Written by Louis Pelingen & Elijah P. In the Philippines, the 2000s is a decade filled with early technological booms with the Nokia phones and the internet; y2k fashion smacked on the pop glinting magazines, commercials, and internet forums; the trends that keep the 2000s kids enlightened from the likes of watching anime, playing pogs with their friends outside, or even blowing air in Gameboy cartridges and hoping they work once they’re inserted to the game device. The prominent acoustic folk-pop and pop rock that took its upward swing in the 2000s may find its stems rooted tightly in that decade, but those growing up in that era as I do, may not remember the hits and the classics that folks born in the 90s have more resonance growing up. Perhaps, this is a normal occurrence as not everyone will find themselves immediately enraptured in the standouts that culminated in the decade they’re born in. But with time comes the appreciation of the past as people have their own way of preserving those cultural moments, sampling those songs into new mixes, covering them with a different kind of sonic and stylistic flair, or even just finding more discussions of those old projects in varying forms of internet shareability. There’s nostalgia for causes like promoting a product that evokes the feeling of the past and there’s nostalgia that would act as an open window to potential futures. Fast forward to the now. Through Pikunin sampling Up Dharma Down’s Tadhana spliced into a low-key affectionate Jersey club track, Showtime Official Club’s mixes that intertwine the 2000s & 2010s local mainstream & homespun cuts into new dimensions of colorful dance tracks, and local music pages showcasing Kitchie Nadal on their charts which lead to me listening to other adjacent acts like Imago or Itchyworms. It’s safe to say that even if I may not remember what was going on much with local opm music in the 2000s, it still finds its way decades later for people who missed out to find a different kind of resonance while at the same time broadening possibilities of influence for the next generation to come. To extend further, raccoon eyed ronan appraises and tweaks his own cover of MYMP’s “Kailan.” In MYMP’s original source, you can hear the spare grace of Chin Alcantara’s acoustic guitar and the soothing silk presence of Juris Fernandez. It’s a song filled with a shy push-and-pull, restrained towards the romance at bay, like a slow-burn romantic telenovela premiering in the 2000s. But raccoon eyed ronan is one that never seems to step into that restraint, in fact, he’s willing to at least push a little further but just enough to not break away the quaintness of the song. His crooning voice imbues a solemn tone, stirring the lyrics with a heap of smoke; the instrumentation, limiting itself to echoing feedback, raw guitar recordings, and spare drum machines lend a simmering atmosphere to the song as they shamble apart on the chorus and linger on the back half of the song. It coats the song with a different kind of flair, where instead of the original’s meekness that sticks true to adjacent folk pop cuts of its time, raccoon eyed ronan’s cover is rather melancholic and dreamy. Sticking true to the original’s quaint romantics, but still goes for broke enough to sound bigger. It’s rare to find a cover that makes me reflect upon the faded memories I’ve had in the 2000s, but raccoon eyed ronan’s cover of MYMP’s “Kailan” with his own instrumental twists and sonic shifts just cuts through in a way that I did not expect. It pokes through the overall soft structure that made MYMP’s “Kailan” a standout in its heyday, but raccoon eyed ronan makes sure not to actually break it apart, just chip through the form in brief, but effectively emotive bits. I may have missed the music that ruled the 2000s, but that doesn’t mean there are no opportunities to make me find a new appreciation of that scene. And with this song, it’s a refreshing gem that will make you adore not just the already stunning original, but also the refreshing elements of this cover. Support the art & the artist:
Author: Elijah Timothy Pareno
TRACK REVIEW: kyleaux ft. Never Paco – angel
Written by Elijah P. Makati’s prodigies kyleaux and Never Paco rep the 25hearts banner in a hazy collaborative track titled “angel”. After being filtered in webcams and IG love stories, the duo worked on a track that envisions a purple house show with smoke machines and contemporary r&b—dousing in cloudy production and vocal layers that thicken the atmosphere 2 times more than the usual love song. “angel” balances between euphoric tag team verses and helium-like delivery to evoke an effective cloud 9 experience for the listener outside of the typical cloudrap tracks of today. There are more than ounces of potential in every bit of harmonization – and autotune is already out of the question for a catchy track like this. kyleaux kicked off the track like it was a sweet date at a gas station while Never Paco bookended it with ebullient synths fading in the distance. “angel” is a career-making move for both young rappers in the scene and there’s much to discover while the two are beginning to hit it big soon. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Sintasan – Sin In October
Written by Louis Pelingen Among the sea of up-and-coming bands slipping across blends of gentle and effervescent murmurs of Dream Pop and Shoegaze, and the thorny and magnified observations of Post-Punk and Emo, Sintasan wriggles on the latter side, bringing another niche along the way. Popping up since early December of last year, this quintet immediately skates into the throes of Midwest Emo and Post-Punk with their staggered emotions that will reel on brittle screams on one section and whimpering singing on the other. Since their debut single last year, they have been aiming their sights towards fleshing out their scopes as they keep working on their debut project this year, new songs showcasing new variations that still come off adjacent to their own ethos that has been consistent to date. Like a machine roaring and fuming as it crashes at full capacity, “Sin In October” processes its post-heartbreak situation with a flood of pain pouring through. The melodic fervor of the frenetic drum work and guitar playing nestles the vocals that knead between heartfelt singing and gnashing screaming, multiplying the feelings of a broken-down protagonist reflecting upon a crumbled relationship, wishing to be better for their ex-partner and wanting forgiveness for the hurt that they’ve stung to them. The reflection is then mirrored within the cooldown moment of the track that pulses through at the end of the song, that immense yearning now converted into intense turmoil, screaming to wish that they can retain the love with that past partner. As the year closes into the midyear, so is Sintasan as they head towards completing their debut project that will be released on the horizon sooner rather than later. While it is evident from their past singles that they are building blocks towards sculpting and refining their sonic dynamics and compositional structures, “Sin In October” is the track that they’ve made with the most polish so far, able to echo the raw, undeterred plea to be forgiven from the sins that were dealt months ago. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Jeff Grecia – Elevate
Written by Elijah P. I have a proposition for all local hip-hop listeners: close your eyes, listen to Jeff Grecia’s “Elevate” and imagine a time in 2017 when Al James exploded in the scene and somehow spawned imitators in the scene to the point there was no turning back. Jeff Grecia’s “Elevate” takes the worst elements of a 2023 mainstream rap track. It is more vapid than an emptied Elfbar on a Happy Thursday, a flat tire in the middle of heavy traffic, “aesthetic rap” only catered to pick up people at a bad gig outside of a Poblacion bar. There are verses, flows and pitches here trying to stay away from the formula but it is so formulaic that it’s pointless to hear Grecia’s wincing voice reach to Hell’s gate. What else do we need to hear more of Grecia? Virtually nothing apparently. Not even the tito cornrows and hoodie can save face. If we were to look at it in the bigger picture: We do not need more Al James clones in the scene Support the art and the artist:
TRCK REVIEW: PETTE SHABU – bulbulin ka na
Written by Louis Pelingen & Elijah P. When it comes to looking further into the hip-hop that rumbles in eclectic and queer stripes, Pette Shabu follows through with pure, uncompromised ethos. From the multiple tracks she has released so far, she never dumbs down her brand of transgressive hip-hop tapestries as she nimbly steps into boom-bap production and stomps roughly into bruising experimental production, all while she knits and staples her eccentric bars with an upfront delivery that’s all deft and bold. Working in the realms of surrealist lyricism and absurd rhyme schemes, Pette Shabu operates at a level of a beast walking the runway. ‘Bulbulin ka na’ shows Pette Shabu working in horseboyy’s shambling soundscape — not to put her targets into a roasting, but rather into an explosion. There are incendiary lyrics hiding behind her writings, and Pette’s unabashed presence shines in Phoenix-like proportions. It starts off with an introduction that may come off as a snarky warning, but it then follows through with Pette entering the fray with a whip, lashing away against those who dare try to fuck with her. There is a little bit of Arca’s trans-assertiveness that is embodied here, albeit Pette’s neck-cracking wordplay and rhyme patterns allow her snappy delivery and her bars to sting deeper, spinning you around with bruises all around you. With horseboyy’s buzzing production amplifying Pette Shabu’s lyrical and vocal ferventness, Pette Shabu cuts above and delivers a whiplash of a song. It’s sassy and pointed, with clever bars arranged around her unabashedly queer language that topples down her targets with a flick, never backing down without a fight. You may want to listen to what she has to say, or else you might be caught slipping under her radar. Support the art & the artist:
EP REVIEW: Lil JVibe – WHOLE LOTTA LUVSHIT
Written by Elijah P. Lil JVibe’s “WHOLE LOTTA LUVSHIT” without a shadow of a doubt, has transcended the level of pop rap songwriting to the point that it’s impossible to retrace back to the days of piano-led “love rap” that was prominent in underground DIY hip-hop music in the mid to late 2000s in the Filipino music scene. But before we proceed to the conclusion, for past edgelords and terminally online historians, Lil JVibe aka Joven David used to be the subject of memes back in 2016 for simply showing the moves inside of an unnamed 7-Eleven branch somewhere in the urban parts of Metro Manila. From the Chris Brown-isms of his dance moves to the sudden transformation of Sample Drill from New York and Jersey Club rapper, Lil JVibe came out of the scene like a torpedo and he managed to hit every single target in the pop rap iceberg. “WHOLE LOTTA LUVSHIT” is the debut project we’ve never asked for but it is the debut project that we do need in this day of age. As much as the topic of sampling and rehashing ideas such as singing along to the chorus of your favorite pop songs is concerned, Joven does it so earnestly to the point that it doesn’t act to his detriment, but rather he gains from it exponentially; literally every track on the project such as “Prince Say” sampling Taylor Swift’s Love Story or “Hip o Thighs”, sampling Hypnotized by Plies and A-kon has ascended to a different level of existence. This goes without saying that Gem Productions’ hands-on work is nothing short of amazing. With the current soundscapes popping in and out, Joven slides across those beats almost flawlessly. There’s an unloading of unrequited feelings and there’s melodic longing all over in this project and those specific elements are home to no complaints. Lil JVibe’s “WHOLE LOTTA LUVSHIT” acts like a mixtape done with the literal meaning of labor of love and an untapped skill more rappers nowadays shouldn’t be scared of doing.
TRACK REVIEW: Hev Abi – WELCOME2DTQ
When it comes to a territorial takeover, Hev Abi does it in the most sinister way by inviting you to 1103 aka South Triangle, Quezon City. Beginning in the Memphis Rap influenced production to the modern-day ominous trap house presence, Hev Abi is looking forward to taking the entire region by storm this year. “WELCOME2DTQ” is documentation of a city that has a long and rich history in hip-hop, and Hev Abi successfully captured the essence of Kyusi via baseball bat-wielding charisma and flawless flows. Say what you want about the A$AP Rocky comparisons, but no one would ever dare to reduce Hev’s uncompromising presence and initiative. He possesses an aura of coolness to the place to the point you’d actually be proud of repping your hometown. Whether it would be a posse backing him up along the Tomas Morato avenue or the overall crew love you receive in “WELCOME2DTQ”, the up-and-coming rapper is largely responsible for being the phantom in the dark, slowly but surely tagging his nearest vicinities with an all-encompassing rap skill. Backed by C.R.E.A.M callbacks by the bridge and demonic pitches placed by the outro, Hev Abi’s at the come up and QC is the launching pad he needs at this time in the hip-hop scene.
TRACK REVIEW: Pikunin – ★·.·´¯`·.·★ Tadhana ★·.·´¯`·.·★
Written by Louis Pelingen Scrolling through Soundcloud, Youtube, and Bandcamp to discover a song that interpolates or adds a twist on a sample underneath always gives you a different kind of feeling. Sometimes it will leave you bewildered that it ends up clicking (or not), sometimes overjoyed with a hint of nostalgia, or sometimes spiraling down to a screech, wondering how adding just the quaintest of beats and vocal takes can bring you to a certain kind of special tug. Pikunin, formerly known as AHJU$$I, flips up Tadhana by Up Dharma Down and puts his own spice into it. A hint of nostalgia slid in – now glazed, full of twinkling sparkles, and a low-key charm – pitching up Tadhana and chopping it down to the chorus and to the signature cooing of Armi Millare as a starter, tugged along with Pikunin’s softer vocal takes (“Please pick up your phone and don’t leave me alone / Cause I can’t be by myself, I don’t want somebody else”). All along while Pikunin drums up a jersey club-style beat with that signature squeak sound that blends well with the rest of the song, and makes the song twinkle more brightly than before. It’s a song that brings up nostalgia, carving up a spin that makes it refreshing, and allows everyone to appreciate the source material even more. Tadhana is already a heartfelt song for anyone reeling from their 2010s nostalgia, and now Pikunin’s quaint yet charming flip of the song does not take away the pathos of the song but rather adds a different kind of tug.
TRACK REVIEW: ABY – paasa vibes
Written by Louis Pelingen It’s a tough situation to be led into false hopes of someone falling in love with you, only to reveal that they’re using you as a reserve, not as a definite showcase of authenticity when it comes to how they’re leading you into that romance. The common quote of “pinaasa mo lang ako” rings like an orbit in these situations, penning itself into the songs that have been local mainstream staples for a good while now. Writing about it can be either devastatingly real, or it can be tepid, where the details burrow themselves into surface-level ‘paasa’ topicality that doesn’t stand out whatsoever. And with all of that musing, Davao R&B artist ABY shoulders the former with a tight control of melody and a punch in her writing and delivery. A song titled ‘paasa vibes’ might be a corny title to start with, but don’t judge it for its title. Listen closely and there’s a lot to be impressed about. ABY’s measured vocal melodies loop and swivel through the choppy beat filled with skittering trap percussion, rubbery bass grooves, and splashy arrays of synthesizers. ABY’s writing (alongside her slicker vocal delivery) has this Dua Lipa influence into it as she blows through a guy that keeps falling in love with her even if she knows that he treats her as a reserve while he keeps finding other women elsewhere. There’s an assured maturity in the complicated ‘paasa’ topic on display especially when ABY herself is close to reciprocating, but wise enough to be on the right path to not be led into the guy’s false romanticism towards her. While the production can be a little mushy, the end result still sticks regardless. It’s splashy, catchy, and also layered once you dig into it. Again, don’t let the song title make you wince, because this packs a lot of punch and a lot of insight that breaks through the ‘paasa’ situations that so many people have found themselves into.
ALBUM REVIEW: ONE CLICK STRAIGHT – ONE CLICK STRAIGHT
Written by Louis Pelingen If you look at the cover, the One Click Straight in the present has shifted away from the One Click Straight of the past. Their image, once observed, has always been a frustration towards the band and their overall output. In their debut album, ‘The Midnight Emotion’, they kneeled over the synthpop worship that has its significant influences from the gauzy sides of the 70s – 80s synthpop. While well-produced with its use of gauzy synth textures, the rest is nothing but a blur. It tries to resort to a ‘foolish romantic chase’ theme, but the writing itself has shunned away from instilling wonder, in that romance and the melodies themselves came off fumbling at the seams. It is interested in the aesthetics of a new romantics leaning synthpop, but never breaking free to consider morphing into something new. This flailing fascination goes to their EP in 2020, conceptualized as a sweeping set of baroque-accented songs treated with a cosmic, starry-eyed harana that goes bigger in scope: polished in its lusher arrangements and melodic chops, but letting the vocals and writing lay limp as a result. The band switched away to another transition in sound and style 5 years into their debut. They used to pull away from their Synthpop worship and replace it with Pop Rock worship; now they pull the stops as a mark of change and growth in their self-titled LP. It is swirling with a rush of energy, urgent and thrilling on the edges as the band picks up strands of Pop Rock, and Post Punk that threads itself down to a cohesive 14-track offering. Going in this direction is a good fit for the band to expand upon their sonic wheelhouse. It brings out the band’s improvements to the table regarding their writing, composition, and production in a way that feels more propulsive, focused, and immediate. “Wake Me Up” is a track evident of this, with all of its driving percussive beat and guitars amidst all the synthetic feedback, pop rock melodies that take some nods to The 1975 to great effect, and crisp vocal chops that seek to snap awake from overthinking surrounding one’s relationship and their own personal doubts. “Hahayaan” shrugs off the judgments that are propped against them, peppered with shuffling guitar strummings and snappy percussion that swarm around the chilled-out vocal melodies. “Untitled 1” opens up with percussive grooves and cycling guitar licks that accelerate and crash through as it progresses, building off a rebellious spark from those who will take the autonomy of their lives. And “Isang Kawalan” closes things off, a retreat from one’s beloved when their identity has faded. It’s a stomping closer where the crashing drums and guitar melodies pick up the rhythms as it plows through to the end. Going even further – when they do strike gold, they make out some of their best tracks to date. The quiet longing of “MRT” is a grand standout for a reason, the warmth from the solemn vocal lines is situated within an excellent chorus and the twiddling guitars and punchy drums. “Synecdoche” and its tender balladry acquaints itself with glimmering synths and calming keys, coating the melancholic loneliness and changes that permeates through the song. But beyond all of that quiet pain comes the bright presence of the lover that’s always in one’s mind, a sentiment that the song delivers wondrously. The 2010s pop rock tunings of “Untitled 2” varies itself as it incorporates some house grooves underneath, allowing the hook to pop out with the grumbling guitars. And “Gulo,” with its waving guitar progressions over the rapid drum pattern, brings enough bewilderment to the post-breakup situation of the song. It plays its bewilderment until the very end, the piano murmurs the regretful musings of the relationship. As much as the band finds their footing with this stylistic shift, they’ve embraced it to a fault that they still find themselves carrying their influences rather than carving a form that is their own. One major culprit for this is that, just like them taking huge notes on 80s synthpop in their debut, this record has a lot of rubbing off of the flagrant 90s – 2000s pop rock and post-punk stylistics that only makes the record less fascinating than it should be. “Dahan-Dahan” has its trudging groove progressions aided by the pianos that may sound thrilling at first, circulating around pacing yourself calmly amidst a world that may leave you behind. The vocal cadence and the shoutier delivery don’t have that same pumping swerve to them, leaving the song to lack any sort of wild edge to it even with the progressions trying to claw things through. “Gitna” goes to a similar issue, where the post-punk nods get rather trite with the shouty vocals and the stomping percussion and guitars. It sketches out the confusion and questions of where one’s life might lead, but the compositions don’t wrestle with themselves to make that point resonate stronger – ending up being clunky as a result. And then there is ‘Some Kind Of Girl’, an immediate dud in the record about the shy yearning towards a girl that then proceeds to put the situation in the friendzone. It’s a dull adult alternative song, paired with the obvious cloying guitar strums, processed beats, and a vocal delivery that sounds more stiff than enthralling. To dig even deeper, there is a part of the execution of these songs that makes the album frustrating to go through. As much as the production stays consistent with how the textures crumble and warp in the mix, the static rhythms of a lot of these songs make it hard to justify the 54-minute runtime of the album. It makes the album sluggish to get through, and without a big switch-up to the structure of the songs just makes things clunky and drag as a result. While the aforementioned obvious pop rock and post-punk influences hold these songs back with the progressions