Written by Louis Pelingen After Armi Millare left UDD when that was announced back in 2021, the question now hangs in the air: what happens next for UDD? After 20 years as a band that mainly flocks in alternative rock with dabbles of electronica alongside Armi’s evocative vocals, this leaves the curious thought of where the band will go next. Will they keep moving forward with the usual formula intact? Or is there going to be a shift in their overall sound palette, shedding their past and evolving with a refreshing lens? The answer to that very question lies with “Run Deep,” the comeback single that’s now honing deeper into pure synth-pop majesty, firmly brushing past the alternative rock sound that used to be UDD’s sonic territory, and diving deeper into the newer direction of blistering electronics that replaces the heavy use of glossy synth patches on their previous material with a different kind of coat. Creating a chilling, smoky atmospheric touch on the whirring house beat, smearing over Paul Yap’s dazed vocals as he glacially muses through love that never seems to transpire. The set of elements placed within this song creates an effective tune and tone, courtesy of the production that lets these synthetic textures carry a lot of weight as well as the melodic construction that builds up these mulling melodies into satisfying peaks. Overall, “Run Deep” is a chilling switch up to UDD’s formula that manages to stick the landing on the band’s next phase of operations. An exciting new chapter to where they will go over, running deeper into this electronic-tinged wonder that creates even more excitement than hesitation. Support the art & the artist:
Tag: synth pop
TRCK REVIEW: girlcharmm – infatuation
Written by Louis Pelingen The ongoing output of this dream pop sapphic band girlcharmm aims to deliver letters for the heartbroken group of sapphic lovers in the Philippines. Their second single, ‘infatuation’, is a letter for those who yearn for that desired love, only to unveil the heartbreak within as the process of recovering soon comes after. It’s a message that’s delivered with a direct and conflicting scope, where Darl Alba’s sweet vocals are surrounded by Anna Gella’s layers of fuzzy drum machines and layers of synths both blaring and floating as well as Kaya Katigbak’s chunky guitar riffs flooding in. There is intent in that hemmed-in production as the melodies keep rambling around the instrumentation in a free-flowing way – clearly purposeful in order to encapsulate that exhausting thought process of that sad realization that is way too sudden for a lot of sapphic individuals to eventually figure out on their own. As much as a lot of the elements from the melodies and the production clearly hit home what the track is going for, it also makes it tough to get back into due to the rambling motion of the melodies and the feverish fog of the production. It doesn’t take away from the track’s quality, however, as it never shies away from revealing how tiring the process of going through that bitter phase of infatuation is. Clearly, what’s important to take note of here is that girlcharmm delivers what needs to be delivered, embracing sapphic relationships in the local music scene that will resonate a lot with a sapphic audience that has their broken hearts still in healing. Support the art & the artist: