Written by Jax Figarola The word “sprak” means rage, and rage, after all, is and can be feminine. For centuries, masculinity has been associated with strong emotions like anger and aggression, but realizing that women are always subjected to restrictions and objectifications and all the other painful suffering a woman must endure, then rage is exactly feminine. Pette Shabu’s SPRAK is experimental, transgressive, and confrontational. She wears the beats of industrial hip hop and electronic sounds of techno, metal, hard dance, and then struts, rampages, and jerks us off unapologetically into her frenzied world. The trans goddess asserts herself in the world that her art stems from navigating a violently gendered world, all of which are etched into every synth, every guttural scream, and every angst-laden bar born from personal struggles as a queer woman. With Pette’s lyricism and wordplay cutting sharply reminiscent of FlipTop rap battles and her sound similar to Death Grips, every track demands attention to the lyrics. Naturally, what makes SPRAK so electrifying is her unrelenting commitment to confront the uncomfortable, the violence – the local political landscape, genocidal world leaders, misogyny, and patriarchy. With beats from known local producers in the scene like T33G33, Horseboyy, and Dwaviee, the intense lyrics create an even more abrasive and harsher sounds that seem aggressive to the ears. Yet, listening to her rap over the beats feels like consuming a familiar unknown ulam. You eat them anyway because suddenly you are interested in figuring out that ulam, only to find out that it’s a one of a kind food only available at a specific time and place. No one does it like her. The quick repetitive beats become listenable only because she proves that she’s the only artist capable of rapping on them. But all of this also means that not everyone wants to eat her food, as one’s first listen to Pette Shabu may be surprised with how unorthodox her art is, especially for the wider audience in the Philippines. Nevertheless, her instructions are clear: to cleanse the world of ugliness. She reclaims “pangit” and “ugly,” not as descriptors of physical appearance, but as metaphors for the different faces of her oppression. She rebukes these ugliness with extreme rage, especially after being used to describe her art by those who don’t understand her. The tracks build toward the techno track POKPOK for its climax, a personal favorite, as she spits bars that are both irreverent and deeply personal, reclaiming slurs and shoving them in the faces of those who weaponize them. Beneath the pounding bass and metallic overtones, there’s a catharsis in embodying her anger and emotions with the act of active listening to her rhymes and wordplay. And then, the momentum carries into XDEAL O BARIL and NATURAL HIGH, both techno-heavy songs that sound as though the world is teetering on the edge of collapse. The beats in these closing tracks become euphoric acts of reclaiming and manifesting, which perfectly captures the album’s push and pull between destruction and rebirth. These outro feel like a mirror to SPRAK’s broader themes of queer resistance. Therefore, it ends as violently as it begins. Pette’s art is not for passive listening, as she demands and commands us to witness her narratives of structural violence through her lens. In the chaos, there’s catharsis. In the rage, there’s declaration. And in the rawness, there’s power. The goddess rebirths the world and ascends above it, now she’s untouchable and incomparable. But then again, with such gospel from her, it’s guaranteed to have heathens who would not challenge the self to listen through the queer, chaotic sounds that she’s been through. It’s all because she’s the highest, and there’s no else like her in the Philippines. It’s because she’s Pette fucking Shabu. Support the art & the artist:
Author: Louis Pelingen
TRACK REVIEW: zaniel – C2 NA RED!
Written by Louis Pelingen One thing worth discussing about novelty or meme songs is whether or not they succeed with what they’re specifically trying to joke about, especially if there is something notable to the punchlines and melodic construction for said meme song to work long-term. While there are cases when the memetic humor sadly tilt into corny and flimsy territory, there are times when the artist knows their strengths and then applies them to the song so the meme eventually becomes captivatingly silly and catchy at the end of the day. Fortunately, zaniel’s C2 NA RED! falls into the latter category. What makes C2 NA RED! intriguingly stick is simply due to zaniel’s ability for composition and production, where his built-up experience of comfortably swooning over these cloud rap beats has a clarity that effectively shows up in spades for this song, showcasing the overall quality of his melodic crooning amidst the booming bass and chalky drums that’s well-blended in the mix. Said melodic crooning does add so much to the humor, adding an amount of kooky energy in simply embodying his favoritism of C2’s apple flavor over anything else and feeling exasperated when the store close to him doesn’t have the apple flavor in stock, just as he expected. Short but sweet, C2 NA RED! is a meme song that has enough charm and polish to the melodic craft, eventually enhancing the succinctly silly humor on display. Even if there is a worry that the meme will overshadow zaniel’s future work – an unfortunate side-effect to acts that are slowly establishing their music but are somehow limited by that one big meme song – the strengths that he does share in this track are at least a good presentation for what he’s capable of doing more as an artist. In the meantime, take a sip of this drink, it is certainly a flavor that’s worth gulping from time to time.
ALBUM REVIEW: Yorko – where the sky meets the sea
Written by Faye Allego Yorko’s virtuosic talent for Hip Hop and R&B shines in “Where The Sky Meets The Sea” as he opens up without fear of getting introspective in his songs; songs that took four years to make it into the final cut and four years to mark his first entry under LIAB studios. The rollout of this album in terms of aesthetics was done in a way that genuinely highlights the ebb and flow of Yorko’s vulnerability: his journal entries published across his social media pages, the scenic imagery only paired with the color hues of the sky, and the impeccable album artwork and layout done by GRAVER, Zeon Gomez, @aleng_lukresya, jadetonicc, @_niel4tienz4, and @skm2_ct have all sculpted and mended Yorko’s visions into a short anthology of memories written from the depths of Cloud 9. In his sophomore album, Yorko, who also goes under the alias Blimp Shady, takes the listener down a rather silky road with his sleek rhymes and rhythms in “Descent” followed by “Nimbus” and “Surf” which encapsulate certain Cyber R&B beats you’d expect to hear in a Blade Runner 2049 action sequence or in a niche Vaporwave Lofi Rap mixtape. In Horizon, Yorko reflects on the imbalances and harmony of life: ‘there’s more to life above the clouds/ there’s more to death beneath the ground/ take a dive headfirst/take the pain, feel the hurt/ ‘til you feel nothing no more’ these antheses with philosophical undertones become profound as Yorko takes what feels like a modern day Parable-of-Job-like approach to his storytelling. Juxtapositions that seep through the philosophical themes of the album are also emulsified in the pre/post break-up banger that is m.i.a. featuring SHNTI. Production-wise, Kashira changes the game for the DIY rap scene. You can press play throughout any time frame of this album and won’t find yourself fidgeting with the volume buttons of your device. Various influences and sonic textures from the West Coast Rap scene can definitely be heard in Where The Sun Meets the Sky, making it a flavorful homage to the entire genre itself and it’s not taking from the original and replicating it haphazardly. However, though the originality shines through, there is an inkling of that replication hazard getting in the way when you get to tracks like Ducktales, which utilises synth waves and ad libs that don’t add on to that theme of introspection and aren’t exactly elusive to hear within this genre. Overall, this album is essentially a deep-dive into Yorko’s inner sea of confusion and takes the listener for a swim back to the shore, shining under the sun with all the glistening hopes that come out of surpassing hardship all with the dreamy atmosphere engineered into the beat. Support the art and the artist:
ALBUM REVIEW: emma bot – Radio Emma
Written by Louis Pelingen There is a sudden rush of emotions that’ll overwhelm everyone once they hit a certain age, wherein processing the state of their life thus far peels back all the ups and downs they’ve experienced as they continue to live and do the usual stuff in their routine to survive. It brings out the frustrations that may wallow in the present, but over time, it’ll die down as there is more to look forward to in the future. It might take time to push out those frustrations, but it is necessary to wade through them to learn and grow. For Sab Morado aka Emma Bot, they process that emotion within the set of pop punk and indie rock palette in their debut album, Radio Emma. Composed and produced by Emma Bot themself, with additional help by the members of Warpten amongst others, there’s a striking consistency and emotional punch within a lot of these songs, further grasped by the excellently sequenced album structure that allows both mellow and frenetic melodies to follow through without any flubs in momentum. Carrying through a familiar sonic streak that might not shift the sound of pop punk, but when these melodies are just catchy and filled with invigorating grooves, snappy performances, and fantastic production work, it leads to a lot of these songs just stick in the brain. Whether that be the rumbling bass and guitar passages on “Parallax (in Another Age)”, the stomping groove of “Mothing Feels Good”, the lively melodic throughlines of “P”, the shift from the wandering groove to the synth accents and flourishing guitars of “Coming of Age”, the soft build-ups that effectively lead to the explosive guitars of “On the Pavement” and the emotive final hook of “Easy”, the riotous melodic panic of “Japan”, and the wistful tone that’s amplified further by the additional vocals of Nica Feliciano and Howard Luistro on “Some Days (are Bad Days)”. It’s not just the melodies that manage to stick, as Emma Bot does write a compelling reflection within the themes of the record. Essentially, Emma Bot is trying to move away from whatever ache they feel, yet it doesn’t exactly come with an easy hurdle, especially as their mind is still filled with memories from the past that keep floating by. It’s an introspection that tangles itself down the line, getting a bit more existential through mentions of feeling numb, being a bit too wasted and sleep-deprived, and getting worked up with growing older that only creates the impression of getting close to giving in to cynicism as heartache and existential crisis only pulls them down further into the abyss. Yet amidst all that, Emma Bot acknowledges that there is still worth looking forward to beyond all of that cynical musings, where being able to see themselves alive is at least a positive moment to think about. The lingering pain might still be carried and there’s an unsureness about what else is there to dream about, but the important part is to keep grasping onto hope. The aspect in life that ensures that everything will be okay in the end. In short, Emma Radio is the sort of debut album that manages to hit the landing and showcases just how many roads Emma Bot could sonically proceed in the future, especially as there isn’t much risk taken within the production and compositional aspect of the album. Still, Emma Bot manages to strike the sweet spot on their first go, carving impressive melodies that have only gotten better with great pacing, sharp production, and nuanced writing that might wallow in the stormy heartache but is aware enough to grasp toward hope. It’s a radio channel full of palpable tunes that are worth the listen. Support the art and the artist:
ALBUM REVIEW: Haley Heynderickx – Seed of a Seed
Written by Louis Pelingen Looking back on Haley Heynderickx’s debut project is like observing a seedling grow into a lively tree, as there are a lot of elements within the record that keep on growing the more time passes by. Spanning across the pastoral writing wherein despite the generally loose themes – there is enough captivating poetry wading through, the rich performances that Haley Heynderickx offers with her striking vocals, as well as the well-produced and well-composed melodies that have enough enticingly warm progressions to allow them to stick a lot deeper. Since then, there has been a quiet period after I Need To Start A Garden, just before this year where she finally pulled together her sophomore record, Seed of a Seed. Within this long-awaited project, more awe-inspiring elements serve as an overall refinement of Haley Heynderickx’s debut output. The production is now much more organic in its mix where the expanded instrumentation and vocals nestle well to the point that it evokes a thrilling tone to these songs, the array of folk melodies have a lot of sticky charm from the instrumental refrains and the inviting chorus lines, and Haley Heynderickx’s presence as a vocalist soars further as she pulls more from her expanded vocal range that lands with ease – really letting these songs linger with charm from start to finish. The layers of strings, acoustics, and vocals render a harmonious touch on “Gemini” as they go on these lush melodic swings throughout the song, the ramping rhythmic shuffle of “Foxglove” that’s elevated further with Heynderickx’s rich vocal delivery, the emotive strings and the jangling acoustics on “Seed of a Seed” that never sounds so comforting on their warm tone, the glorious escapade of “Redwoods (Anxious God)” where the grand swells are encaptured by the melodic progressions that never lose their sweeping momentum, the arpeggiated guitar structure of “Jerry’s Song” that builds into this heavenly crescendo that the vocals land splendidly, and the aptly titled “Swoop” has these melodic structures from the acoustics and strings that swoops with a gleaming sway every time it goes to the chorus lines, ending the record with a gracefully strong finish. This is where Haley Heynderickx then also evolves as a writer, where there is at least a semblance of connecting themes spiraling within her mostly enthralling poetry. Still lingering within the pastoral touches that she has snuggled to a tee, yet there are some fascinating topics going through the details. The overall songwriting essentially grapples with the essence of growing older, whereas Haley Heynderickx is looking into a pastoral dream that may or may not be worth it in the long run amidst the indecisive frustration that comes with aging. Yet it is not just the only subject matter that she wanders through, where songs like “Seeds of a Seed”, “Mouth of a Flower”, and “Swoop”, there is a lingering reflection of generational divides and how Haley Heynderickx acknowledges that she is in a much better space than where her father, mother, and grandmother might have been back then. It adds an extra context to the overall themes, adding a subtle anxiousness in reflecting on growing older and looking to search for those dreams. That, paired with just how robust and big the melodies tend to be, does impart how much she is willing to be tossed over to that uncertain flow, where even if she did find a sense of gratitude on ‘Sorry Fahey’, it’s not going to stop her on reaching towards greater pastures in life. Perhaps, the big frustration within this record as much as it is enveloped with so many gleaming compositions all around it, might be in the writing itself. Not that it takes away from the refinements within, but there is that pastoral framing that creates a barrier on how much Haley Heynderickx’s reflections will stick further. Because as much as that personal arc can be traced the more time spent thinking through the concise poetry, this brand of pastoral beauty can be a double-edged sword, leading to gleaming musings that gesture towards those personal emotive touches rather than fully touching upon it. But despite those personal nitpicks in the writing, there are a lot of exceptional moments traced within Seed of a Seed. Brimming with some of Haley Heyndrickx’s strongest songs to date that come from the overall array of performances, compositions, production, and writing, this sophomore output ended up amusing. Even if the overall personal touches could have been observed with a closer look, the improvements are enough to make the project stand stronger than her debut. It might be just a seed of a seed, yet how it grows is all up to its control. Support the art and the artist:
ALBUM REVIEW: Shanne Dandan – Kung Iyong Mamarapatin
Written by Louis Pelingen Post-breakups leave everyone in touch with who they are. The pronounced pang of the breakup leaves a specific question on whether or not they are still worthy of falling in love, as well as if there is still a possibility of finding that romantic presence in the future. It’s an internal reflection that one must try to think deeply not just by wading through their introspections, but also by looking for an outlet that will help them release those deep-seated thoughts. After all, the path to searching for that answer and peace is shown in different ways – through conversations, poetry, films, music, etc. In perusing through this heartbreak, Shanne Dandan uses the outlet of music to allow her emotional undercurrent to spill through. On Kung Iyong Mamarapatin, she embraces a balanced set of contemporary smooth soul and vintage Manila sound that careens through with her stirring vocal runs, paired with well-composed song structures and supple production touches to allow Shanne’s presence become languishing within these mostly pretty soundscapes. Creating a well-structured flow that provides momentum to stumble less and lets these songs glide with their comforting grace. The quicker rhythmic shuffle of “Iyakin” from the drum passages and bass licks accompanies the glistening synth patches and Shanne’s sparking vocal deliveries that always cut through the striking hook, the wistful introspection of “What do I do with you?” with the waves of sweet synths and keys flying through the gentle melodies, the soulful glimmer of “di na babalik sa’yo” where the vocals pick up a self-assuring tone that very much fits with the sharper melodic snaps of the song, the genuinely pretty cover of Cherie Gil’s “Boy, I Love You” that’s laced with charming vocal coos amidst the gentler set of grooves and synth swells, and “Kung Iyong Mamarapatin” ending the record with a newfound sense of confidence running through the layers of lead melodies, backing vocals, and soaring instrumental flourishes. This set of songs eventually builds up the arc that Shanne Dandan has placed down, focusing on moving past a break-up where she self-doubts if she is worthy of happiness and love within future happenstance despite keeping up that smile that’s ever so fragile, yet she knows that it’s a step that leads her to slowly recover. Then, after “Gemini (Reprise)” Shanne finally regains her voice where she can confront that ex-partner, leaving them behind as she now finds a sense of joy in finally being able to speak up for herself and taking the next step forward to moving past that memory. And it is in “Kung Iyong Mamarapatin” wherein, through writing these songs, it is a way for her to recognize that she is still worthy of being loved. In creating music, she can sing these songs out for herself and pave a path where she’ll finally be able to settle into a relationship that she knows she is worthy of being in. Although, as much as the melodies, writing, and performances do give this album its charm, two problems distract away from that charm. For one, there could’ve been at least a few more songs that could give more weight to the arc of the album, especially as the songwriting does go for broader lyrical details and the album is already running a bit too short to land the emotional resonance it wants to impart. For two, it mostly comes from the production and how it treats the instrumentation of the record, where the mixing only lets the drums and guitars sound way too faint, and how there are points where there’s a lack of tender textural presence that would benefit certain songs – most notably on cuts like “Kung Iyong Mamarapatin” where the stiff drums are paired with thin sounding hand claps and “Boy, I Love You” that has these shaky vocal dubs that sadly pulls away from the magnetic presence that Shanne Dandan brings through her endearing performances. By the end of that, however, Kung Iyong Mamarapatin is sprinkled with potential that Shanne Dandan has showcased throughout the record, whether as a captivating singer and songwriter elevated further with melodies worth listening to. It’s just a shame that the production and brief runtime don’t build more of the emotional staying power that this album really wants to show, especially when there are moments where that resonance shines through in spades. Moving past that heartbreak reveals something special for everyone, validating their worth in finding that newfound love, and resurfacing the joy that provides everlasting comfort. Support the art and the artist:
ALBUM REVIEW: Fax Gang + Parannoul – Scattersun
Written by Louis Pelingen When reaching a sense of stability, there is no doubt that it’s sometimes a fleeting moment, a feeling that provides meditation and strength just before everybody has to push forward to the next phase of tension in their lives. On the last projects that Fax Gang and Parannoul have put out, this does ring true as they take a lot more effort to embrace the sense of the calm before the storm: Fax Gang offers more openly brighter melodies and textures on Dataprism and Parannoul moving away from the aghast distorted perks of his debut as he takes more dreamy wistfulness on After The Magic. So now that they’re both under Topshelf Records, the possibility of working once again since their collaboration on the last track of Dataprism feels like a star that can be reached, where the light keeps on burning brightly. And it sure does, as on Scattersun, Fax Gang and Parannoul merge their varying worlds in absolute delight. Within this project, Fax Gang and Parannoul’s musical chemistry bounces off in a way that resonates with their strengths as they leap off into various characteristics that morph into their own being – all filled with post-rock crescendos, eclectic sound design, distinctive production palette, and amorphous genre swervings that Fax Gang and Parannoul just makes it all work. Riding these risky musical ideas that both acts are willing to do, and create an exciting endeavor where those risks are rewarded tremendously, intersecting their creative worlds where they know which parts of their ideas will work and proceed to experiment even further outside of their comfort zone that also manages to stick the landing in a remarkable fashion. ‘Double Bind’ showcases this toast of ideas clearly, with the first half lurking within the familiar bit-crushed soundscape from Fax Gang with PK Shellboy’s vocals rummaging through that chaos, just before it slowly and sleekly transitions to the usual fractured distortion from Parannoul’s part on the back half that also has a jersey club rhythm implemented within, displaying familiar pieces of sound that work around with newer facets of experimentation. This experimentation continues further all across the project, from ‘Quiet’ where PK Shellboy joins within the crisp and bulky alt-rock palette that’s clearly Parannoul’s signature wheelhouse but is wrapped around with warping synths, ‘Lullaby for a Memory’ with the jaunty array of rapid organic breakbeats, wistful synth progressions, and galloping crescendos that spearthrows itself into the skies, ‘Wrong Signal’ where the warbling production creates a cacophonous black hole for Mudd the student of Balming Tiger and PK Shellboy to break through with anxious performances just before the production clears up into a danceable but still suffocating beat, ‘Circular Motion’ takes a mellower tone where both PK Shellboy and Parannoul’s vocals are cushioned within the spare lilting synths and chalky percussion that eventually collapses into a charged EDM instrumental passage that bolts to the end of the song, and ‘Soliloquy’ may as well be the absolute charming cut from album – filled with glorious melodic progressions that can fit into a rhythm game song selection as the sweeping drums and synths glimmer before it cracks and dishevels as it moves along, even adding a random jazz sample that swivels into the cut’s last ecstatic chorus. And even despite ‘Ascension’ and ‘Scattersun’ paling off for different reasons – with the first song that could’ve expanded upon its harmonies and the second song that could’ve sharpened parts of its transitions and melodies, they still manage to land with aplomb as the former cut’s fleeting calmness creaks from its fuzzy textures that never overshadow the performances of every vocalist – gatka’s soothing vocals especially – and the latter cut’s attempt on creating a 10-minute plugging, cloud rap, and drill epic is nothing short of impressive in just going along on that idea and just making it happen. This overall scale is also reinforced within the writing of the record, taking a grand leap as Fax Gang and Parannoul return back into exploring humanistic existential dread that they find themselves lurking within, all with an embrace of abstract metaphors that expound the exhausting emotions even more. There is a desperation to cling to the brighter future that they try to reach as much as possible even despite all the murk that keeps on piling up more and more each day, intensifying the anxious dread that they want to avoid for their sake. Yet it is an attempt of avoidance that they cannot do successfully anymore, especially with the doomed tone displayed on cuts like ‘Wrong Signal’ where internet doom-scrolling will continue to display the destructive parts of reality that they can’t risk to not care about anymore. Thus, it overall colors the bleak aspects within these deeper reflections, whether that be having to mature and moving past their inner child on ‘Lullaby for a Memory’, reaching out to friends and trying to help them out even if they themselves are dealing with their own struggles on ‘Ascension’, and just how accepting a defeatist mindset due to the constant effects of isolation, aging, and ennui in this devastating world soon collapses upon ‘Scattersun’, the darkest cut in the album as there is a realization where the process of reflecting through these harrowing moments don’t seem to make sense anymore and is easier to just find some release in self-harm – a dour thought that’s compounded from the continuous wallowing that pushes everybody else away, and leaves them struggling with not knowing who they are anymore. Eventually concluding on the aptly titled ‘Circular Motion’ as the null in this negative state of mind will persist, a stillness that may never be broken apart where loneliness seems to be the only relief for all of this. As a whole, there is an astoundment that swings around Scattersun and all of its elements. A collaboration that tries to break out of their comfort zone where Fax Gang and Parannoul embrace their wildly varied musical components and
TRACK REVIEW: Squaretoe – Subzero
Written by Louis Pelingen There is a chilling mist that Squaretoe – the trip-hop duo consisting of Mazerboy and Maggie – conjures within this newest cut as it immerses deeper in a glacial tone. Through its flickering synth pads, needle-sharp drum machines, and saturated guitar mixes swirling around Maggie’s haunting vocals that loom and bend around the general mix, it creates a dream-smeared atmosphere that drowns into gloomy moodscapes. Ever so carried along with the spare writing presenting a lingering cruelty that lurks deeper, a feeling that Maggie’s dreamy performance effectively brings as her voice rings all across the song. There is an assured quality that Squaretoe brings to ‘Subzero’ in an immediate way, sinking deeper into more layers of atmosphere that the duo lurks in slow, but curious spaces of mercurial triphop and frosty electronica. Overall resulting in the fleshed-out sonic ideas on the production and compositional side amplifying the atmosphere to a certain degree even if the briefness of this cut feels like the duo is still testing out where they would go in the future. Still, it’s potent enough to move the temperature to its freezing point, letting that sullen dread nestle in its unmoving place. Support the art & the artist:
ALBUM REVIEW: Munimuni – Alegorya
Written by Louis Pelingen 5 years after its release, Kulayan Natin is quite the impressive musical landmark for the quintet band Munimuni. Not just because of the breadth of melodic phrasing and comfortable aura that it provides, but the fact that Munimuni was able to put their spin on progressive folk in the local scene and push the sound a little further where the rustic compositions unfold in a fascinatingly majestic fashion that allows the beauty of the emotional resonance from the poetry and performances to captivate with aplomb. However, the band has experienced bumps on the road, taking a needed hiatus due to the isolating lockdown in 2020 and TJ de Ocampo leaving after the band’s comeback in 2021. Since then, the band has taken their time to ruminate what had transpired beforehand as they carefully kept putting more songs on the road as well as adding their new member Ben Ayes in 2023 to contribute more flourish to the band’s instrumental beauty. All of this culminates in the long-awaited sophomore album of Munimuni, Alegorya, and how it mostly retains the progressive tapestries that are usually filled with wondrous melodic swells and buildups that end in fantastic quality, courtesy of the delicate array of woodwinds and acoustics that are twinkling as ever. But there is a shift in the compositions and performances this time around. Adj Jiao’s singing tries to push his vocals in more expressive ranges to pair off with the compositions that have more groove and textures taken from modern indie rock which makes the melodies more tasteful in their direction to go for more immediate swerves, a direction that can become a double-edged sword, especially when the production makes the textures and mixing bit too modestly pristine and tame for its own good and the melodic stripes all across the album may carry some of their usual dynamic progressive tapestries but don’t have the same impactful heft that the band managed to pull together back on their debut album. It doesn’t mean the band doesn’t carry it well enough as they still create flickers of melodic charm. The lilting air of “Sikat ng Araw” is soothing as the vocal harmonies, blurry guitars, and winsome flute melodies are soaked with a warm aura around it, Adj’s vocals build the sense of assured realization as he picks up more bombast on Alegorya, the layered melodic progressions on “Paraiso” successfully leads up to the frenetic solo guitar melody careening off at the end, the overwhelming instrumental freakout on “Alpa” is a welcome surprise as it slowly composes itself before it soars up to the skies with an ecstatic blaze, and the spare acoustics and flutes gliding around Adj Jiao and Barbie Almalbis’ gorgeous vocal harmonies on “Tupa” are terrific even if it could’ve been extended so the string section can have more presence to add more emotional swell to their harmonies instead of being used to accent the atmosphere at the very end of the song. The emotions that were written in the poetry also took a flip as well. Unlike the comforting tones that were embedded all across their debut, this album generally delves into musings of frustration and melancholy. Emotions that put the band in a state of creative burnout on “Respeto’, which eventually leads to the subsequent pieces of writing to feel like an exploration within that gloomy space, providing an introspection towards understanding the range of emotional raft in addition to the existential reflection towards love, life, and identity. All of these are tied together through the imagery of a cave that may serve as the metaphorical personal journey of the band’s introspective process, one that allows the insight and realization to parse through their mind but can also become a limit when it becomes a hideaway that never allows them to move past that melancholy. Yet, amidst all of that sorrow, there is still a consistent cling on yearning to the aspect of love, a presence that despite all odds, gives them hope to move on forward to that dark abyss and come out feeling much better at the end. Creating an emotional throughline that does have its resonance, yet the use of details and imagery could’ve been pushed forward, allowing the moving quality to be intensified as there are spots in the lyricism where the simplistic phrasings don’t exactly support the internal emotional insight that the performances and compositions try to sell. Moving into and out of the darkness, Alegorya pivots around with its sound, performances, and writing to create reflective pieces of the personal struggle that the band works through, pieces that eventually hold together when the specks of melodies and writing manage to stick the landing. As much as parts of the compositions open up the emotions to poignant places, the exploration of this pathos is less stellar, where the production, poetry, and progressions have a semblance of restraint that hides that poignancy rather than open it up much more. The allegory of this journey may be well-defined, but there is a hushness that keeps the feelings from echoing astoundingly. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: UDD – Run Deep
Written by Louis Pelingen After Armi Millare left UDD when that was announced back in 2021, the question now hangs in the air: what happens next for UDD? After 20 years as a band that mainly flocks in alternative rock with dabbles of electronica alongside Armi’s evocative vocals, this leaves the curious thought of where the band will go next. Will they keep moving forward with the usual formula intact? Or is there going to be a shift in their overall sound palette, shedding their past and evolving with a refreshing lens? The answer to that very question lies with “Run Deep,” the comeback single that’s now honing deeper into pure synth-pop majesty, firmly brushing past the alternative rock sound that used to be UDD’s sonic territory, and diving deeper into the newer direction of blistering electronics that replaces the heavy use of glossy synth patches on their previous material with a different kind of coat. Creating a chilling, smoky atmospheric touch on the whirring house beat, smearing over Paul Yap’s dazed vocals as he glacially muses through love that never seems to transpire. The set of elements placed within this song creates an effective tune and tone, courtesy of the production that lets these synthetic textures carry a lot of weight as well as the melodic construction that builds up these mulling melodies into satisfying peaks. Overall, “Run Deep” is a chilling switch up to UDD’s formula that manages to stick the landing on the band’s next phase of operations. An exciting new chapter to where they will go over, running deeper into this electronic-tinged wonder that creates even more excitement than hesitation. Support the art & the artist: