Written By Lex Celera Leading up to its music video release, KAIA released a number of one-minute “concept films” on their social media accounts, featuring each member depicting potentially romantic moments gone awry. And while the promotional videos are just long enough to capture the feeling, KAIA’s “Tanga” unpacks this romantic type of love with nuance without losing the sheen of its pop structure. Within the highly engineered lens of pop is a fantastical but relatable world built through image and sound, cultivated during and in between music releases, “Tanga” checks all the boxes of what is serviceable and “radio-friendly.” The single is catchy, it has earworm-worthy chorus and showcases upbeat rhythms. For KAIA, “Tanga” is a boon to its music catalog, sitting pretty beside “Walang Biruan.” While the latter pushed KAIA sonically, “Tanga” remains decisive in fine-tuning their sound. Zack Tabudlo’s mastery of examining expressions and receptions of love and putting them into words without sounding preachy leads to a satisfying pop track. More than lyrics, the harmonies are satisfyingly layered and the adlibs are discreet but playful. It’s safe to assume that these additions to KAIA’s repertoire are a result of close collaboration with the more experienced Tabudlo. What’s most compelling in “Tanga” is the levity created between the twee lightheartedness of its melodies and the abject sadness presented by its lyrics. Why do we carry on with unrequited love or romance beyond red flags? In “Tanga,” anger at the act and love for the other can happen at the same time. These themes are explored but never really go anywhere. And that’s fine. What matters for KAIA is one-minute moments and three-minute odes to these moments, portraying a feeling that can be sustained upon multiple listens. KAIA’s charm shines bright in “Tanga,” and while admittedly safer than their past releases, forms a full-bodied discography thanks to its well-considered lyricism and composition. SUPPORT THE ART AND THE ARTIST:
Tag: Lex Celera
TRACK REVIEW: Paper Satellites, BABYBLUE – Onodera
Written by Lex Celera Since their last project, Manila Meltdown in 2022, Paper Satellites has grown to a four-piece, with vocalist Jyle Macalintal, drummer Aaron Escueta, and bassist Paulo Carpio joined by Martin Cruz on the guitars and synths. Onodera, their newest release, continues their constant experimentation by taking a step further and recruiting another collaborator, producer BABYBLUE. Onodera is an impressive result of two collaborators putting their best foot forward and blending both the sounds that they have been known for to create something new and worthwhile. Listening to the album from beginning to finish is a tranquil experience that is not bereft of any exciting turns. “Onodera” is a mosaic of rhythmic pirouettes – a worthy prelude to what is to come in the rest of the EP. There is an addicting quality in how the song constructs itself with sound elements that swell and evaporate as it goes on. “Alipin” follows up with a polished dance-rock record that ends in undulating synths. Despite feeling like a mishmash of different styles, both parts are equally enjoyable. Released in February 2024, ahead of the rest of the EP, “Dapithapon” is an easy-listening record with a catchy tune that’s perfect for afternoon drives. “Dama” signals an emotional downturn without putting on the brakes, driven by lyrics that have enough oomph to be echoed into an anthem – a good swing that would make the EP’s closer, “Paggising,” all the more worthwhile. “Paggising” fully embraces the club-readiness of the whole EP with its synth-forward rhythms and floating vocals. In that regard, it reads like recent Up Dharma Down records. The likeness to electronic music is emboldened by how patient “Paggising” and the whole of Onodera in terms of building itself up into natural, enjoyable melodic arcs. The excitement never falters even when you can imagine the song ending sooner. Whether intended by its creators or not, I find myself thinking of the early 2010s in this record. There’s a little bit of Two Door Cinema Club, a little bit of Tycho’s Dive. You know how during those days you’d either listen to Skrillex or Boards Of Canada? Listeners of both will cling to this record like glue. It’s visceral but tranquil, and ultimately a well-bodied source of bops that won’t be out of place on either the dancefloor or a quiet headphone experience. Thankfully, the whole EP’s proximity to that era never reaches stomp-clap-hey status. For all of the EP’s achievements for the band – their first EP fully in Filipino and their first collaborative EP, – Onodera will be remembered for how it finds the sweet spot among both artists’ comfort zones, and how easy they make it feel. It shows that it pays off to be confident in exploring new sonic territories, despite the gestalt sadness in its lyrics. It would not be a surprise if Paper Satellites moved on to a different sound in the future, but should they choose to lean toward the direction of Onodera, I’d be the first to say that they would not be wearing out their welcome. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: SLIZ – Droga ang Pag-ibig
Written by Lex Celera I think it was around this time last year when I first listened to SLIZ’s breakout hit, “Sige.” The breakout hit established SLIZ as some sort of a late 2010’s bedroom artist meets late 2000’s love rap chorus crooner, packed with simple but catchy lyrics on smooth beats that’s easy on the ears (dance crews have had her songs as part of their choreography). But what sets SLIZ apart is what is arguably her most becoming trait: an unmistakable, high-pitched singing voice that has not entered our ears in a long time. I’ve come to understand that her speaking voice is pretty much the same as her singing voice, based on an interview with her and catching her live performance. It’s a singing voice that serendipitously stands out from whatever musical elements it’s paired with. In my mind, it’s SLIZ’s most dominant trait that would either make you love or dismiss her. But I’d like to believe that majority of SLIZ’s first-time listeners who would openly balk at her shrill singing, whether it was “Sige” or her latest release “Droga ang Pag-ibig”, would slowly lurch back to YouTube and listen to it again. And again. “Droga ang Pag-ibig” shares a common thread with Aikee’s “Kahit Bata Pa Ako”, Mike Luis’s “Iba Ka Na Pala Ngayon”, and Hambog ng Sagpro’s “Alaala Nalang” in that they all carry infatuation and fidelity as themes, but also handles these themes in an outwardly immature way. The fact that all these tracks feature high-pitched, childish voices makes me feel that there’s some correlation between all of them. Like her breakdancing cohorts in the music video, “Droga ang Pag-ibig” is a free and easy listen that doesn’t attempt to go beyond its confines. It is a step towards the same direction SLIZ has been going for since the beginning, and while it doesn’t offer much merit beyond what’s already been said, it also establishes SLIZ beyond the novelty her previous work has unwittingly offered. The cutesiness of it all is here to stay, at least for a while more. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
TRACK REVIEW: AJ Kee Hong – Sakin yan!
Written by Lex Celera What is there to love when it comes to hiphop music? There is always a constant need for the artist to carve space to be heard, to set themselves apart from the competition and “claim what is theirs.” In between this struggle for real estate in the attention economy, some artists might find themselves latching on to whatever sticks just to make their presence known for a little while longer. Sometimes it is self-gratuitous; often it is deliberate. More often than not, it results in formulaic drivel that sizzles out when rap moves on. For the genre as a whole, this search for gravity can be broken down into recurring elements you can see across different artists. For example: flute-based samples, true-to-life straight from the streets visuals, and rapid fire ad-libs. All of these are present in Iloilo City-based rapper Aj KeeHong’s “Sakin Yan!”, an exciting entry point into the young rapper’s burgeoning career. Set apart, these elements point out towards where Aj Kee Hong is looking at in terms of references, namely: Bugay na Koykoy and Miguelito Malakas’ reliance on music videos to portray verisimilitude through a definite sense of place; the distinct presence of flute instruments in hiphop (A$AP Rocky and Skepta’s “Praise the Lord (Da Shine)” as well as Shanti Dope and Skinny G’s “Peekaboo!” come to mind); specific ad-libs used by almost everyone from the late Pop Smoke to MaxyPresko. All of these creative commodities have contributed to Kee Hong’s aboveground recognition, rendered the way it was in “Sakin Yan!” . But the interesting thing about “Sakin Yan!” is more fundamental. Plainly put, the young rapper can rap. Kee Hong’s vocal delivery unpacks his electrically charged verses with confidence; each word flows well to the next without missing a beat. The fact that he can sustain this energy to release one song a week paints a picture of a hungry rapper trying to make his mark. While trendy motifs help launch “Sakin Yan!” into a gravity of its own, it’s Kee Hong’s more essential traits that keep its sheen lustrous. As with his previous releases, I’ve caught wind of Kee Hong through his laborious self promotion across several local hiphop Facebook groups. As I type this, I can imagine he’s busy producing the next, making minor tweaks on the way. “Sakin Yan!” is an entry point into what could potentially be a hearty contender in the hiphop landscape. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST: