Boasted as “Budots Drill” for locals, Davao City’s BAHAW BOYZ samples the classic Budots ‘tiw-tiw’ in Sample Drill’s most outrageous entry to date. Aptly titled “CHOY”, the three-verse gunfire bounces along the “sayaw mga choy” sample in between its fire hazard New York-influenced drill production. The quintet has released a handful of loosies and underwhelming trap production before “CHOY” but we’d like to see it as a warming-up session before the trailblazing subgenre that is “Budots Drill”. Looking and listening to it in hindsight, it could’ve been a form perfected pre-pandemic but time does have no boundaries or ends and it’s much better to have it now rather than never. What’s next for BAHAW BOYZ may depend on their next move, maybe it’s good to maintain that momentum or better to push the envelope by incorporating different forms or samples of Budots by working with actual Budots producers in the long run. But for now, “CHOY” is at the present defining the future. It’s about time for a mutation of Davao’s dance music to shape in its most aggressive form. Support the art & the artist:
Tag: Davao
TRACK REVIEW: ABY – paasa vibes
Written by Louis Pelingen It’s a tough situation to be led into false hopes of someone falling in love with you, only to reveal that they’re using you as a reserve, not as a definite showcase of authenticity when it comes to how they’re leading you into that romance. The common quote of “pinaasa mo lang ako” rings like an orbit in these situations, penning itself into the songs that have been local mainstream staples for a good while now. Writing about it can be either devastatingly real, or it can be tepid, where the details burrow themselves into surface-level ‘paasa’ topicality that doesn’t stand out whatsoever. And with all of that musing, Davao R&B artist ABY shoulders the former with a tight control of melody and a punch in her writing and delivery. A song titled ‘paasa vibes’ might be a corny title to start with, but don’t judge it for its title. Listen closely and there’s a lot to be impressed about. ABY’s measured vocal melodies loop and swivel through the choppy beat filled with skittering trap percussion, rubbery bass grooves, and splashy arrays of synthesizers. ABY’s writing (alongside her slicker vocal delivery) has this Dua Lipa influence into it as she blows through a guy that keeps falling in love with her even if she knows that he treats her as a reserve while he keeps finding other women elsewhere. There’s an assured maturity in the complicated ‘paasa’ topic on display especially when ABY herself is close to reciprocating, but wise enough to be on the right path to not be led into the guy’s false romanticism towards her. While the production can be a little mushy, the end result still sticks regardless. It’s splashy, catchy, and also layered once you dig into it. Again, don’t let the song title make you wince, because this packs a lot of punch and a lot of insight that breaks through the ‘paasa’ situations that so many people have found themselves into.