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:
REVIEWS
EP REVIEW: MAKI – TANONG
Written by Elijah P. Tarsier Records’ Maki ticks a lot of boxes for the casual pop r&b stan. Think of Jonas Brothers adopting Zack Tabudlo’s falsettos and the result of that amalgamation is the young singer-songwriter himself. After earning a fair amount of virality throughout Spotify playlists and movie soundtracks earlier in the year, the young up-and-comer has a lot of things to unpack and undoing in his debut EP titled “Tanong” – a 5-track exercise of questions that’s hellbent on asking the true meaning of love. Quite cheesy and cliche on paper. However, from the actual listening perspective of it, the EP is actually cut from the same cloth as his contemporaries – painfully similar yet eerily mimicking those who came before him. The EP opens with an intro titled “Sigurado?” – welcoming the listeners with a question albeit a weird fade out that interrupts the immersive listening experience. One thing that listeners should absolutely question is the mere fact why the intro is even necessary to begin with. Moving along to the flow of the EP are one-dimensional tracks: the viral hit “Saan?”, “Bakit?” and “Kailan?”. If the listeners would tell from the bright production, “childlike” and playful songwriting and neverending falsettos, they wouldn’t tell the difference of how easily distinguishable this sound palette is in the year 2023. Even if you pale this to Zack Tabudlo in comparison, you would go as far as calling them blood brothers of genericness at this point. There’s not even a single lick of difference or variety listening to “TANONG” due to the fact that Maki does not even dare to go outside of the box in this release. Although, there are commendable production choices such as the punchy, upbeat “Saan?”, but that’s about it when it comes to highlights more than there are lowlights, some parts of the EP might as well be called “midlights” just because they are substandard, mediocre and borderline background music for a normal Baguio trip. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: RONAN – INSOMNIA ft. Shuichi
Written by Louis Pelingen For those who are not aware, before his Kailan cover was put out, Raccoon Eyed Ronan debuted on SoundCloud with ‘INSOMNIA’, a mostly decent R&B cut that was underpowered due to the rough production and mixing & mastering elements. However, after the Kailan cover did get a lot of buzz around the indie circles – which has led to Raccoon Eyed Ronan now working under Twin Plaza Recordings – he eventually touched up this song with Shuichi helping along. And surprise to nobody, it’s essentially an improved version thanks to the hypnotic production with all of its psychedelic atmosphere from the synths and horns paired with the impeccable mastering allowing the course grooves to swell and then explode wondrously at the end. And for a song that’s about holding on to a relationship and asking with genuine care if there is a possibility of fixing said relationship, both Raccoon Eyed Ronan and Shuichi delivered exponentially where Ronan’s somber yet heartfelt vocals contrast well with Shuichi’s desperate expressiveness that works with how the instrumentation spills forth after his verse. There are a lot of welcome additions to this new version of ‘INSOMNIA’ that puts Raccoon Eyed Ronan as an artist to look forward to. Since now that he is under Twin Plaza Recordings, there is so much potential waiting to be seen here that it’s exciting to guess wherever he will go from here, especially with his brand of R&B that he can present with potent sincerity and layered melodic and production taste. For the time being, this track and the Kailan cover stand strong for what spark he’s yet to unleash, a spark that will keep us wide awake in the near future. 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:
TRACK REVIEW: SUYEN – Sonic Tonic
Written by Elijah P. Suyen Pintor and the gang have performed unreleased tracks all around the Metro. After so long and so many online demos here and there, the time has come for her to release a recording of what has been the most lauded track in her arsenal. Being the most anticipated “it girl” in the underground, she means serious business. Mixed and mastered by ONE CLICK STRAIGHT’s Sam Marquez, the production quality is on an even playing field that compliments the right amount of angst Suyen wants to display in the track; From the chugging pre-chorus to the signature vocal delivery, you’d wonder how SUYEN perfectly represents absolute femme rage, all the while being the antithesis of pop rock locally. Her music is an undeniable imprint of grunge in the landscape of happy-kumbaya culture. Her debut single is long overdue, but not to the point that the track itself has overstayed its welcome. “Sonic Tonic” sounds just like the title: gratifying, ripping and full of adrenaline. While “Sonic Tonic” is a blistering heat wave of 90’s riotgrrl energy and grunge worship, everything in between just evens out. As the track pierces every single wall of noise and shatters all frequency, what you have left in the writing is humanity wanting to shout in angst. This is the rock music everyone wants to hear. Suyen has arrived. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
ALBUM REVIEW: bird. – oshin
Written by Elijah P. 11 years after the release of dream pop and post-punk band from Brooklyn, New York’s DIIV, another band from the other side of the planet decides to name their debut album after the onomatopoeia of “ocean”. Enter Locked Down Entertainment’s bird. from Metro Manila, a 5-piece established by members from Chicosci, Save Me Hollywood, Musical O and Lindenwood. They’ve got experience and veteran status on their sleeve but as bird., they got a clean slate in the 10-track album “oshin”. The album sounds equal parts aquatic and desert-like; the former equipping drowned-out guitars and the latter chest-bumping percussion that has a high potential in clipping through the speakers. You might think that it’s balanced with all elements of the earth, but in reality it’s just 5 members showing off their surf tricks at the coast. That, in particular, is what made this band essential: surf music. But there’s more to it than just riding the waves and sitting by the beach side. Ever since their inception around early 2019, they’ve had “#vibecore” written all over their bios, but the album neither justifies the tag. They’re a step above what their descriptors are. There’s something that sounds incredibly wider production-wise – a lot more robust than any other tender-sounding band that gives off the weekend at the beach during peak season with the family. bird. doesn’t hold back its punchy rhythm sections, drummer Hannah’s tight performance, and vocalist Eco Del Rio’s ghostly presence. It’s all 100 percent from here. Significant highlights like “maria”, “Weekend”, “hardwood jack” and “the stranger” possess this kind of spiritual alternative rock taking over the musician’s astral plane while “Ride”, “san juan” and “sl” share the commonalities of being in a vacation. As mentioned before, there’s a balance to the self-confessional side of Eco Del Rio and the side of the band’s frolicking nature all the while kitting out the heavier guns at the studio. bird. is a culmination of everything that alternative rock has the potential to be locally: atmospheric, unserious, rugged, honest, and raw. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST: