Written by Louis Pelingen MISTER MEYERS makes sure to put something out when the opportunity still strikes hot – that is to say, the wave of releases on January 1st that you can see piled on obscure Bandcamp features or the early RYM year charts. While he has been putting out music for the past few years – leaning a lot more on his bedroom pop niche – his last released single back in December 2023, ‘GOOD GOD PENELOPE’, shifts his style in a 180-degree direction where he doused his melodic vocals with effects amidst groove-centric indie rock. Now entering 2024, ‘We Are Stardust’ boils itself to deep-fried textures that go on a consistent hot streak, tossed and turned over with MISTER MEYERS’ tripped-out snarkiness as the beat twinkles and buzzes on the hazy atmosphere before it suddenly suffocates itself with a heavier glitchy backdrop that eventually ends the song. ‘We Are Stardusts’ with all of its soaked-up dense production and warbled melodies completes MISTER MEYERS’ 360-degree transition into his eclectic hip-hop dabbled hyperpop flair that overall sticks the landing where his creative firepower and experimentation just charges throughout this song. His attempt to create stardust has been wrapped in pretty flowers before, but right now, he makes them combust with flammable chemicals. Support the art & the artist:
Category: TRACKS
TRACK REVIEW: Arkyalina – readmymind
Written by Louis Pelingen The first couple of notes that start ‘readmymind’ will immediately sink you deep into arkyalina’s striking soundscape. A producer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer in his own right, there is already so much going on with Tavin Villanueva’s composition work, bringing in so many ideas to bear. arkyalina’s tight and impressive pop punk-esque vocal runs quickly snap within the chalky breakbeat grooves, the sweeping guitar solo, and the feverish reverb-smeared piano and strings backdrop, a combination of tonal flairs resonating even further through arkyalina’s production and Calix’s mixing and mastering assistance providing potent clarity and color to the punchy melodies. This track is a case of a captivating song that once you’ve heard it, you cannot help but give it more listens a dozen times later. An on-the-spot stand out where arkyalina’s broad display of musical flair manifests within ‘readmymind’, colliding so many ideas that cohesively work together into this alternative pop wonder. Branching out many roads ahead, only arkyalina himself knows where he wants to go next, keeping us on our toes about whatever admirable aplomb he might release in the future. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Oz Kabuhat – I Would
Written by Elijah P. Local artists need to straddle between genres more often. It opens a door for many to experiment, find their voice in the noise and maybe even conjure up a new sound that nobody has ever heard before. But there’s a risk in being too odd. It may also lose your sense of identity, playing with more inconsistencies than sticking to a uniform, realized sonic palette. However, singer-songwriter Oz Kabuhat defies those odds in “I Would.” Starting out in the electronic/pop realm in their earlier releases, MINT’s own Kabuhat goes beyond the grain in making formulaic pop music. Instead, “I Would” grows apart from its humble beginnings. Synthesizing layers of electronica over crispy snare and kick drums and capitalizing on falsettos that could run for days. There’s gold hiding in the sparse, more subtle moments of the track, but Oz doesn’t settle for less. He settles in maximizing in writing the most bitter-sweet sounding melodies ever known. “I Would” is a track that no one should sleep on. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Ango – pull me up (break it off)
Written by Elijah P. Ango Paz’s own fusion of UK garage and Anti-pop is still making its way on the radar for many listeners all over. Heck, even Jung Kook’s hooky Seven or Pinkpantheress’ single worthy loosies or bootlegs prove to be more than just Tiktok worthy jams. Those tracks in particular are actual pop songs that’s built massive followings and influences for decades, regardless of formula changes and genre shifts. Pop music is a product of time and dopamine in the veins. Furthermore, Ango wants to slightly deviate in the formula by incorporating emotive vocals, explosive left turns in the production and another level of attitude in his latest single titled “pull me up (break it off)”. Fresh from the aunt robert collaboration, the latest single carries a similar weight in terms of clarity to Ango’s vision as a producer and songwriter. Surely you can tell from the influences from a mile away, but Ango wanted to let their listeners know that UK Garage can be a transmutative genre in pop music. It’s a sonic force that can pull you right in immediately for its mechanical form. From the 2-step rhythms to the melodic sensibilities, Ango smartly inserts structures and techniques that’s common yet effective today: the explosive outro by the second half, the acoustic guitars bouncing along to garage kick and snares etc. “pull me up (break it off)” is an example of an artist’s work showing great potential. It’s an advancement to both genres holistically. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: FEIFEI – MINATO
Written by Louis Pelingen Back in June of this year, FEIFEI returned back in the scene with a three-track single called ‘YUM’ that included two pluggnb cuts and a Jersey Club remix of one of those songs courtesy of Showtime Official Club’s production. Those cuts, alongside the Jersey Club remix of ‘let her cook’ center a lot towards social media aesthetics on the romance and honing into the bubbling Jersey Club and UK Garage adjacent soundscape that has gotten really active this year, with ‘discord pag-ibig’ hones in on the discord slangs that are used for lovey-dovey interactions and the ‘let her cook’ jersey club remix from Showtime Official Club leaving a mark of interest for FEIFEI on her sound moving forward. Three months later, FEIFEI eventually embraced both the UK Garage dance-pop beat and the colorful internet-laden flirtations on ‘MINATO’, a combination of aesthetics that leads to a ridiculously sticky single put together really well due to the quicker percussions, buzzing and swirling cocoons of synths, and ridiculously catchy melodies from FEIFEI which wiggles around the beat yet still manages to be composed and tuneful all the same. All of those elements paired with the lovey-dovey romance that comes off as colorful and silly due to how it sprinkles a dash of delusion as well as the internet-driven flair on the writing end up overall endearing. Endearing in a way that’s gonna make you cheer for someone to get with their crush while also gently making fun of that person for the harmless delusion they’ve put upon themselves. Not that it is bad to be in those situations, of course, but FEIFEI sure knows how to make it look fun and honest all throughout. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Crimason – Enough
The online personality of Miya Villeno – or also known by their username and moniker Crimason – is far from their usual high speed slapstick content and Stan Tiktok phase. It’s so far to the point that the music they shill online inspired them to venture on a music career of their own. Their latest single “Enough” has been building self-hype as a pop ballad for the kids wanting to be – well, you guessed it – enough for each other. Moreover, the debut single of the 16-year old singer-songwriter has averted any risk or failed to stick out in their first attempt at songwriting. In “Enough”, it’s 4-minutes and a half of nothing but a sore thumb. Albeit a lazy hook and standard verse-chorus, Villeno doesn’t shy away from exhibiting their chops vocally; a noticeable tenor voice that’s suitable for their voice on rougher-sounding tracks. Whereas her presence is more akin to the Born Again Christian singing seminar if you’re thinking of a song that’s as uplifting as a Retreat camp cry session. “Enough” becomes more antiseptic as time passes, the sheer velocity makes the entire track unlistenable as a whole. The entirety of it is uninspiring, wealthy in clichés and one dimensionality. The emotional anchor that this track weighs is light and hollow. If you want to chase the algorithm in Tiktok, Instagram and Spotify, this track isn’t it. Support the art & the artist:
TRCK REVIEW: SHNTI – Tabi Ka Sakin
Written by Louis Pelingen SHNTI’s growth as an artist is one that felt nice to see. With her debut EP last year, she showcases an unsurmountable amount of potential realized as her skillset and charisma as a lyricist and a femcee shine through. 11 months later, Tabi Ka Sakin continues her glow. Her first track written in Tagalog continues to embody her strengths as she effortlessly goes through Tatz Maven’s gloriously produced beat that’s full of crisp textures and meditative chimes. There’s so much about SHNTI’s delivery and vocal chops that make the song about the reflection of the challenges of life that are ahead of us and the message to be with friends that will comfort us along the way to resonate in a surprisingly warm way, whether that be the playful intonation that she implements in the first few couple of bars, the calming ease that she gradually keeps up throughout the entire song, and her melodic singing that has improved in spades and helped out by how it’s multitracked and how she leans into it with grace. It is a song that might be simple to grasp, but it’s one that never fails to make me smile with each listen. It succeeds in what it’s trying to go for and more, where SHNTI’s lilting presence in her inviting writing and potent melodic structure alongside Tatz Maven’s soothing beat allows the entire package to not only be easy to get back into but also create the kind of balm that we all need in 2023. Life doesn’t have to be lived with just ourselves, because in truth, we need the bonds and connections to make it everlasting. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: rhodessa – Kisame
Written by Elijah P. There’s no other label that has a strong personality and notoriety the same way Viva Records has today. They are at the top of their game in the music industry, almost like a giant standing among mortal artists climbing their way to the summit. But in their vast catalog of entertainment and music, there are valuable singer-songwriters or artists hiding – a “diamond in the rough” as they call it. Rhodessa, their newest solo artist in the roster, has hit it big with “Kisame” – an ambient folk-pop track that balances K-pop shipper aesthetics and confessional love letters for the ideal ‘someone’. As much as the landscapes seethe ‘har-har’ vocals at all fronts, this track surprisingly has so much charm and personality amidst the quieter production and intimate setting. Rhodessa’s “Kisame” may be another acoustic pop track in this large market for similar tracks, but what makes this a cut above the rest is the sheer catchiness you hear in the hooks, the not-so-high vocal register complimenting the rhythm sections, and as well as the very subtle doubletime as the drum rolls faster, the vocals sung lighter and the mood changes. At the cost of sounding so much like your contemporaries, Rhodessa makes two steps forward for herself and sometimes it’s okay to stare at the ceiling, yearning at the endless plain space against comfort and deafening silence. Support the art & the artist:
TRCK REVIEW: girlcharmm – infatuation
Written by Louis Pelingen The ongoing output of this dream pop sapphic band girlcharmm aims to deliver letters for the heartbroken group of sapphic lovers in the Philippines. Their second single, ‘infatuation’, is a letter for those who yearn for that desired love, only to unveil the heartbreak within as the process of recovering soon comes after. It’s a message that’s delivered with a direct and conflicting scope, where Darl Alba’s sweet vocals are surrounded by Anna Gella’s layers of fuzzy drum machines and layers of synths both blaring and floating as well as Kaya Katigbak’s chunky guitar riffs flooding in. There is intent in that hemmed-in production as the melodies keep rambling around the instrumentation in a free-flowing way – clearly purposeful in order to encapsulate that exhausting thought process of that sad realization that is way too sudden for a lot of sapphic individuals to eventually figure out on their own. As much as a lot of the elements from the melodies and the production clearly hit home what the track is going for, it also makes it tough to get back into due to the rambling motion of the melodies and the feverish fog of the production. It doesn’t take away from the track’s quality, however, as it never shies away from revealing how tiring the process of going through that bitter phase of infatuation is. Clearly, what’s important to take note of here is that girlcharmm delivers what needs to be delivered, embracing sapphic relationships in the local music scene that will resonate a lot with a sapphic audience that has their broken hearts still in healing. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Chelly Lim – Paulit-Ulit (Sorry Na)
Written by Elijah P. The realm of anti-pop is starting to show its influence among many young up-and-coming artists locally, and Chelly Lim is one of the many artists evident of such style. Representing 314 Studios, he’s one of the pandemic artists that have released hip-hop back in the lockdown, releasing his debut EP in the past, now a brand new version of himself that has come back, and ‘growth’ has become evident in the artist’s music. Featuring a strumming distorted guitar leaning over the overblown, crunchy percussion, Chelly Lim bounces over melancholic lyricism aside from the whiny vocal melodicism. It’s as deadpan as you can get while the anti-pop elements subside halfway through the track. There’s a valiant effort put in “Paulit-Ulit (Sorry Na)” – you get the guitars wailing along to the choruses and Chelly’s ability to keep the track cold and buoyant. Yet the tracks hardly stick amidst the gritty dynamics. The producer-rapper might have renovated themselves in a brand new image but there are some tweaks needing songwriting-wise. Support the art & the artist: