Scene Reports
5 recent Filipino releases you might have slept on
From field recordings to a pure Filipino dub album on wax, it would be travesty not to know these recent musical musings
The flood gate of new music coming from the Philippines remains wide open — and it isn’t coy about pushing the boundaries.
Established and budding talents in the local electronic music scene have long welcomed unchartered territories, producing with ingenuity and taking on collaborations deserving of global recognition: Jorge Wieneke co-founding progressive online club, Club Matryoshka, 18-year old trans producer and DJ, Teya Logos recently premiering on Rinse FM, Saint Guel, who guested on FuFu and More Rice Records compilations, just capped off his debut in Equation Festival, Vietnam with equally-prolific DJ, Emel Rowe — and the list goes on and on.
Flash forward to now, Filipino electronic artists continue to outdo themselves, and we’re here for every bit of it. From recording silkworms at work to sampling “Cry Me A River”, here are more of the latest releases coming out of the country.
Jao San Pedro and CRWN 'Molt'
Visual artist and textile maven, Jao San Pedro and long-time genre-unbound producer/DJ, CRWN recently crossed paths during their residency for Emerging Islands, in La Union, a coastal surf town north of the country’s capital. Prior to that, both have practiced an exploratory and inventive approach towards their craft. For San Pedro’s latest collaborative film, A Fold in the Horizon, she tapped CRWN to score it, creating an otherworldly track out of field recordings generated by handloom weavers, silkworms and thread machines.
Listen here.
Junoy Manalo 'Long Night Through'
Before he released his first solo project, Tarantism, late last year, Manalo was better known as the guitarist of funk band, Basically Saturday Night that always delivered an alluring blend of smooth groove and showmanship. Now, also putting at the forefront his knack for fusing funk, soul and house into his original productions, his latest track off Sounds Nais’ compilation is an undeniable feel good gem. Featuring a sample from Ella Fitzgerald original, “Cry Me a River”, “Long Night Through” is ideal for a long drive listen, a bender wind-down or a background for a seaside escape.
Listen here.
Like Animals 'From Here'
Like Animals continuously sheds off and regenerates an even more innovative skin each time he comes out with his latest project. As he works on his upcoming album, his latest “From Here” is his audial display of self, multi-instrument arrangement of beats highly influenced by jazz and slowed-down breaks — one that doesn’t shy away from dub echoes and a little distortion.
Listen here.
The Grey Market Records 'Sleeper’s Paradise'
The Grey Market Records, championed by the ever-hardworking Jay Amante has helped countless artists to release and amplify their music on vinyl. In its continued effort, Amante and his team has released Sleeper’s Paradise: a 10-track compilation stacked with original Filipino dub, reggae and ska. It’s the first of its local kind on wax, and features a well-rounded roster with the likes of RED-I, Goodleaf and Kalookan Dub Kolektive, and is now available to cop and add to your collection.
Listen here.
Shelhiel 'Fashion Angel' (dot.jaime & LONER remix)
LONER has always embraced his roots when it comes to putting Tagalog house music on centerstage. He’s been unstoppable in his bout for local electronic music to take on the rest of the globe, with his latest EP, Make Noise, and now being tapped to remix Malaysia-based Shelhiel’s “Fashion Angel” with producer/filmmaker, dot.jaime. A Y2K pop affair, SUPERSTROBE out on Eastern Margins is a 10-track album featuring an eclectic mix of musicians hailing from East and Southeast Asia.
Listen here.
[Images via Bandcamp, Instagram and ABS CBN]
Samantha Nicole is Mixmag Asia's Philippines Correspondent, follow her on Instagram.
