Written by Adrian Jade Francisco Imma review! At times, local hip-hop sidesteps sentiment and wit. But at most parts, it goes straight for your earworms. From drill, bass-heavy therapy sessions to R&B late-night text tracks, Nateman and Lucky’s latest collaboration is a quantum leap towards the realm of the unpredictable. Is their latest single “IMMA […]
REVIEWS
ALBUM REVIEW: mako badco – songs from a time
Written by Elijah P. When the buzzing synths mimic analog guitar riffs or a drum machine slices through autotuned wails of teenage yearning, you know you’re inside mako badco’s world. On ‘songs from a time,’ that world feels like an endless internet feed—chaotic, messy, oddly moving. It’s the sound of a keyboard tumbling into infinite […]
TRACK REVIEW: Ada Meniv – Placenta
Written by Lex Celera Ada Meniv is a solo project by Philippines-born, Hong Kong-based producer, instrumentalist, vocalist, and sometimes rapper, Tisch Nava. Beginning with 2024’s ‘THE ONLY WAY THROUGH IS OUT,’ Ada Meniv’s music doesn’t feel like a loaded experiment in genre-blending as much as it is an assertion of taste and aesthetics. In laying […]
ALBUM REVIEW: The Braille Flowers – Lilac Dreams of a Second-Degree Non-Conformist
Written by Noelle Alarcon If you’ve ever spent even a fraction of a minute in Manila’s local underground, chances are you’ve already witnessed The Braille Flowers in action. Whether they’re offering stickers as they wade through the crowd, or creating sonic magic with their instruments under neon lights, there’s no doubt that the band’s members […]
EP REVIEW: enfloeia – Saturnine Pursuits
Written by Aly Maaño Malaybalay, Bukidnon, dubbed as the South Summer Capital of the Philippines, is a city nestled between lush mountains and picturesque landscapes. These lands, which birthed forests and historical parks, are also home to emerging artists like Aleeza Dawn Ellevera. Calling herself enfloeia for this musical project, the 19-year-old fuses indie, pop, […]
TRACK REVIEW: Gabriel Lazaro – slam dance
Written by Louis Pelingen In every new song that Gabriel Lazaro puts out, there is a drift that pulls him into a sandstorm. His hand at experimental jazz and rock continues to be tested at every turn. “Slam dance” is no different, as all the galloping drums and layers of ragged acoustics and electric guitars […]
TRACK REVIEW: SAINT LAWRENCE – SO U
Written by JK Caray Sometimes, The Best Thing Ever™ disguises itself as something arbitrary. In the case of SAINT LAWRENCE, his debut track “SO U” first came from that familiar itch of needing to create something, despite all limitations. Made out of a awkwardly tuned guitar, a catchy hook, and the feeling of losing your […]
SABAW SESSIONS: MATOKI
Mas Madali Huminga Pag Andyan Ang MATOKI Nostalgia has countlessly been labelled as the key ingredient to dream-pop, but how does the power of friendship and utter passion from the DIY heartthrobs of Matoki give meaning to the music? Written By Faye Allego When they were just teenagers, Vladymir Estudillo, Yancy Yauder, and Emmanuel Acosta […]
EP REVIEW: Organ Harvest – Desecration of Human Essence
Written by Adrian Jade Francisco A victim was slain by 12 minutes of “Desecration of Human Essence.” The suspect is identified as Organ Harvest, charged with first-degree grindcore. The 14-track EP from Manila act Organ Harvest checks every box on the goregrind autopsy report: carnage, speed, and lacerations in every frequency range. Marked by cuts […]
TRACK REVIEW: MISTER MEYERS – LAYUAN MO NA AKO
Written by Jax Figarola MISTER MEYERS’ “LAYUAN MO NA AKO” is a heartbreak spiral. Compared to the glitchy, melodic sprawl of his hip-hop mixtape last year called Meister Eyres, this latest track keeps his signature eclecticism, but punctuates it with heavier percussion and a more confrontational edge. And just like his previous works, he scores […]