My friends and I made an interesting observation about relationships during this pandemic people in romantic relationships are either getting married or breaking up. Toots explores some of the reasons for break ups in his latest release. Toots Orosa of Kremesoda just released his 3rd single under his solo project – Toots. “Strangler” is a single that has a steady upbeat and hopeful pop rock rhythm to it but with a sinister backbone. It talks about a myriad of thoughts and feelings that a toxic relationship has: overthinking, gaslighting, fear, and a deep sense of just keeping your distance. The artist even talks about regressing into his shell as a way to keep safe. I love contrasts and this song scratches that itch, but the mostly monotonous song lulls the listener to a false sense of security, then blasts them with depression through toxic storytelling. The song peaks and dives by pulling back on the music and exposes more exposition – much like the character pulls back on his emotions in the section. “Strangler” proves that Toots has a knack for disguising unpleasant situations with pleasant sounds but maybe in the future he can show more excitement in terms of musicality especially when it accompanies more depressing lyrics. Support the art & the artist:
REVIEWS
TRACK REVIEW: Thursday Honey – All The Time
Written by Elijah P. Thursday Honey has bounced from promising big-band r&b-slash-alternative pop 7-piece to a toothless, tiresome brady bunch of slackers in their latest track “All The Time”. While they benefit from being a younger version of sophisti-pop’s past, reclaiming the white-tee-hanged-on-the-college-dorm-room music doesn’t seem to be tailor-fit for the neophytes. The 7-piece have combed their way in and out of the slick saxophone solos and comforting instrumentals backed by a singer whose voice cracks and slurs more often in the recording booth – a singing style that’s dryer than their entire discography. Their whole function as a band works like a “Prom Band 4 Hire” music project; It works, it’s fun, but only for special occasions. However, the band has shown what could be their fullest potential on the happy-go-lucky templated debut that is “hey, i’m greg” — their first release under the O/C Records imprint last October 2020. Before this, they’ve been wearing their influences in their striped-long sleeves. They decided to channel that again in “720p”, a laid-back, slider-assisted melody that’s dragged, initiated a yawning session, and thrown off by the united chamber-y r&b aesthetics. For “All The Time”, the template barely changes, but the snail-paced tempo made it even less tolerable compared to their previous singles. Despite the impactful, lush build up by its chord structures and vocal performance by the second half, the track barely makes it an inch step forward from their past works. Thursday Honey have not earned the stripes as a massive unit of a band that could’ve been maximized dynamically, and surpassing their potential doesn’t seem to be their goal at all in the meantime. Support art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Joy Fiction – Will I ever be myself again?
Written by Elijah P. The Soundcloud algorithm has yet to meet another goldmine and the golden shovel has picked up an anonymous artist that goes by the name Joy Fiction. Their hit-track “Will I ever be myself again?” sails the coast and rides the waves of the current bedroom post-punk revival. This is currently its 3rd or 4th wave at its point thanks to bands like Surf Curse, The Drums anniversary tour, and Tiktok guitar pedal vloggers. Those aforementioned symptoms are a part of something bigger, as post-punk’s current trajectory calls for another proliferation of DIY bands coming out of the fold, with similar material to spare and gear-fitted to wile out in your nearest local dive bar. “Will I ever be myself again” ticks all the boxes in being the bedroom post-punk that Beach Fossils fans are going gaga over: foundational drum machine, indistinguishable drawls, and an atmospheric guitar riff. Not much information about the artist is out there yet, however, his material stands out in the contemporary landscape of bedroom-made slowcore/post-punk; This track compared to a lot of post-punks bands today banks on empty, aimless percussion driven production that distracts the listener that there’s no catchy hook nor catchy lead guitars. The lead vocalist’s voice casts a gloomy shadow as chords begin to spring up along with the harmonies that continue to haunt the listeners to this day. Joy Fiction, please release more soon. Support the art & the artist:
ALBUM REVIEW: Nullification – Kingdoms to Hovel
Written by Nikolai Dineros There is something that is always so endearing about acts in the peripheries of the Filipino metal scene. For a genre so predicated on turbulence and density, bands like the Lagueno old school death metal group Nullification somehow know just when to fill those crevices with noise and violence. Enter ‘Kingdoms to Hovel’, Nullification’s nine-track project under Personal Records and Metal Choice Cut Records, produced around the third quarter of 2021 in Laguna, Philippines, before making its way to Walpole, Massachusetts, where it was set for physical release in January 2022. ‘Kingdoms to Hovel’ is all about fundamentals. Even the progression in its name, or the bareness of its medieval, almost Macbethian cover art, is suggestive of this idea. But for an OSDM album, one would think fundamentals seems like a redundant descriptor. As ironic as it sounds, this is the one glaring factor commonly overlooked by new DM bands in their tribute-to-the-past records (I’m looking at you, Gruesome). Nullification succeeds in elegantly incorporating the nostalgia factor without leaving it stale. Inspect the first track ‘Intro to ‘Annihilation’ on your first playthrough and you will most likely already know what to expect: a minute-long ambient tone-setter that slowly builds up power before cutting off at the last second, only to immediately throw you into the brutal pit that is the second track ‘Sledgehammer’ – the ‘actual’ first song, if we’re to be technical about it. Nothing new, but it’s so rich and well-executed that can never get enough of it. On that note, ‘Sledgehammer’ is like a proper poster child of Obituary and Morbid Angel, touched up enough to sound like a tribute to the genre’s formative years whilst sounding fresh in 2022. The drum work is crisp, the vocals are bloodcurdling, and the guitars are fast and unforgiving, as can be said about the other tracks. ‘Calamity from the Skies’, with its dissonant drum beats complementing the ebbs and flows of the guitars and lyrics, portrays destruction raining down from the skies, headed towards you. ‘Negated Fields’ has to be one of the biggest highlights in ‘Kingdoms to Hovel’ for how well it represents the band working seamlessly as a unit. Everything about this song gels perfectly with one another. Vocalist and bassist Rozel Leaño is at the top of his singing game. His growls are as graceful and as ‘death metal’ as they can possibly be. The solo near the end is blazingly fast and melodic, and reminded me a lot of the same section of ‘In Death’s Sleep’ by Dismember from their 1991 album ‘Like an Ever Flowing Stream’. Nullification proves that Filipino old school death metal can still break out of the mold while staying fundamentally rooted – a medieval fantasy opus that you know all too well but somehow manages to always keep you at the edge of your seat. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Nateman, Realest Cram, CK YG – Akala Mo Ata
Written by Elijah P. Following the loss of Pop Smoke in the global music scene, Drill in The Philippines seeked to follow Pop’s footsteps regionally. So far as the current explosion shaking the local scene is concerned, Tagalog-written rap rendered a new type of aggression ever since its arrival. The hashtag #PHDrill took over social media for visibility and was utilized from names like Soulja444, Warhogs, Gabanna, and many more. The list grows from there, but there’s a new prospect in town who is reclaiming the sound, and eventually, picture their realistic depiction of gang life. Enter Pasayeño’s Nateman, Realest Cram, and CK YG tagging along; all three members leading the charge in today’s drill craze. With these elements all placed on the table, the group is surely picking up steam with a steady stream of heavy machine-gun clocking drill-induced mania in their single “Akala Mo Ata”. The overall bluntness, bass-shots-in-blank-range style of the genre ignited OLGANG to pick up the mic, show-off some footwork, and release one of the hardest tracks in history; CK YG rattling off from the dome, Realest Cram emulating East Coast’s most notorious voices to the hood, and Nateman raising the stakes, all the while hopping on a “California Dreamin’” sample. Chucking out gang signs unashamedly, threatening the oldheads, and warning the established names in the industry – these are reasons why names in the scene are etched in this long list of fearless rappers making their mark – and Nateman, Realest Cram, and CK YG are already making it in the big leagues. “Akala Mo Ata” isn’t just a group effort, it’s an entire movement leveling with the entire world scene of drill at large. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
EP REVIEW: Chall – Quezon Citypop
Written by Elijah P. Looking for an alternative sound is like choosing a specific category at a bookstore; the possibilities are endless. For solo artist Cloud aka Chall, he has familiarized himself with several sounds and chose to give it a spin in his YouTube channel; From the noisy walls of sound of My Bloody Valentine to the drunkard hypnagogic musings of Mac DeMarco — both artists nowadays are a dime a dozen due to their unashamed imitators regurgitating their ideas. And it is safe to say that Chall tries his hardest not to end up like one of his idols in his latest EP. Chall waltzes in the streets of Quezon City at the break of dawn. With a cigarette in hand, he treats himself to a dinner-for-one blowout in lieu of the release of his debut EP titled “Quezon Citypop”. His feelings regarding a lost love are as consistent as choosing a soft pink and red color palette, but musically, his actual output pales in comparison to his long-haired shredder persona online. In Chall’s first ever extended play effort, we hear passionate ballads track in and track out, breathing in the nicotine of everyday hustle and bustle while simultaneously breathing out the scent of sea salt by the shore. “Quezon Citypop” sounds exactly like you imagine: a hybrid of jangle pop hanging by the sea of city pop cliches. From track 1 to track 5, you get the idea that Chall wanted to replicate what was great about Citypop, but one thing he hasn’t made clear is what does it have to do with Quezon City? Our imagination with a genre that was prominent in the past feels hard to pin down in the EP. “Quezon Citypop” hardly imagines a better tribute with barely any heady songwriting — something Chall should brush up on in the future. At the opener “Midnight Moonlight”, the track bum-rushes the second the record starts. It was a sudden whiplash of bass slaps and uneven mixing choices that don’t gel well with the urban romanticism themes. As well as the consecutive tracks that followed such as “Easy Morning” and “Tanging Halik”, both tracks felt longer as usual due to its elongated song structures that bore more than they could amuse its listener. Additionally, the sheen on those guitar solos hardly echo right through the awkward hook writing. Neither can the occasional technical wankery can save the EP from being madly in love at its genericness. The last tracks like “Pretty Japanese” and “After Hours” are on the nose attempts at duplicating the aesthetics of City Pop whilst implementing a ‘sad boy’ twist in its lyrical themes. The only problem here is these themes barely work in that kind of unorthodox setup. The closing tracks yields an underwhelming afterthought that hardly values any relevance to its title and the production’s attempt at polishing a clean, jazzy, funky City Pop-inspired record. Chall’s “Quezon Citypop” represents stale ideas of a movement that’s gone way past its due. The lonerist upbringing hardly convinces and sways and it all the more sells cheap nostalgia, abandoning all original angles of what makes Quezon City a center for pop in general. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
ALBUM REVIEW: ABANGLUPA – Of Rats And Swine
Written by Nikolai Dineros People the world over decry the looming threat of war and invasion. Filipinos, faced with a dilemma of their own, grieve in remembrance of comrades lost. Of Rats and Swine could not have come at a more vital time. Behind this full-length record is Abanglupa, a hardcore punk/grindcore duo hailing all the way from Pateros. With Of Rats and Swine marking the band’s debut album release, the Vivo brothers comprised of Abanglupa, Ronnel and Ronaldo, released around a month before the album’s 22 February release date a manifesto expressing their grievances toward the Marcoses for their lies, callousness, insatiable greed, and total lust for power. “The Marcoses will do anything to return to Malacañang and claim power for themselves,” the statement read, as Abanglupa teased “Forced Dementia” — an allegorical protest against historical revisionism and the distortion writ large of the resistance’s raison d’être. “They will stop at nothing even if it means sowing discord amongst the Filipino people.” Abanglupa doesn’t beat around the bush, never indulging itself with the ominous. Across the ten short but powerful tracks in Of Rats and Swine, the band resonates their anger with the oppressed collective through guttural screams and loud riffs, and calls for the destruction, not the redesign, of the carceral structures that enslave the poor. The title track, “Erase”, and “Decorated Vultures” are just three among the ten hard-hitting songs that heavily emphasize these themes. As far as their sound goes, Abanglupa has a lot going for it. The band has previously cited the New Hampshire-based hardcore punk act Trap Them as a major influence. But as cumulative as influences are, comparisons do not end there. On many occasions, Of Rats and Swine crosses over borders of punk subgenres and metal, but it is hardcore at heart. But the rage of Abanglupa in their debut album is far more than the slew of crust, sludge, and grind elements the Vivo brothers have colorfully thrown into the mix. It is best encapsulated by the masses’ anger for tyrants and the system that bred these corrupted people to enrich and rot amongst themselves on the pedestal, to be spewed by society of their poison, only to be ingested once again with that same poison. Of Rats and Swine is a call-to-action. To violently topple down the powers that be – and may be. Support the art & the artist: https://abanglupa.bandcamp.com/album/of-rats-and-swine
TRACK REVIEW: Haute Couture, KURI MAW, All Rights – Salarin
Written by Elijah P. As ‘genre-bending’ pop music continues to pervade the comfort zones of many listeners in the 2020s, a new crop of producers are on a mission to challenge the conventions of those pop genres they have been sitting on for the longest time. Take new blood producer Alice Lunafel’s Haute Couture project for instance. For the past 2 years or so, Haute Couture has stitched musical ideas founded by the internet’s endless desire for audiovisual aesthetics. Ranging from dreadful drone side projects to a drafted love letter-structured UK garage, Alice’s undying love to tap into those territories instantly becomes a midas touch for most of them. For her latest collaboration “Salarin”, Alice invited Montalban-based rapper Kurimaw (PLAYA HATAZ) and Batasan’s very own All Rights (Hardknockz) for a collaboration that was spontaneous from the very beginning. But just like all unplanned events that’s involved with the creative process, it yielded fantastic results. For 3 minutes and 56 seconds, “Salarin” is loaded with ideas that are traded left to right: Alice’s first ever verse written in Tagalog, Kurimaw’s first foray into the world of experimental pop music, and All Right’s non-aggro and more laid-back take on themes of alienation and self-doubt; All of these performances have resulted in a mishmash of catchy choruses, a rewarding yet melodramatic synth-flute combo, and an explosive arena rock outro. “Salarin” is a blender full of glitch-y pop music, contemporary alternative rock-influenced rap, and all things that pushes those genres forward. For Northern Metro Manila’s newest rap pop stars Kurimaw and All Rights, they aren’t strangers to left-field production and peerless musical choices in their respective genres. Haute Couture just so happens to provide these previously mentioned rappers a boost for their creativity and sincerity in one track, elevating their talent to many different possible directions as a result. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST: N/A
EP REVIEW: LORY – s/t
Written by Elijah P. Parañaque’s very own desktop pop musician Mikee Mendoza aka Lory released their debut self-titled EP with the help of Terno Recordings. Like a tidal wave on a sunny afternoon, the 16-year old sophisti/city pop wunderkind virtually came out of nowhere. With their label distributor promoting their upcoming EP in the middle of a Facebook doomscroll, the chance of seeing a polo-wearing starry-eyed musician with a knack for guitar licks and synth-y embellishments are unmissable, unless you’re the type to follow Terno’s highly curated city pop picks in the past 3 or 4 years. Apart from this project, it appears that Lory could gel with the Terno crowd, only for a short while that is. Partly this is due to the uncharismatic vocal presence throughout the self-titled project. “Pleaser” and “See The Now” have outstanding chops in composing a colorful mishmash of riffages and bleeps, furthermore the guitar work emulates lounge-y theatrics and the laser-like synth presets hop in and out of the track whenever it likes. But to emphasize chops in a constructive manner, the singing barely carries any of the bright production that’s established in the EP; “Over (Now)” drags tremendously as Lory continues to become a grand champion at the annual snorefest, specifically in the vocal department. Its vocals have become a factor at diluting the soundscapes to mere copypasting of previous musical trends, such as the peak of Spadesmania or She’s Only Sixteen’s millennial Poblacion bar songwriting. Lory instantaneously drags the listener to its doom by providing an underwhelming closer to the EP. The production choices and its outlines are spick and span but its direction leads to a sonic dead end. To what looks like a fantastic from front cover to back listening experience, the debut project holds itself back in tweaking its gear to full throttle. Lory’s self-titled EP is a trial and error piece on city-pop sound design and a clear example of how its vocal performance could potentially end up in becoming a deal breaker for many. Support the art & the artist:
EP REVIEW: Chimera Mix – My Pet Rat
Written by Louis Pelingen Sometimes, musicians can get very productive, which can result in them putting out multiple records or EPs that contain distinct or experimental ideas, both in the production and composition side. This gets frequent in the modern underground scene, where their work ethic, lack of label presence, or even just having an ear for creating melodic structures out of the gate allows them to put out music in a ballistic state of mind. In these cases, it is interesting to see how their musical output remains consistent across the board and how their growth keeps sustaining with every record they put out, especially with that kind of musical force they belt out. Introducing Chimera Mix, the musical side project of 17-year old Patorikku who hails from Paranaque, who also goes under the YouTube channel moniker under the Patorikku name that focuses on eerie creepypasta-esque videos dipped with a VHS aesthetic that’s pretty much the trend these days. His musical output under Chimera Mix is downright impressive, to say the least. While it does encounter the issue of being bloated, the fact that he has 9 records under his belt blitzing through indie rock, psychedelic pop, hypnagogic pop, and even hard rock with creative melodic and instrumental tendencies he can pull out in thin air is just remarkable. And on this EP that was released last month, Chimera Mix wastes no time concocting 4 tracks that dabble in his usual hypnagogic and psychedelic pop weirdness which ends up being a fascinating peak in his career so far. ‘Prelude’ introduces the listener to soothing atmospherics that breaks down with these hypnotizing synth, drum, and guitar melodies just before it slows down and eventually concludes into these relaxing vocal harmonies. ‘My Pet Rat’ is a jaunty cut that contrasts the downbeat lyrics of the protagonist’s guilt of his dead rat as the instrumentation shuffles and progresses into a pure frenzy, especially the piano work and the brass instrument thrown into the chaos. ‘Tommy’ provides similar melodic and vocal zaniness as the last track paired with existential, dark lyrics and some Beatles worship in the mix coming from the guitar solo and the piano work. It ends off with ‘215 – 300 Version’, a song that was in his 2019 record, Pliocene. It retains the original dream-like aesthetic from that record with the fleeting synthesizers that develop even further, paired with a surreal and bleak lyricism that ends the EP on a mysterious note thematically, but on a satisfying note musically. While Chimera Mix has afforded to create fascinating melodic and instrumental twists and turns in his past records, ‘My Pet Rat’ EP has shown his musicianship at a state of refinement that continues to impress me, even with the creative strides that he has showcased on his past albums. He’s a trickster with dozens of tricks up his sleeves. And with this EP, he’s someone you might want to pay attention to in the future, for you’ll never know what kinds of exciting magic he’ll put out next. Support the art & the artist: