The year had no shortage of spectacular tracks, may it be coming from a sprawling piece of ambient or a quick rage session with a posse. The releases keep coming as if bands or artists in general are to take back the two years of lockdown. Compared to what it was pre-pandemic, these tracks come out stronger and more effective than ever. Coming from a culture where lone recordings made the most imprints than an actual full length release, listeners would rather leave no track left behind. Covering the depths of internet post-punk from Bulacan to the trenches of drill in Pasay, here are the 25 best Filipino tracks of 2022. 25.) tidal – calcium The standout single from their debut album, the quartet paint a story of kindred spirits finding solace in the cracks of each other’s brokenness as the blasting drums of Tan Flojo and the bright guitar work of Keith and AJ lend the stage for Clarence’s ruminating vocals to deliver a heartfelt performance. -Janlor Encarnacion 24.) neytan & areli – FAR Out of all that Neytan has put out this year, he struck gold with this track. Bringing along Areli to put a shuffling beat and spiraling vocal touches to eventually create their Brockhampton-inspired cut is a sweet treat from start to finish. It has an anxious sentiment that these two exudes perfectly, a reserved attitude towards whether it is best to stay with her or keep some distance away from her. The track is quite the whirlwind, where even if that anxiety stays in your head, you’ll keep on pushing forward somehow. -Louis Pelingen 23.) Cowboy Country Club – Squirrel on the Line Amidst the journey of reflecting through connections and relationships, ‘Squirrel On The Line’ reveals a layer of that reflection in a prickly fashion. Within the cycling acoustic strums, waves of violins, and subtle synth layering comes this stressful set of emotional struggles that persists in one’s entire life. It’s a catharsis delivered in a simple yet moving passage, in the poignant way that Cowboy Country Club does well. -Louis Pelingen 22.) Turncoats – Future Fossil Baguio’s very own indie/dreampop trio shine in their latest offering of 2022 that is “Future Fossil”. With the mix of garage rock-inspired instrumentals and dreampop-tinged vocals, Turncoats yearn about self-doubt and self-worth thrown in the midst of the whirlwind of sound. The upbeat pace and reverb-drenched vocals mask the song’s relatable theme of acceptance and discovery in a world where trying to fit in and living up to expectations dictate an individual’s value to society. And in today’s society, devoted listeners need bands like Turncoats -Janlor Encarnacion 21.) Spacedog Spacecat – Jay Muscis Spacedog Spacecat, the indie crossover the entire Manila scene was not ready for, pushes their fuzz pedals to their limits on ‘Jay Muscis’. With a bright intro riffage, a dense rhythm section, polarizing dream pop vocals, and playful yet subtle counter melodies, ‘Jay Muscis’ is proof of the many utilities of the fuzz sound (get it?). And who wouldn’t say no to hearing Megumi Acorda in 2022? -Nikolai Dineros 20.) kindred – Switch On U! “Can’t stay at mad at you” says the boyband as they sing in the chorus.“Show me something new” says the boyband sing in the outro. Kindred strives for patience and virtue in their craft, and even greater – notably louder – energies in your nearest party. There’s a throng of voices clashing against the bleeps and boops of their producers and there are pointpersons to every punchline. This formula that is “the boyband” defines their camaraderie during the pandemic and “Switch On U!” is evidence of their growth and fervor in the game. -Elijah P. 19.) Armi Millare/Munro – Take Me Stepping away from a project and returning to an old one, Take Me is the next step forward for Armi Millare. It’s the first shard for what will be a different side of her artistry, taking spare amount of instrumentation to fill in and elevate her impassioned voice. It’s baroque in its spare, atmospheric, and yearning form, with love displayed to be given even when the partner is out of reach. -Louis Pelingen 18.) Identikit – Dust Collector Identikit solidifies their unique sound with Dust Collector – filled with quirky synth hooks, a groovy bass, and Esber’s unpredictable guitar sound supporting James’ haunting vocals. As the band talks more about an android collection that is kept for show and is untouched by strangers, the lounge-y vibe of the song round out the mystery in the lyrics and is a great representation of the uniqueness of the band. -Janlor Encarnacion 17.) Cheats – Morning After ft. Johnoy Danao “Morning After” is like watching a balancing act from the alternative-rock favorite Cheats. The tonal balance of the three vocalists – Sab, Candy, and Jim, accompanied with Johnoy Danao’s delicate vocals brought this track to a home run. Fuzzed-out guitars ringing in the back, commanding percussion leading the way and most importantly, the audio separation towards the end made the song a breath of fresh air. The lyrical abstraction of the “Morning After” is a chase towards self-reflection and unexpected realizations which exhibit the band’s progress towards shaping their trademark sound. Cheats honed a consistent sound across their discography. However, “Morning After” operates in its own defined space and introduces a new side of the band collaborating with other artists – which we are looking forward to in the future. “Morning After” is a clear promise of what Cheats can establish in the scene. -Sab Aguirre 16.) Noah Alejandre – di man tinadhana In this industry full of male har-har and industry falsetto giants, only one artist was able to make it out of the dreaded rabbit hole: Ormoc, Leyte’s very own Noah Alejandre. Straight from the pop duo that is Reon, Alejandre tries his hand out in the formula, slowly but steadily throwing in his rendition of the style. And the result: a smoother, catchier and captivating vocal performance.
Author: Elijah Timothy Pareno
TFL PRESENTS: THE 20 BEST FILIPINO RELEASES OF 2022
This year was full of surprises: whether you look at it from the perspective of an audience member lurking in the underground or a casual music fan who happens to stumble upon alternative music in the mainstream. The year 2022 was the year where we met all different kinds of folks from all walks of music life, the ecosystem that is the Philippine music; we experienced a lot of crossovers and other unexpected turns that would change the trajectory of the listener and the artist. From the sudden reunions of a high-profile 4-piece to the sudden rise of 2010s indie-sleaze affiliate genres to the co-optimization of genres from larger than life platforms like Tiktok and Facebook. There was an emergence of grunge and goth culture, thriving on the image of Robert Pattinson lurking over Gotham City and makeshift house venues in The South turning into a crying session. The folks of TFL are more than honored to present to you releases that define the year that is 2022. 20.) Basalt Shrine – From Fiery Tongues Shortly after one successful and groundbreaking hardcore project, it’s almost hard to believe the Vivo Brothers could top their ABANGLUPA debut with a new venture. Enter Basalt Shrine, a doom metal quintet with a knack for the abstract that has quickly taken the metal scene aghast since its recent inception. Largely black metal inspired, their debut album From Fiery Tongues also incorporates stoner, sludge and drone elements in their dirge — and does so pretty damn well! The band has toured quite a few times this year, and you might have already seen their names pop up in underground venues. In any case, you should check them out! -Nikolai Dineros 19.) O.I Research Partners – Speed Milk “Speed Milk” is one of the more gratifying releases to be released exclusively via physical merch by way of tricky YouTube search (if you look hard enough). What caught my surprise is the mere fact that this is more than a project, it more likely transcends the need of a streaming site. Its a living breathing project that consists of cowboys from outer space, the Wild Wild North-North of Nueva Ecija and many more interstellar worldbuilding. O.I Research Partners’ penchant for borderline desert psychedelia and tin can folk comes in waves in every soundbite and plugin pedal. -Elijah P. 18.) Nullification – Kingdoms to Hovel This Laguna death metal outfit takes a lot of notes from its forefathers and applies all the right pointers into a full-length album. To say this album is formulaic OSDM would be a discredit to the effort in crafting a visceral record akin to the 1990s DM sound that manages to stay fresh by today’s standards. Tracks like ‘Negated Fields’, Sledgehammer’, and ‘Inside the Surreal’ are as gut-punching as any metal song should be yet so elegant in their presentation that you’d feel the destruction coming your way. -Nikolai Dineros 17.) Chimera Mix – My Pet Rat Patorikku’s musical project is a thaumaturge, releasing projects with songs that are folded and squeezed with enough spark of creative experimentation within vintage, lo-fi, and psychedelic pop that it’s quite a marvel that he has put this enough projects already. He only blitzes through yet again with My Pet Rat, an EP with four tracks that continues to push himself even further to something incredible. Psychedelic pop with nuggets of lyrical eccentricities now dipped further into compositions that get even more ballistic and unhinged on every turn. His albums already ooze with dizzying compositions and instrumentation, but with this EP, it just shows that even the smallest doses can create a mind-dazzling splash. -Louis Pelingen 16.) Mazerboy – Edge of the Bleak Guagua is a province that shouldn’t go unnoticed, especially for younger acts like Mazerboy who shuns every doubter of post-punk, psychedelic rock and alternative rock within imperial Manila. “Edge of the Bleak” is agitatingly catchy than it is dystopic – the project lingers in the mind of their listener – catapulting meteoric solos and textures, pummeling every indie band in the mainland today. -Elijah P. 15.) <S>andwich – No Goodbyes On the surface, ‘No Goodbyes’ presented a spotlight on the social challenges brought by the pandemic, some were in the same dilemma during the pre-pandemic from biking around the Metro to the state of working from home. Tracks such as ‘Buhol Buhol’ and ‘Negatives’ are standouts that proved to be a self-fulfilling prophecy for the veteran band. It’s stacked with excellent guitar work and rhythm that will automatically remind you of Sandwich. The juxtaposition of the whole EP was delightful and ridiculous, leaving any listener wanting to bite for more. -Sab Aguirre 14.) Polyphonic Vision – Sudden Pictures The otherwordly synth textures of Michaela Benedicto and Mario Consunji create a beautiful, blissful and groovy whirlwind of electronica. Polyphonic Vision’s first ever EP is, at parts dreamy and at other times, complex. The stems of “Sudden Pictures” are mosaic to the point where production create an unfolding image. The more these movements create itself, the more Polyphonic Vision’s music becomes a dancing image. Thus, conceiving one of the best electronica releases of the year -Elijah P. 13.) Ligaya Escueta – Laughing in Milk 15-year old indie rock prodigy Ligaya Escueta comes in many forms and eras in her debut full length album “Laughing in Milk”. In fact, the album continually rises in momentum and it finishes in a mush of feedback and fuzz, eventually manifesting her growth in this kind of songcraft in the long run. Even mentor Mikey Amistoso of Ciudad couldn’t resist in sessioning for her in live sets. That alone should be a testament as to how much everyone in her age should go out and check out adjacent acts everywhere. -Elijah P. 12.) Party Pace – Nauseous The veteran quartet of Party Pace released a stellar introductory album with Nauseous featuring a slew of instrumental tracks that are easily the most enjoyable music to pair with work or play. The