&b-accented music displayed in a conceptual hellscape somewhere in the middle of nowhere. This is heaven on earth more than it is a hellish experience lurking in the ears of its listener. Slightly leaning in a more promising direction, “First Edition God Complex” is an impressive feat for a debut album. And it’s not impressive without its big misses in between. You have underwhelming performances; production overshadowing the vocal lines every verse or two; the overall track arrangement isn’t as notable as their previous EPs. But looking at the bigger picture, Tome. can and will break through time and time again. This is a promising artist you folks shouldn’t miss out on and this is just the first edition. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
TRACK REVIEW: Half/Figurd – Gemini (Gemini)
Written by Louis Pelingen A year after their debut single, Half/Figurd locks in their brand of indie pop, nestling into their jangle and twee side ever since. It may sound familiar to those who are in the know of this style, but the cleaner bliss in their charming instrumentation, pleasant vocal delivery, and twee relationship writings work nonetheless, even if there is a thought where their style may run itself thin. Gemini (Gemini) is a test for this. This song sinks its emotions somewhere else, zooming to a child and her conflicting relationship with her mother as her abandonment leaves her reflecting on whether or not her mother even loved her and how it pulls up her insecurities of herself, showcased the most with “Does my mommy really love me / Or am I just her insane child?” and “Who am I? / I’m not birthed in the month of Gemini”. It’s a different spark in Half/Figurd’s usual lyrical shard, but now it’s heavier this time around. This also means that the composition also flips things a little as well. The vibes aim lower, the pacing is slower, and the grooves are a lot less propulsive amidst Kirsten’s gentle vocals and the band’s usual instrumental bliss from all the guitars and the synths. But like their past two singles, the band still does carry their jangle pop influences on their sleeves. For the most part, their knack in songwriting got interesting in this song as it incorporates odd terms as if a wordsmith picked them right out of a dictionary page while still retaining the emotional core of the track. And what’s rather frustrating is the composition itself, slower and languid fits the theme but the grooves march out in a way that gets repetitive really quick, not providing a distinct melodic palette between the verse and the chorus. And given that it all plays out for the entirety of 4 minutes, it makes listening to the song feel more like a slog than it should be. There are still tweaks to be done in the future. Half/Figurd may have their songwriting chops lampooned into interesting lyrical backdrops, but their exploration of jangle pop and twee pop still latches on to aspects that are either mundane or missing in variety. Their instrumentation may have their bliss, their vocals may have their pretty spots, and their songwriting may get clever, but their melodies and tones still push themselves into territory that’s not as interesting. Gemini (Gemini) is a nice song, but it just loses steam as it goes on. Listen to the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Armi Millare/Munro – Take Me
Written by Louis Pelingen Traces of what may happen to UDD and Armi Millare in the future are set in stone. Stepping away from the band felt like a timely decision to make for Armi – one that has lingered over her as reflections poured her during the still times of the pandemic. Her interview with NME a few months after announcing her separation from the band explains why. Doing too many tours over the past 17 years took a toll on her health as well as personal, sometimes existential details that intensified her worries about herself as she matured as a person and as an artist over the years. Those factors resulted in her not just departing from the band, but also the fact that her love for music has lost its luster over the years where she has to take the time to pick the sound and direction that she wants to indulge in. In that context, Armi Millare dusts off an old project of hers and takes that helm once again in this new song. For those that didn’t know, Munro was a self-produced project that she and other artists have made in 2009, a project that showcased a side of Armi that she describes as “a life imitating art, stuck in reality” where the songs she and her team of artists make are songs that don’t fit into conventionality. It was put off in 2013 but has now returned for this year, where Armi steps upon creative grounds to explore. A song filled with yearning for love and connection, Armi’s new song right here brings a spare and burning baroque cut that’s slow but also confronting. It takes some cues from Florence + The Machine with the bare atmosphere startled by Armi’s vocal harmonies whirling through the quiet mix as her voice allows the emotions to sink in. It’s a voice that’s burning with passion but also carries a delicate grace that Armi just pulls through, where the slight finger snaps and vocal harmonies in the first half put her presence in the very core of the song. Then the baroque elements come in past the two-minute mark. The rumbling drum and bass guitar, the quaint piano touches, and the calming koto instrument have enough space and texture in the mix. Despite the breadth of sound that Armi is pulling off here, there’s a negative space in the mix that could’ve been filled just a little more. Personally, there could’ve been hints of piano or koto playing subtly in the background around the second verse that would benefit the flow of the song better. Additionally, the vocal harmonies could’ve stacked up a little more in the chorus sections especially the chorus segment at the end of the song which just ends abruptly, not allowing the song’s emotive beauty to linger effectively. A veteran in the local music scene that still has a lot of ground left to explore, Armi Millare’s sonic detour on this song is a promising era for her. Donning the Munro project once more, ‘Take Me’ may be a familiar song to some that have already heard this performed back then, yet Armi refurbishes it with a sonic sheen that’s different but also exciting. Despite having a bit too much empty space in the mix, Armi Millare’s presence as a vocalist, producer, and composer has enough punch to bring the direct, romantic yearnings to echo through. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
EP REVIEW: Mei Teves – /’hidn/
Written by Elijah P. Catanduanes is a scenic town, full of vibrant shorelines, tranquil surroundings, and peaceful towns. You have natural talents coming from the small towns and cities, like in Virac – a 76,000+ population where they’ve had a history with several datus and colonized areas, giving the island character besides its idyllic beaches. However, there’s a sense of vibrance provided by their own homegrown talent, Mei Teves. By way of San Juan, Teves brands themselves as a simple school student, waiting for the campus crush to arrive before the bell rings and the human psyche brought by the pressure of their current upbringing. As makata pop takes a step back from the meantime, Teves relishes in the spectacle of storytelling flipping the script by deepening the narrative-driven singing. There’s a sense of wonder when you look closely at Teves’ songwriting, especially when you take a look at their Wishcovery performances, they’ve dug deep below the surface to explore darker themes, establishing themselves as one of the songwriters to look out for post-lockdown. Teves’ debut EP “/’hidn/” capitalizes on that spectacle of storytelling sung in intimate acoustic guitar, except they’re more optimistic, surprisingly lighter than their previous material showcased in Wish 107.5. This is a far cry from the yawps, from the theatricality that is “Sino Ang Baliw” or the cry-for-help intimacy of “Pakialam”. Instead, we got bossa nova influences of “Wala Lang” or the easygoing folk-pop of “Pangalan” and the ecstatic, grandiose “Senpai, Notice Me” – the last track that acted as a bonus track for how alienating it is for their audience to hear Teves’ channel their anime simpery. “/’hidn/” is a light exercise to Teves’ songwriting chops, whether or not they could shy away from the usual, heavier themes that are displayed in the Wish 107.5 performances, but this is the complete opposite of what the others wanted, the EP is a result of an artist playing-it-safe. A Happy Meal in the middle of an apocalypse; The wildcard seemingly giving their 100% but the sonic palette feels lacking; There’s a lightness to the bite that Teves used to bring to the table, especially when the EP drags midway, there’s little to no specialty besides Teves’ impressive voice twirling across the strings. Overall, “/’hidn/” might be Teves’ foray into different adjacent genres or soundscapes they want to travel to, but instead, we got something else entirely and the result was middle on the ground all the way. Nothing special as the EP ends. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
ALBUM REVIEW: Blaster Silonga – My Kosmik Island Disk
Written by Elijah P. There are albums that collect singles, and compile every banger made by a band for the rest of their career. And there are albums that are built by the brains of musicians that are far better than their past material, way beyond that they are just artists inevitably shelved in online streaming platform playlists forever. Enter Blaster Silonga, the 23-year old composer of their own works that are as complex even if their solo career has spanned less than a decade. In “My Kosmik Island Disk”, the debut album of solo artist Blaster Silonga, there seems to be a hiding “clock”, ticking in the distance as every moment bursts in sonic technicolor. But whatever that imaginary metronome might be, there’s a lot to take in his debut album – that is, dissecting this album and its admirable elements. As the runtime justifies its lengthy tracks, Silonga and the company have built themselves a magical portal that will become known eventually in ‘OPM’ worldbuilding. Released in October 2022, this was a year-long pursuit for Blaster and the Celestial Klownz, studying every missing element that would shape their musicianship and their relationship as band-friends-partners. As Silonga puts it, the “lonely island” is brimming with mercenaries taking fellowship under the wing of the de facto captain. There’s a lot to take in for a solo artist releasing their debut album that’s nothing but influences worn on his sleeves, and honestly, there’s more to it than meets the eye. There are musical influences transformed into something more aesthetically consistent, and in return, the 9-track album came out of the ashes; newly inspired music based from the past, for the future. Tracks such as “NARARARAMDAMAN” and “DISKO FOREVER” are pop medleys jammed into one compact sheet note each: odd time signatures, guitar riffs on top of other riffs, sudden stops that call for an explosive instrumental outro, psychedelic hooks that are sung in either low and high timbre, and many to mention. “MAGUNAW NA ANG MUNDO” and “KOSMIK DREAM” are complimentary tracks that are meant to sit right next to each other; interludes like “ARMONYA” and “PRELUDE IN Eb MAJOR” are also standalone highlights that callback to Silonga’s knack for anything epic, both in a visual or sonic sense or in other words, “MY KOSMIK ISLAND DISK” is refined than it is flashy compared to the yore of their roots. Little tiny textures of synths are scattered like Easter eggs, flourishes of baroque-styled operatic synths and backing vocals are cued in moments that are in need to emphasize Silonga’s emotive expression (hear: “SA HULI ANG PAGSISISI” or “DISKO FOREVER”) and the results are less dizzying and more meticulously curated. “MY KOSMIK ISLAND DISK” is a treasure of cross-cultural influence assimilated in the lens of a solo artist whose ambitions are far greater than they were in the past. May it be inspired by the dusty crates of Cubao Expo vinyl or the neverending shilling of mid-2010s freak-pop, the album is a showcase of greatness, not a vulgar display of musical showboating. Blaster Silonga and the Celestial Klownz are building what remains and what holds for the music community at large. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Sean Archer – Mamaya Na
Written by Elijah P. Deep within this giant cauldron of trends that is the For You Page, a Paranaque-based 1-man project called Sean Archer trends all over the cyberspace of APPPPC music book newsfeeds and Tiktok. His debut single “Mamaya Na” sounds anthemic, it looks rebellious, and it most likely caught the ears of those who’ve stumbled upon the single in their neighboring algorithm, the writer of this review included. But here’s the catch though: Sean Archer just feels out a lot of things about pop-punk and the music he’s inspired by and barely achieves the standard of big stadium pop music in his debut single. Unfortunately, Sean Archer’s performance and plugins sound like a bedroom project without thesis pressure or without the grit of a terror prof. It’s synthetic, everything about this is cliche as a Tiktok microtrend; the loud drums clip over the lazily written guitar riffs even if the more tamer parts switch to tender drum machines, undermixed as it is overproduced; the repetitive hook is hardly singable; it’s a fourth-rate Yellow Room recording rotting in the drafts. “Mamaya Na” is as textbook as it is frustratingly casual, nothing else adds up to its gang chant by the end of the track. LINK:
TRACK REVIEW: Emelette – Brave
Written by Elijah P. You don’t get tight alternative rock anywhere, not much in Biliran, East Visayas, no. In fact, Naval-based singer-songwriter Emelette De Leon Saclolo exists to prove all Manila-centric critics wrong. “Brave” is an indicator that unsophisticated, semi-gritty, lightly sung indie rock can work when the performances are tightly performed. Everywhere you go, you get heavy stalwarts like Taken By Cars showcase their wall-breaking kicks and emotive vocals and bedtime television’s slowcore-inspired passages, Emelette is cut from the same cloth but she’s shown more heart than brawn compared to her predecessors. Released back in August of this year and a music video launched around the month of October, Emelette sings in the middle of an empty basketball court in her hometown of Biliran. Interpolating the clips are two lovers running away from their hometown and taking charge of their own trajectories in life, symbolically leaving what’s mundane, and staying brave for the taking. Emelette’s “Brave” is filled with layers of guitar chords strung into different chords woven after the other, creating a textured moment that captures the feeling of overwhelming love for a significant other. There’s casual electric, fuzz-driven guitar, and there’s Emelette’s debut single taking up a notch for the greater good. Support the art & the artist: