Written by Janlor Encarnacion As we enter into the third year of this never-ending pandemic, bands have kept their hands busy. Enter two up-and-coming local shoegaze bands with their own version of relentless noise: Ozzga and Polar Lows have broken the deafening silence and released a surprise split EP. Spanning only four songs, it whets the listeners appetite for the potential of what the bands can unleash. The EP starts out with the banger track “Feel You” by Ozzga. Upbeat and hard-hitting, Ozzga dictate the pace with a high tempo track that is not usually heard of in the genre. It also debuts their newest member – Poti – on vocals. Her sweet melodies add a delicate contrast to the distortion of the band. ”Should” is next and is a personal favorite of mine ever since they played it at an Alternatrip show and it finally has a proper recording to do it justice. The back end of the track also features a droning transition – as the band mentioned – to introduce their co-stars in the EP. Polar Lows’ “Paper Street” is a surprise, mainly because of the male vocals and song structure but also shows the versatility of the band members. According to Pablo, the song is his take on a dissociative experience similar to the narrator’s experience in the movie Fight Club. The EP ends with “Ellipsis”, another stellar track from the band. It features the signature vocals of Megumie and the bombastic percussion of Josh, coupled with Pablo’s expertise with fuzz and reverb. Though really short in scale, the EP shows potential from the scarce tracks – leaving fans excited or more robust releases from both bands in the future. This EP is a definite must-listen from two bands that pave the way for shoegaze in the modern era. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST: https://ozzgaph.bandcamp.com/album/ozzga-polar-lows-split
REVIEWS
EP REVIEW: reon – Sentiments
Written by Elijah P. reon is a duo consisting of songwriters Reanne and Noah hailing from Leyte, Eastern Visayas. They are the type of duo who are waiting to shine out from the dark. Though they’re not there yet, at least for now. But they’ve at least shown materially that they’re ready to slide out of that darkness, shimmering across the chamber folk spectrum at lightspeed. In “Sentiments”, their 6-track EP, peaks variously in emotional levels of relief, catharsis, and infatuation. The tracks speak softly, in volumes so tender that it speaks more character than other har-har acts that are coming out today. Their choices for production are muted and intimate, mostly a balance of both: pianos streaming across the male and female harmonies, drum machines lingering as a unique backbone to their palette. There’s a showcase of experimentalism and polarity between the tracks, presenting a Side A and Side B of their skills as songwriters and producers. In “Is It Too Much Ask”, reon challenge themselves in narrative-writing via a lengthy 5-minute-and-a-half length. As it sways in midtempo, the duo slowly but surely enlivens the atmosphere adjacent to their singing. Shortly after the track, they never compromised their delightful sound. “Back To The Times” – arguably the best track in the entire project – aspires to become a tranquil version of the templated semi-abrasive contemporary dream pop sound. The beat compliments the hidden synths while the reverb acts as a blanket for the entirety of the track. Other than that, the string section in “Sentiments” and the acoustic guitar in “A Place I Could Call Home” are examples of avoiding a sterile sound. It feels and looks cinematic; better than watching mural-sized paint dry. Although, the project could’ve been more dynamic: instrumentations that evoke a certain feeling or conflict feels missing or better yet underdeveloped. Both reon have large amounts of potential to be thrown on the wall, they haven’t checked to see what sticks because of the concealed production style that easily hides their weaknesses as a duo. Their imagination for longing is restrained through the lyric-writing, which is underwhelming in some parts, or rather second-rate in repeated listens. Its warm sonics at some point could feel one-note throughout “Sentiments”, but at the very least both Noah and Reanne’s performances glisten in the vocal booth. Overall, reon is a duo that’s packed with potential. They got their cards right and as long as they play it right in the long run, they’ll yield great results. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Al James – PSG
Written by Elijah P. The mythology of Al James as an annual hitmaker begins to loom over many hiphop heads ever since the start of the pandemic. Memes, jpegs, and fan comments explain the deprivation of new releases from one of their favorite rappers. As the Baryo Berde mainstay’s absence began to stretch for the entire duration of lockdown, the demand for something new, or even some presence to an extent, began to swarm all over social media. Like most artists of his size, Al James went to take a step back, rerouting back to family priorities. It was, no pun intended, a time for him to rest. That’s until he went on social media to move the symbolic ‘glass’, posting studio time with Nexxfriday for his long-awaited debut album and a rumored collaboration with arguably the biggest r&b artist of the moment, Arthur Nery. And then shortly after the tease, the six-foot tall, snapback-wearing figure unveiled a new glass he raised. This emblematic glass for him to raise was for his comeback single aptly titled “PSG” — a single where he’s got a stockfull of those ‘goods’ in the Delorean trunk as he runs 88 miles per hour in the freeway. It’s a celebration deemed as a ‘comeback of the century’ from hip-hop social media as a whole, media partners continuously rejoicing as Al James plans to roll out for more singles in the coming months or maybe in the coming years. But what else does he have besides the goodies? Well, nothing new really — and it comes off as no surprise if we’re expecting any detour after an almost 2-year absence. “PSG”, like many of his singles throughout his 5-year career as an entertainer, follows-up to none of his past potential. From “Pahinga” to “Ngayong Gabi”, Al James barely left 2016 in his latest offering. Trap may have evolved for the better, but to Al James’ detriment, barely anything came out as something career-defining or let alone a paradigm shift in 2022. It’s only appropriate that he was packaged as a time-traveling party goer from the past only to change the present, but this present of his barely has any progress musically for the future; The signature yet unvaried vocal register submerged in the shiny synths, the deep sub-bass rattling off the mild wag-’kang-nega verses, and the unimpressive progression from the verses to even the hooks, are all middle-of-the-road. “PSG” narrowly carves Al James for better and for worse. It’s a single that’s reserved as a time-capsule, a disappointing half-hearted effort that doesn’t exceed time nor his Delorean’s flux. Support the art & the artist:
ALBUM REVIEW: Nonentities – Autonimbus
Written by Nikolai Dineros Man’s desire for emancipation entangles him in a constant battle with that which oppresses him – a battle that was never lost but has withered him to the point of numbness. Autonimbus zooms down on the other struggle that ensues, one that exists from within the mind of our already embattled hero to keep his humanity in check. Local punk outfit NONENTITIES’ sophomore album Autonimbus’ is an amazing, straightforward punk record with occasional blends of power pop that has in each song all the blazingly infectious riffs, melodies, and lyrics we’ve all come to love about the genre. More than that, it perfectly encapsulates the pathos of the working class forced to endure capitalism’s destructive consequences as they continue to mobilize and seek respite wherever they can. NONENTITIES’ relationship with hope in Autonimbus ebbs and flows at every turn, but the passion brought into the nine hard-hitting songs never wanes. In the first two tracks – ‘Witnessing the Shedding’ and ‘Joy Unknowable’, respectively – the narrator is seen in a state of distress as they witness the different faces of injustice chipping away their hope for humanity and for themselves. But as the album progresses, the more he discovers about himself in others in the spirit of resistance. As he continues to resist and find his own solace, no longer has he placed his hopes on greater gods other than himself and his neighbors, as highlighted in the eighth track ‘Subservience’. Autonimbus is a battle cry, and it continues to echo despite the seemingly unwinnable odds. It accepts one’s mortality and the feebleness of the human spirit when trapped in a system that takes away all that which makes life fruitful. But this sentiment is not driven by the dread of reality, but of love. Support the art & the artist: https://nonentities.bandcamp.com/album/autonimbus
ALBUM REVIEW: Travelator – THE SINS OF YOUR CHILDREN
Written by Louis Pelingen In terms of creating an instrumental album centered towards a mood or a concept, the artist has to start thinking outside the box when creating tunes and textures especially if the said concept is a complex one, or at the very least, requires more thought into making it translate to the music effectively. Introducing: Travelator. Travelator is a solo project by Conrad Javier that essentially creates a musical backdrop to the chaotic swirls that have been a push-pull situation in the cities in the Philippines. His previous releases such as ‘Reset’ and ‘Travelator 2’ showcased Conrad’s skillset as a bassist, guitarist, and beatmaker with loopy grooves and cool textures making for a relaxed, but oddly tense listen. This was also the year where he released his debut album, ‘The Sins Of Your Children’. At first, given the album art, the album’s title, and the names in the tracklist, it may seem that Travelator is going somewhere with his concept. Possibly adding more interesting samples and textures to the mix to make the hypnotic, scorching mood of his past EPs feel more intensified and allow the melodies to slip into your mind with a bit of variety and clarity. After a dozen listens on this album, I was in an odd state with this project. I was a bit disappointed with the lack of samples that would really help emphasize the socio-political concept of this album even clearer, but on the other hand, I get why Travelator didn’t include more of them as the downtempo leaning tracks create more of a sifting, meditative backdrop against situations and figures that are creating much of the chaos in the Philippines. This record also reminds me slightly of Boards of Canada, and especially a vaporwave-tinged downtempo album from last year, NYSE’s Millennialism. On the surface, this album plays in a cohesive structure as the prominent presence of pulsating percussion, squelching and simmering synthesizers, somber and distorted guitars, and quaking bass all throughout the album, playing in tempos and textures that gallop on one side and submerge on the other. When the tracks hit hard, they really do stand out. I love the stomping and whirling atmosphere that comes on ‘Loveable Lies’, same goes for tracks like ‘A Bit of Flavor’ with the chiming synths and airy synth bass that is accompanied with distorted guitar at the end, and ‘The Sins of Your Children’ brings a steady beat and multiple synthesizers that provides layered melodies on top of that steady drum beat. I did like some of the meditative tracks on the record, like ‘Warlords’ that starts the record off with a calming charm coming off from the looping drums, guitar, and even trumpets, and the closer ‘The Gods That Hate You’ which brings in soothing guitar and varied synth textures on top of the steady percussion. However, when you take a closer look, the album starts to show its flaws as the inconsistent mixing, odd synth tones, and lack of rhythmic and melodic variance pokes through. I wasn’t crazy about the mixing on ‘Wasabi’ which kills off those punchy drum loops, kills an otherwise wonderful trudging atmosphere on ‘Walking on Mud’, and kills off what should be an explosive breakdown on ‘Victorious’. Some of the synth tones used on some of these songs like ‘State Beyond Sleep’, ‘Grace, Kindness, and Death’, and ‘An Abundance of Caution’ could’ve been modified at spots as they don’t exactly blend well and they do stick out like a sore thumb. And most importantly, while I do appreciate the consistent mid to low tempos peppered on this record to ensure the meditative feel of these songs, there could’ve been instances where the tempos ramp up for a few seconds to provide these songs some urgency, provide more melodic presence from the guitar when it was used not as frequent and sometimes mixed too low, and slip in more sampling cuts that would allow for variance from song to song. At the end of the day, I do understand and respect what Travelator is approaching in this record. It’s a contemplative respite from the whirling and somber aspects of the city life in the Philippines, especially when the album cover and track titles lean towards the socio-political aspects this time around. The vibe coming from these songs may be there, but it’s held back by mixing, synth tones, and lack of rhythmic variance that don’t make the tracks standout even more. It may hit the concept and feel that Travelator aims for, but it doesn’t snap consistently. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Woochito – Validation
Written by Elijah P. Batangas-based solo artist Woochito’s vision in ‘Validation’ is nothing short of cliche. A beaten-up individual walks across several blocks way past midnight; bathroom breakdowns; and a couple shots that evoke a feeling of a daydream – it ticks all the boxes of an action-movie built for a bedroom pop audience. But there’s an underlying merit that needs to be acknowledged to Woochito – formerly known as ‘manila boy’ – and his knack for hypnotizing his audience in his bootleg internet Wonderland of sorts. There are examples of how his influence pierced the consciousness of his small internet following; his contemporaries Paul Parce and unikko ijo aren’t strangers from this trance-like, VHS-filtered state existing in their music. But as far as sonic-attraction is concerned, he is by far one of the most hypnotically captivating artists in his circle. The vocal mixing in “Validation” is unflattering, coming out as a sloppy performance, but it invites you into his world somehow. It’s a nervous, messy, and complicated situation to be in lyrically, as he describes his love as something to be ‘drooling’ for – a word that doesn’t need to be necessary as the music does most of its job in luring you into its beauty. The less attractive aspects of the song however doesn’t overshadow the overwhelming qualities of the track onwards. The instrumental flirtations of layered synth pads and chorus-pedal-guitar that happen between the verses and outro are love letters to one of his influences, but he isn’t far off as he wears these influences under his bruised-up blazer. However, Woochito packs a lot of uncontained infatuation in “Validation”, and as much as the amateurish may put off the listener at first, an earworm will be reserved in the following consecutive listens. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Arthur Nery – Isa Lang
Written by Elijah P. As music listenership and awareness continues to grow, a ‘trifecta’ or ‘holy trinity’ arises from the ashes of ‘OPM’ past. Rock music with feelings are the new ‘nostalgia’ acts, while industry torchbearer soloists Zack Tabudlo and Adie claim to become the flavors for a new generation of local music listeners. The third man in the three flavors is none other than Cagayan De Oro’s very own Arthur Nery. Although his style differs from the aforementioned figures, each and one of them have their own characteristics of being substanceless ‘Pick Me Guys’ and seeking-for-validation-in-the-end-of-the-world types, Arthur Nery — now currently a top-drawer for Viva Records — churns out plain vanilla neo-R&B tracks shortly after the late celebration of his first album ‘Letters Never Sent’. He revels in being the loyal one, the only one in the partnership, as he prances outside of your subdivision home. “Isa Lang” — his latest single closing out the new year, opening 2022 with a new era of contemporaries — feels hollow, conserving vocal variety rather than exceeding one’s potential. And while the prince of Neo-R&B pleads you a wilted rose, he only offers less with the style he’s honing today. Not even the intimate bass kicks, organ synths, string section, and skeletal, groove-less backing-band sound can back up his one-noted commercial friendly vocal stylings. If anything that makes his music impactful, it’s the monotonous delivery that bores every section of the song with forced usages of ‘deep’ phrases and hushed, boy-bestfriend sentiments, barely tugging the heartstrings of his listeners. As Arthur continues to solidify himself as the biggest mainstream act of the moment, both his newer singles, “Isa Lang” and “Pagsamo” respectively, released in the past few months are no more than mere background music. Arthur is headed towards more fruitful straits, albeit while playing it safe: a move that would set the precedent for his younger contemporaries witnessing his rise. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: VXON – The Beast
Written by Elijah P. Cornerstone Entertainment Inc. – a talent agency that’s known to house all upcoming ‘artistas’ and established personalities such as Catriona Grey, Empoy Marquez, and just to name a few – has gambled on producing an all-male idol group called VXON (pronounced as ‘vi-sion’) and their latest debut that launched not too long ago titled “The Beast”. The up-and-coming five-member group aim to become showstoppers in the industry, putting a more rap-oriented track in the forefront of their debut. But in spite of the ambitious direction, VXON doesn’t live up to the hype of their promotion weeks prior to the release of “The Beast”; It takes a lot of courage to title your debut as ferocious as ever, let alone debut under the wing of a talent company that has produced a lot of known names along the way. However, “The Beast” doesn’t seem to live up to its title. In fact, it seems to cater more to ‘dude bros’ who hang out at bars in the middle of a Happy Thursday and book a cross-country trip to the nearest shoreline EDM festival. VXON can carry themselves choreo-wise, but lyrically, it seems like the laughable edits in the lyrics are crossing between delusional and outright ridiculous: “You can watch me, as I walk/ You can say my name” and “Gotta read back pages those changes/ We oversee in faces, realest faces/ Get you places, let erases beat disgraces”. There are sections here in “The Beast” where it feels out of place and oddly outdated by today’s production standards: brostep wobbles that channel 2014 Project-X parties, and growling vocal stylings similar to SB19’s Mapa. To think that this is a debut is a sign of a much needed training and development for the idol group. There is little to no hints of being a ‘beast’, especially if the presentation shown isn’t up to par in the idol group competition. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
TRACK REVIEW: HEY JUNE! – Panahon
Written by Elijah P. Hey June!’s sophomore single “Panahon” has a pretty straightforward premise: a protagonist yearning to repeat a certain moment only to be taken away from the claws of time. The four-piece didn’t want to mince any words — the song only contains two short verses, quick hooks, and a dramatic instrumental outro to spice things up. With the structure having the potential to be replicated to death, the band was able to become careful from the pre-pandemic trap, achieving the most sentimental and striking piece of teenage ennui. The band then eventually makes themselves as icons for the future. School culture is a keepsake worth noting in the psyche of Generation Z, especially where students take most of their time, energy, and memory throughout the cityscape than they could spend time in online class. Vocalist Earl Paglinawan hearty verses hit close to home while the grainy, bright synths in the intro draw out the soundscape for a more misty-eyed outlook onwards. “Panahon” is a richly textured synth-pop and alternative-rock fusion done right; It doesn’t overstay its welcome but it sure does make a powerful statement: Everything surrounding your institution, is your second home. Hey June! exudes this certain charisma: one that would only be executed in one-of-a-lifetime, and “Panahon” is proof that this youthful spirit is important to sing about. Youth culture has never sounded this promising and Hey June! are here to take it to the top of the line. Support the art & the artist:
ALBUM REVIEW: Himig Borhuh – Candle in the Dark
Hello there! My name is KyleMapagmahal420 and i’m from the Taft Commonwealth. I used to hang by the bar and wipe the vomit off of my vertical striped polos. I’m the great grandson of a politician-who-can’t-be-named-because-i-was-twice-removed-for-mentioning-their-name, and I’ve been meaning to make a hedonistic online tutorial in picking up your date on the murky corners of the internet. NOW DON’T SCROLL AND LEAVE YET! HEAR ME OUT! I have an official Pick Up™ license! Believe me yet? No… well…yeah since now i have proven my legitimacy in this profession, here are the steps on How To Win Over The Girl You Just Met on Bumble and Your Blockmates in The University You’re Studying In: ● Send your date lots of flower emojis — wilted flower emojis to be exact. Like lots of it. Don’t overdo it, but for emphasis, make it like an even number of flowers. Remember when you had a finger sprain from tapping the flower emoji so hard? There’s a shortcut on for that on your keyboard dummy. ● Try to tag your current fling in Damn Shawty Ok memes and dedicate a song for her in the LOCAL YouTube channel and see if she isn’t creeped out by it. ● Convince your bandmates that you can’t fail another relationship. Intentionally fail your own band. Pinky swear that you’ll use the “it’s not you, it’s me” card in one of your songs ● The environment I grew up in consists of impulsive IG stories (that arent set as “Close Friends” by the way) and my projected passive-aggression in my private Twitter. So you better make sure that there’s a banal narrative backing up your nth heartbreak. ● 𝖂𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖊 𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖆 𝖉𝖎𝖆𝖗𝖞 𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖗𝖞 𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖘𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖓 𝖎𝖙 𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖔 𝖆𝖓 𝖆𝖑𝖇𝖚𝖒 𝖙𝖎𝖙𝖑𝖊. 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖙𝖎𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖘𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖉𝖘 𝖘𝖊𝖓𝖘𝖚𝖆𝖑 𝖇𝖚𝖙 𝖎𝖙 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖕𝖑𝖎𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖘 𝖒𝖞 𝖎𝖓𝖘𝖊𝖈𝖚𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖞.✞ ● Start a record label with friends. The start up money should be coming from your MLM earnings. Do the unfollow-no follow back method on Facebook and Instgram. Bonus points for not complaining when your labelmates don’t want to follow the label back. ● Don’t allow yourself to get proper voice lessons even if your chosen genre is Because-esque r&b. It’s the unwritten rule for a lot of Manila-based singer-songwriters dabbling in a bit of soft-rock adjacent soul and trap music. The date does love a lot of needless, if not meaningless, 𝑜𝒷𝓈𝒸𝓊𝓇𝑒 tagalog words (eg. nararahuyo, irog or something Matthaois would appropriate probably) ● Title a song that sketches the hell out of your date (eg. E.U.T). ● Title a song that sketches the hell out of your date (eg. E.U.T) (2) Follow all the steps to create a half-baked album about a girl you just met online and the friends you’re going to make in a bar I frequent in the commonwealth. Always take note though: there’s a place for you to become macho and fragile in the scene today but don’t expect people to like you back right after releasing your long tedious full length debut. Once you’re all done, boom, congratulations you’ve just made a Himig Borhuh album. Support the art & the artist: N/A