This year was full of surprises: whether you look at it from the perspective of an audience member lurking in the underground or a casual music fan who happens to stumble upon alternative music in the mainstream. The year 2022 was the year where we met all different kinds of folks from all walks of music life, the ecosystem that is the Philippine music; we experienced a lot of crossovers and other unexpected turns that would change the trajectory of the listener and the artist.
From the sudden reunions of a high-profile 4-piece to the sudden rise of 2010s indie-sleaze affiliate genres to the co-optimization of genres from larger than life platforms like Tiktok and Facebook. There was an emergence of grunge and goth culture, thriving on the image of Robert Pattinson lurking over Gotham City and makeshift house venues in The South turning into a crying session. The folks of TFL are more than honored to present to you releases that define the year that is 2022.
20.) Basalt Shrine – From Fiery Tongues
Shortly after one successful and groundbreaking hardcore project, it’s almost hard to believe the Vivo Brothers could top their ABANGLUPA debut with a new venture. Enter Basalt Shrine, a doom metal quintet with a knack for the abstract that has quickly taken the metal scene aghast since its recent inception. Largely black metal inspired, their debut album From Fiery Tongues also incorporates stoner, sludge and drone elements in their dirge — and does so pretty damn well! The band has toured quite a few times this year, and you might have already seen their names pop up in underground venues. In any case, you should check them out! -Nikolai Dineros
19.) O.I Research Partners – Speed Milk
“Speed Milk” is one of the more gratifying releases to be released exclusively via physical merch by way of tricky YouTube search (if you look hard enough). What caught my surprise is the mere fact that this is more than a project, it more likely transcends the need of a streaming site. Its a living breathing project that consists of cowboys from outer space, the Wild Wild North-North of Nueva Ecija and many more interstellar worldbuilding. O.I Research Partners’ penchant for borderline desert psychedelia and tin can folk comes in waves in every soundbite and plugin pedal. -Elijah P.
18.) Nullification – Kingdoms to Hovel
This Laguna death metal outfit takes a lot of notes from its forefathers and applies all the right pointers into a full-length album. To say this album is formulaic OSDM would be a discredit to the effort in crafting a visceral record akin to the 1990s DM sound that manages to stay fresh by today’s standards. Tracks like ‘Negated Fields’, Sledgehammer’, and ‘Inside the Surreal’ are as gut-punching as any metal song should be yet so elegant in their presentation that you’d feel the destruction coming your way. -Nikolai Dineros
17.) Chimera Mix – My Pet Rat
Patorikku’s musical project is a thaumaturge, releasing projects with songs that are folded and squeezed with enough spark of creative experimentation within vintage, lo-fi, and psychedelic pop that it’s quite a marvel that he has put this enough projects already. He only blitzes through yet again with My Pet Rat, an EP with four tracks that continues to push himself even further to something incredible. Psychedelic pop with nuggets of lyrical eccentricities now dipped further into compositions that get even more ballistic and unhinged on every turn. His albums already ooze with dizzying compositions and instrumentation, but with this EP, it just shows that even the smallest doses can create a mind-dazzling splash. -Louis Pelingen
16.) Mazerboy – Edge of the Bleak
Guagua is a province that shouldn’t go unnoticed, especially for younger acts like Mazerboy who shuns every doubter of post-punk, psychedelic rock and alternative rock within imperial Manila. “Edge of the Bleak” is agitatingly catchy than it is dystopic – the project lingers in the mind of their listener – catapulting meteoric solos and textures, pummeling every indie band in the mainland today. -Elijah P.
15.) <S>andwich – No Goodbyes
On the surface, ‘No Goodbyes’ presented a spotlight on the social challenges brought by the pandemic, some were in the same dilemma during the pre-pandemic from biking around the Metro to the state of working from home. Tracks such as ‘Buhol Buhol’ and ‘Negatives’ are standouts that proved to be a self-fulfilling prophecy for the veteran band. It’s stacked with excellent guitar work and rhythm that will automatically remind you of Sandwich. The juxtaposition of the whole EP was delightful and ridiculous, leaving any listener wanting to bite for more. -Sab Aguirre
14.) Polyphonic Vision – Sudden Pictures
The otherwordly synth textures of Michaela Benedicto and Mario Consunji create a beautiful, blissful and groovy whirlwind of electronica. Polyphonic Vision’s first ever EP is, at parts dreamy and at other times, complex. The stems of “Sudden Pictures” are mosaic to the point where production create an unfolding image. The more these movements create itself, the more Polyphonic Vision’s music becomes a dancing image. Thus, conceiving one of the best electronica releases of the year -Elijah P.
13.) Ligaya Escueta – Laughing in Milk
15-year old indie rock prodigy Ligaya Escueta comes in many forms and eras in her debut full length album “Laughing in Milk”. In fact, the album continually rises in momentum and it finishes in a mush of feedback and fuzz, eventually manifesting her growth in this kind of songcraft in the long run. Even mentor Mikey Amistoso of Ciudad couldn’t resist in sessioning for her in live sets. That alone should be a testament as to how much everyone in her age should go out and check out adjacent acts everywhere. -Elijah P.
12.) Party Pace – Nauseous
The veteran quartet of Party Pace released a stellar introductory album with Nauseous featuring a slew of instrumental tracks that are easily the most enjoyable music to pair with work or play. The tracks are also a joy to watch live with the band members’ cohesive interplay on full effect. -Janlor Encarnacion
11.) (N)onentities – Autonimbus
From their profound way of capturing the human spirit through their lyrics to their way around punk music, NONENTITIES doesn’t beat around the bush. Their sophomore project Autonimbus takes a lot of philosophical turns, but one should not worry about being lost in the fray as the listening experience is as straightforward as it gets. A highly introspective and headbanging record critical of the realities of late-stage capitalism and its toll on people but never a cynical one. -Nikolai Dineros
10.) TNG – gad
This debut record was a long time coming for this Bulacan screamo band that has kept their presence known in circles outstretching their hometown’s scene, which is a testament to how powerful the internet and word of mouth can be — if utilized correctly — in bringing in new listeners until there’s a whole community of them waiting in anticipation for a full-length release. ‘gad’ is a love letter to the emo sound and philosophy — a rough, melancholic opus to the emotions running wild piercing through your speakers. Unapologetically screamo, much like the lyrics’ painfully raw feelings. In that same vein, ‘gad’ is also a love letter to TNG’s fans — the emos at the peripheries of the sad boy/sad girl music fans in this new age. Every live performance of TNG is a gathering of (pre-)Tumblr scene kids who are, to this day, waiting to feel that same high. -Nikolai Dineros
9.) Spacedog Spacecat – Fuzz Sounds
The brainchild of RJ Mabilin and Jam Lorenzo has given birth to a group of respected indie musicians culminating in an album and vinyl with a collection of songs paying homage to the fuzz-driven music they listen to sprinkled with boy-girl vocals that cut through the noise as well as an exploration of sound distinctly different from all the bands they have come from.
8.) BINI – Feel Good
Nation’s girl group BINI has been introducing fresh sounds to the cutthroat rise of P-Pop. Coming from the success of their debut album ‘Born To Win’, ‘Feel Good’ is a 5-track vocal wonder highlighting the colors of BINI. The love song ‘Lagi’ is undeniably unforgettable and was written perfectly for the group. The whole EP translates into a journey to new experiences delivering the slickest bubble pop songs around. -Sab Aguirre
7.) SHNTI – ELMNT
Confidence can come a long way, and yet SHNTI comes off fully formed in her debut EP. Her growth as an artist manifested through with ELMNT, where her vocal and writing talents shone brightly as she maneuvers through the hazy and bouncy production with to her liquid presence on the microphone and her keen sense of playful enthusiasm. This release also showcases a balancing point for SHNTI, where she may come off flashy and charmed in a relatable oddball manner, but she doesn’t let go of her introspection towards herself and towards other people along the way. ELMNT puts her in a place where her role as an artist continues to gleam with great aplomb, and it’s just only the beginning for whatever her light will take her to greater heights. -Louis Pelingen
6.) SUPAFLY – BAKASAKALI
Armed with wit, double-time flows, high grade melodicism and a heart for the game, Supafly shows their virtuosity through rap and vivid storytelling. The album/EP format in hip-hop today is making a comeback. With Shanti Dope’s mini-album and SHNTI’s debut EP making waves for their uncompromising pattern in beat switches and agile workload of demos, loosies, singles and music videos. Greenhouse Records’ very own Supafl,y amplifies the experience, putting this giant foot of the culture forward for full length material. -Elijah P.
5.) (formerly Maryknoll) – It Sounds Just Like You
Internet darlings (formerly Maryknoll) formally stamp their IRL existence in streaming platforms with It Sounds Just Like You! featuring all their previously released singles for your everyone’s year-end Wrapped enjoyment. -Janlor Encarnacion
4.) JRLDM – Mood Swings
The local hip-hop scene is facing yet another enlightenment period, both at a braggadacio and at a mental physique “renaissance” sense as well. In JRLDM’s astonishing debut label full length record, you’re bound to take a nose dive more on the latter; traveling through his psyche, defying expectations with amazing beat selection and the neat production palette that compliments’ the main star’s husky, smooth and sinister voice, all at once. -Elijah P.
3.) Ruru – Glorious Miscellanea
Fragments of memory are difficult to parse through, but Ruru seems to flip through those fragments just fine. This album is a collage of fleeting moments of life that goes through numbness, disconnection, and somber solace in whatever Ruru is going through at the time. She brushes through these moments with polish and lushness that only makes those memories less painful and more calming to look into as the buoyant array of woodwinds and synths amidst palpable grooves create such a warm embrace in her indie pop zone. It’s a leap that Ruru falls on greatly, merging separate memories into one holistic picture. -Louis Pelingen
2.) Blaster & The Celestial Klowns – My Kosmik Island Disk
As excited as we already were for the release of Blaster Silonga’s solo debut album, we were still surprised by how exceptional it turned out to be. This melting pot of retrofuturistic OPM odyssey is the brainchild of this young singer-songwriter with a chip on his shoulder. From the production quality of each song to how catchy the melodies are, My Kosmik Island Disk checks every mark in making a successful project. But even with the leverage of success on his hands, this wasn’t the only thing he has got going for on his debut album. Blaster continuously sets new ambitions after each successful take, thus making for an exciting listen even after several repeats. For one, we don’t think we’d have a track with as much bombast as HUWAG MABAHALA if they just came up with a catchy synth riff and one infectious bass line and called it a day. It’d still be a great track, no doubt, but they knew they had to go all the way with the sick outro, complete with a long and glitzy synth passage and a fiery guitar solo to boot. There are a lot of instances where Blaster goes full sensory overload with the mix in the album. But that is a good thing because Blaster has mastered in this album the art of maximalism. -Nikolai Dineros
1.) ena mori – “DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE!”
“DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE!” is a winning row on a ‘best of 2022 releases’ bingo card. Vocal gallops over crushed mallets of kick drums and time reversed-ocean-wave synths; lyrical phrases calculated over every left turn in the production and lyrics exploring the mysticism of love? All accounted for in the 10-track album. “DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE!” is a no-skips selection of singles and an impactful listen from start to finish. ‘VIVID’ and ‘SOS’ are some of the best-produced recordings this year and electronic pop artist Ena Mori is setting the standard by asserting pop dominance against the post-Sarah G’s Tala pop-sphere. If I were to bet on any artist, I’d put my money on Ena Mori. -Corgi Aguirre