Written by J.K. Caray QC-based producer/rapper GRE!’s latest single is unlike anything you’ve ever heard from him. Released mere days after his other single “äll.gre!,” ‘Sa’kin’ shows a completely different side to GRE!’s capabilities, all without the cost of stripping his signature style. This track marks another turning point in his ever-changing discography. In a natural evolution from his usual sonic aesthetics, “Sa’kin” displays the masterful marriage of two genres: Pluggnb and Hyperpop. Bound within the flawlessly tight production, GRE! displays his musical prowess in a way that furthers both. Starting off with dreamy and atmospheric synths, the performance in this track impresses with its vocals, reminiscent of hyperpop artists like glaive and ericdoa, encased within the confines of ice cold autotune. The infectious trap beats, piercing chiptune melodies and heart-thumping string sections create a behemoth of a song that sounds larger than life at times; a refreshing yet much-needed style to alleviate the plugg scene from his repetitive contemporaries. It’s obvious that GRE! knows exactly what he’s doing and he’s not afraid to switch it up. As his third single for the year, the track could very well be a part of a new album or a new era but if one thing is for sure, it’s that he’s going to go far. After “Sa’kin,” you’re left to wonder, just what else can he do? How far is he going to go? And most importantly, can you still keep up? Support the art & the artist:
Tag: Track Review
TRACK REVIEW: japercc – Way too ahead
Written by Aly Maaño japercc is an up-and-coming hip-hop artist from Cebu who began releasing music on SoundCloud in 2023. Since then, he has been continuously serving the cloud rap scene with head-bopping tracks that blend synth-derived melodies and chiptune elements woven into rage trap beats. For your serial Playboi Carti enjoyer, one of his latest releases, “Way Too Ahead” produced by anthonyramx, passes as an instant banger. japercc successfully executes the low, slurred vocals akin to the mumble rap genre. The catchy, repetitive hooks and bass-heavy, gummy beats easily bring listeners to a codeine-induced frenzy. The high-pitched vocal swishes at the bridge add a playful flare before the second verse. While it is a sonic treat, “Way Too Ahead” doesn’t stray away lyrically from the snazzy, braggadocio rap template. But overall, the outward swag and quality of the whole production compensate for its lack of lyrical variety and substance. japercc tastefully gathered and fused the ingredients to whip up an effortless bop for fellow flared jeans enthusiasts. Although it might not fit everyone’s palate, “Way Too Ahead” makes sure to leave an impression; it adequately encapsulates what rage rap is all about. With japercc giving us a taste of home-cooked trap music, it’s exciting to know what he can bring more to the table. We’re just going to have to let him cook. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Zeke Abella – Poems
Written by Elijah P. The Philippines has a heavily documented history when it comes to comedic viral stars turned musicians, the pipeline dates back to Yoyoy Villame in the 80s in his most sadistic form of humor of turning classic soft rock hits into parodies. Throughout the 90s to the aughts, you’ve got comedians taking a serious turn of their slapstick into the top of the pops with Michael V’s persistent chart topping singles that’s taken notes of earlier Weird Al Yankovic and Bayani Agbayani’s eternal childhood pop hit “Ocho Ocho”. But as the decades pass, the 2010s was a turning point for some who’ve grown up using the internet post-battle rap, late night TV and internet hugot culture. Take Vice Ganda as a worthy example of these comedians taking it to the bigger musical stage despite the influential catchphrases and next level sarcastic humor they’re known for. Entering the 2020s, the shelflife of a comedian-musician will last a longer internet lifespan of a shining star across the cosmos, especially for Cebuano native Zeke Abella’s shot to stardom in his latest single “Poems”. If you’re not convinced enough, Abella has reported about the VisMin hip hop scene months before being a Tiktok sensation on YouTube Channels. But the effect of being a casual comedian has further skyrocketed his exposure, putting his musical talent and his scene cohorts to the limelight. Absorbing the sensibilities and vocal runs of a SZA listener, Abella’s latest singles “Poems” deviates from his earlier material and the entire cliches of machismo in male-fronted r&b. Instead, Abella puts his vulnerability front and center, tapping into the struggling, emotional yearning on top of tasteful vocal harmonies and piano rolls, with no artificial additives and comedy involved. Zeke Abella may have given everyone a good laugh or two but his music has imminently put the VisMin scene to the spotlight for the coming years.
TRACK REVIEW: sister christine – driver’s license
Written by Jax Figarola “driver’s license” by sister christine immerses their audience in a sonic landscape that draws inspiration from iconic shoegaze bands like quannnic, Whirr, flyingfish, and my bloody valentine. However, the song combines the elements of grunge and shoegaze, capturing the essence of dark liminal spaces through its use of distant ethereal vocals, buried drums, distorted and heavy guitar riffs, and fuzzy textures that scratch the brain. The track opens with solitary guitar riffs that echo only through the left stereo, which set the stage for a long, dragging intro that lasts for half a minute before the opening verse comes. The murky and noisy atmosphere, achieved through the use of pedal-infused guitars and the deliberate use of distorted overlapping vocals, paradoxically instills a sense of calmness. The lyrics, nearly drowned by the loudness of the instruments, contribute to a sense of blasé sentiment towards the whole composition. However, and a big however, the emotive and distorted voice during the chorus is easily discernible, evoking emotions of hopelessness and entrapment in a dysfunctional relationship–a cycle of intoxicating pain. In short, while the established soundsphere of the instruments crafts a sense of deliriium, it is the vocals that stand out as the track’s most compelling element. Turning attention to the song’s discovery, it’s noteworthy that TikTok played a huge role. The cylical nature of attention in the age dominated by doomscrolling and an algorithm that often steers depressed people towards depressive content, the track resonates with TikTok users seeking relatable melancholic content. In a curated display of seemingly “liminal space” images, sister christine strategically utilizes the platform to promote their song by posting repetitive TikToks in a standardized format, featuring text like “pov: you found an underrated artist to obsess over” set against images, in a slideshow, of dark, eerie liminal spaces that invoke both familiarity and discomfort. Therefore, the intention of the artist feels like it plays a pivotal role in their success. If their intention is to seek attention, as the song suggests, then repetitive posts of the same script hoping to blow up is an impressive metaphor, similarly how Mallbangs’ “Gutter” was popularized through edits of the game Silent Hill or how Aphex Twin’s “Pulsewidth” had a resurgence in popularity due to slideshows of Y2K images. However, attributing sister christine’s success solely to TikTok strategies would be unfair. The artist adeptly leverages TikTok culture to create an easily streamable audio, tapping into the platform’s teen shoegaze and indie fans. Despite lacking a distinctly Filipino touch, the intense and obscure sound of “driver’s license” remains an impressive addition to the shoegaze genre. This doesn’t imply a requirement for the song to be in a Philippine language; rather, it just seems somewhat foreign, resembling international shoegaze acts like sister christine’s inspirations. Wrapping up with an air of mystery, the confusing title (at least, for me) of “driver’s license” remains an elusive riddle. The title makes no sense, inviting listeners to ponder its meaning even after the music has concluded. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Mazerboy – Midfielder
Written by Louis Pelingen The smoggy bleak streak that Mazerboy started with continues forth with ‘Midfielder’, the newest cut that he has put out two years after he released his 2nd EP. This continues his brand of post-punk tapestry, all with a driving groove section and Mazerboy’s solemn vocal cadence, but the overall sound is treated a bit differently this time around. There is an implementation of dense layers of reverb on Mazerboy’s vocals as well as the jangling guitar feedback that sinks the atmosphere deeper into something closer akin to dream pop, an implementation that could have worked well if not for the sudden swerve towards the back half of the song, where despite the surf rock riffings, the overall result felt like piling up another tune fragment that does not effectively coalesce with the first half’s potent melodic foundation. For what it is though, it is still a solid piece of post-punk dipping deeper into dream pop atmosphere and surf rock melodies underscoring Mazerboy’s usual tempered delivery and lyrical flavor. A refreshing expansion that still focuses on what made Mazerboy’s material work in the past from both compositions and textures alone. The gust of atmosphere might be a bit cloudy and heavy, yet never fazing Mazerboy’s stance at the center of it all. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: A. Piloto – In Light
Written by Elijah P. 2024 is buckling up for a new generation of alternative rock: bedroom pop turned into grungier, noisier tangents that are partly inspired by the likes of Duster, blue smiley and Alex G. There’s sleaze and pomposity to the charming and ridiculously new fashioned crowd of indie scenesters and A. Piloto is the new kid on the block. Partly hailing from the internet and the underground of a Chinese restaurant, indie rock neophyte A. Piloto released “In Light” as a debut single for an “upcoming something…” on his official Soundcloud account at a random New Year’s afternoon. “In Light” exhibits a build up wherein volume densely rises into multitudes of frantic, screaming chords as the track progresses. A. Piloto’s vocals ramble in non-sequiters, almost yearning for an apocalyptic ending while a number of bright and loud wiry riffages distort the track even further, making the single all the more enticing and transcendental as it goes on. It saves itself from being one-noted and remains to be a work of its own in the noisier tangents of the local rock meta. Surprisingly there’s a lot of promise shown in “In Light” and in A. Piloto’s music as well. It really is a high time to put in the work for a lot of artists who embody the peculiar and the increasingly loud sides of the scene. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: SABINE – Selfish
Written by Elijah P. SABINE sounds like she’s going all in with a full tank of ideas; both at an emotional high and a musical journey standpoint, “Selfish” has traces of rock and pop leanings, almost going towards an experimental tangent with soaring vocals, a blaring synth and multiple guitar tracks. The casual ear may find this an overwhelming sonic experience but for some actual supporters and the artist themselves, this is an experience all worth the taking. Taking notes from their rock and pop heroines of yesterday, Galagnara’s vocal prowess takes center stage, acting as a driving force for the musical accompaniment to their introspective lyricism that takes place in their own protagonist’s mind. The 4-minute odyssey may be a drag as casual songwriting structure is concerned, but the sheer weight of the track crashing down to you may come off as either a rewarding experience or an unnecessary kick to the shins without any comforting ending. For the case of “Selfish”, the production is commendable as a step forward in polished bleeps and ringing distortion. However, it may be slightly overproduced and pushing to its actual limits that would overstay its welcome, rendering it slightly ineffective emotionally. On the other hand, the track has its fair share of breathing room for it to build up once again. Galagnara’s powerful presence does not overshadow the rest of the musicality as it tips at an upward direction, regardless of its flurry of emotional demon metaphors sitting throughout its lengthy structure. Overall, SABINE has the right amount of star power between her talented current batch of musicians in MINT College, but the argument would rather be framed as “Selfish” being a step forward to nurturing a better, more promising sonic palette for the institution’s musicians in the years to come. Support the art& the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Illest Morena – Slow Burn
Written by Elijah P. Illest Morena has the entire archipelago on the grip of her nails. Starting out slow and calculated in singles like “LOML” and “Faded (Raw)”, both of which propelled her to pop stardom. Her material doesn’t simmer down, but rather the generous giving of heat continues to burn all towering r&b pop stars of yesterday. She constantly drops the heaters until there’s no one left to follow in her own game. Like all competition, she’s achieved past the notion of going big or going home. Illest Morena’s newest single “Slow Burn” is an example of a walking oxymoron. In the track there are lyrics immediately contradicting her own checklist in a bootycall: “He’s sweet, but a lil’ spicy”, “Gusto ko nang barombado, pero may takot sa diyos”. Additionally, the pacing just goes straight to the show. Illest Morena drives the track bouncing, hydraulic-like melodies and cadence, all for the listeners to want in a track that’s centered in honest desire. There’s a lot to pick more lyrically compared to her more melodic cuts, but that doesn’t mean it is to dismiss it entirely. This goes to show how much there’s slight variety in cherry picking the best of her output so far. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: MISTER MEYERS – We Are Stardusts
Written by Louis Pelingen MISTER MEYERS makes sure to put something out when the opportunity still strikes hot – that is to say, the wave of releases on January 1st that you can see piled on obscure Bandcamp features or the early RYM year charts. While he has been putting out music for the past few years – leaning a lot more on his bedroom pop niche – his last released single back in December 2023, ‘GOOD GOD PENELOPE’, shifts his style in a 180-degree direction where he doused his melodic vocals with effects amidst groove-centric indie rock. Now entering 2024, ‘We Are Stardust’ boils itself to deep-fried textures that go on a consistent hot streak, tossed and turned over with MISTER MEYERS’ tripped-out snarkiness as the beat twinkles and buzzes on the hazy atmosphere before it suddenly suffocates itself with a heavier glitchy backdrop that eventually ends the song. ‘We Are Stardusts’ with all of its soaked-up dense production and warbled melodies completes MISTER MEYERS’ 360-degree transition into his eclectic hip-hop dabbled hyperpop flair that overall sticks the landing where his creative firepower and experimentation just charges throughout this song. His attempt to create stardust has been wrapped in pretty flowers before, but right now, he makes them combust with flammable chemicals. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Arkyalina – readmymind
Written by Louis Pelingen The first couple of notes that start ‘readmymind’ will immediately sink you deep into arkyalina’s striking soundscape. A producer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer in his own right, there is already so much going on with Tavin Villanueva’s composition work, bringing in so many ideas to bear. arkyalina’s tight and impressive pop punk-esque vocal runs quickly snap within the chalky breakbeat grooves, the sweeping guitar solo, and the feverish reverb-smeared piano and strings backdrop, a combination of tonal flairs resonating even further through arkyalina’s production and Calix’s mixing and mastering assistance providing potent clarity and color to the punchy melodies. This track is a case of a captivating song that once you’ve heard it, you cannot help but give it more listens a dozen times later. An on-the-spot stand out where arkyalina’s broad display of musical flair manifests within ‘readmymind’, colliding so many ideas that cohesively work together into this alternative pop wonder. Branching out many roads ahead, only arkyalina himself knows where he wants to go next, keeping us on our toes about whatever admirable aplomb he might release in the future. Support the art & the artist: