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weirderaph · 7 years

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ANOTHER UNNECESSARY BEST OF 2016 LIST; QUICK RECAP OF HIGHLIGHTS; NARCISSISTIC PREDICTIONS AND A MEGALOMANIAC’S CALL-TO-ARMS

A recap/rant/recommendation/repellant/re-animation/reference/reproduction/”re(-)view” by Dominic Zinampan

WHY MOST LOCAL “BEST OF (INSERT YEAR)” LISTS ARE UNNECESSARY OR TOO FLAWED TO FUNCTION:

-Relies mostly on timeliness/trendiness; there seems to be no convincing reason to confine (and consequently, sacrifice thoughtful insight) releases within one whole year

-Encompasses too diverse of a spectrum of genres; styles are subjected to a totalizing scheme that forces the writer to disregard the differences in modes of listening/appreciating per genre for the sake of some semblance of comprehensiveness

-Blurred idea of “Filipino” or “local”; does this refer to ethnicity, nationality, or geography? What about emigrants or expats? What about those without a Filipino citizenship? Do we really need to verify the ethnicity of an artist and if so, how?; Re: geography- it appears as though not all bases are adequately covered and there is an inherent bias for Metro Manila

-Lack of clear significance of format; how do we differentiate between songs/EPs/albums especially in the age of Soundcloud and Bandcamp (e.g. sets of 7 or 8 tracks, 4-minute EPs, single files that appear to contain multiple songs, etc.)? What’s the point in selecting it as a parameter for a list?

-Pointless utilization of some rigid yet arbitrary number (e.g. “Top 100…” or “20 Essential…”, etc.) that results in the acquiescence to the inclusion of undeserving material

-The absence of any reason in publishing a retrospective list

-Credibility; who grants one the authority to declare the cream of the crop?

WHY THIS LIST IS NO DIFFERENT:

-The author lacks credibility and knowledge (i.e. barely knows any music outside of Metro Manila)

-Clear nepotism

-Willfully disregards a strict idea of “local” or “Filipino”

-Declares several releases, produced within a particular area, as “The Best” of a certain year despite not having heard a substantial amount of music

-Author’s reluctance to shell out cash severely limited possible entries to, with a few exceptions, the freely downloadable

-Attempts to cover different genres regardless of expertise and personal taste

-No reason/concept behind selecting “EPs” and “albums” as the focus of the list

-Got really lazy around the middle of the list

WHY 2016:

-Most recent complete year

-This blog didn’t exist prior to 2016

-I only began writing last year

WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016:

-Not much

-Long-anticipated albums from The Strangeness, Ang Bandang Shirley, Musical O, and The Geeks were postponed

-The bands that I like either broke up, declared hiatus, or just stopped accepting gigs

-The sudden germination of unknown or previously-unheard-of bands (Fresh Filter, Wanderband, etc.)

-Indie veterans are getting older and the then-young bands of the past few years are slowly burning out

-A large crowd—unprecedented in number—attended the Fête at Green Sun

-Indie’s ecosystem/infrastructure appears close to completely ossifying: radio (Fresh Filter), online (Vandals on the Wall, Indie Manila, Pinoytuner, Alternatrip), TV (MYX), physical spaces and venues, established fairs/festivals/events (Wanderband, Satchmi Vinyl Day, JD Indie Fest, Fête de la Musique) and presence in print media and news outlets (Rappler Live Jams, ANC, CNN Life, PhilStar)

-Influx and revitalization of, and renewed interest in noise acts (Maldoror, Local Disk (C:), Promote Violence; Hibernation, Kamuning Public Radio, Expert Trip Mental Music) as well as some sort of horrorcore/witch house/dank meme/cloud rap/(post-)vaporwave movement building up (Virtual Barangay, NoFace Records, Calix, Den Sy Ty)

-Appearance of music scene commentator personas like Kupal on the Wall (R.I.P.) and Flying Lugaw

-Twitter skirmishes: topics include perceived misogyny (Sud’s appearance on the cover of PULP Magazine and practically their entire oeuvre; Soil and Green’s MV for “Hello Sunrise”), music criticism or “gonzo journalism” (KOTW, Flying Lugaw, Vernon Go), Grammar Nazis, the death of indie (CNN Life’s feature article on Manila’s only grunge band Yūrei); bands fighting with other bands, members fighting with other members, website managers fighting with other website managers, etc.

ASSESSMENT OF 2016:

-Lukewarm (if not stagnant and boring) year; it was less animated and barely produced anything fresh; it felt like the trail end of an echo

-Possible intermezzo to some drastic renovation, alteration of atmosphere, or reconfiguration of mechanisms

-Stale acts have firmly established themselves as the dominant players in the scene

THIS LIST’S RAISON D’ÊTRE:

To cite several noteworthy EPs/albums of 2016 that I found either personally resonant or that they embody trajectories for the future, bearing the most potential to effect transformations hopefully many of us would help cultivate

THE ACTUAL LIST HOWEVER GROUPED INTO AD HOC TRENDS

THE OVERDRIVE-GUITAR MACHINE CONTINUUM

Yūrei - Random Schizoid Godhead Generator If there’s any EP/album that would prove itself, in the years to come, as a monumental work that came out 2016, it would be this. Random Schizoid Godhead Generator reveals Yūrei’s metamorphosis: emerging from the chrysalis of self-reflexive Nirvana-grunge to explore stranger territory. Cryptic and opaque verbal phrases are married with fuzz-drenched guitars, eerie synth blips, agile melodic bass, and the intense seismic pounding of drums; the band often plays with density, frequently adding/subtracting elements, prodding at the fragility of what makes a song. We consequently witness them slither into post-punk, noise/musique concrète, hyper-grunge, and minimal/skeletal indie pop. Only time will clearly, and more completely, validate RSGG’s potential widespread relevance.

https://yureiph.bandcamp.com/album/random-schizoid-godhead-generatror

Grows - Go, Glow, Grows The debut album of Grows. This relatively new act can be seen as a sister act of noise terrorists Pastilan Dong! (both acts share two members) but whereas Pastilan Dong!’s style is defined by an ear-splitting and architectonic brute force barrage of noise, Grows emphasizes conventional song structures and easily likable melodies while similarly embracing 90s Gen X guitar-centrism. However, this is not to say that, upon comparison, Grows is regressive; the band exhibits more finesse and thought with regards to songwriting and what we receive in turn is a collection of enjoyable alternative rock.

http://shop.beattherobotrecords.com/album/go-glow-grows

Ced Concepcion - Age Minus Ced Concepcion’s first solo release (he has had numerous projects before such as Ursa Minor, Lochness, and Hey Johnny Wolf, and is also a producer/audio engineer at Crap Studios). Same with Go, Glow, Grows, this is straight-up alt-rock/college rock, a testament to the fact that there is a slow but steady and continuous outpour of similar material. Can be categorized as tito rock as long as said tito listens to The Smashing Pumpkins, Dinosaur Jr., The Replacements, and Superchunk. Don’t expect any of these 90s throwback acts to completely vanish.

http://cedconcepcion.bandcamp.com/album/age-minus

The Buildings - Cell-O-Phane This is my list and I can do whatever I want.

http://thebuildingsph.bandcamp.com/album/cell-o-phane

LO-FI LONE WOLVES

Eggboy - The Spotlight Effect The Spotlight Effect features what I’d call “Eggboy 2.0”; it still retains the lo-fi sensibility for it to be an Eggboy release, it features slacker thrasher tracks like “Wait for Me”, signature Diego Mapa bittersweet melodic pop tunes (think “Nagsasawa Ka Na Ba?” but in this case “Sana Di Mo Ako Iniiwasan”), and analog electro/techno jams (“Beat Matsing”). A key difference is the discernible use of contemporary technology/techniques; the EP sounds more tonally expansive compared to past releases (i.e. the low-bass rumble in “I Feel for You”). Additionally, this isn’t as thin or scattered as 98-05 and is in fact a lot more cohesive and dynamic (perhaps due to the shorter format?).

https://eggboymanila.bandcamp.com/album/spotlight-effect

The Juliens - Boyish The Juliens are a severely underrated band. Their latest EP trades in the synthpop of past releases in favor of fuzzed out, lush and liquefied dream pop. All songs display a keen sense of melody and a characteristic yet charming drum machine. Their music video for “Winter’s Flight” is equally amusing and I find it definitive of who they are as a band: laidback and lackadaisical. All of their releases on Bandcamp can be downloaded for free so go check them out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4mDFjkYYuk (The Juliens- “Winter’s Flight” MV)

https://thejuliens.bandcamp.com/album/boyish-ep

routine protein - strong world I like routine protein not only because his music reminds me of K Records/Flying Nun-type stuff but also because it is “lo-fi”/”twee” that jettisons the saccharine veneers espoused by many traversing similar paths. This is “twee” that seems to get annoyed by the cheerful glow of the sun, it is reclusive rather than bubbly. The songs on strong world are incredibly catchy in their simplicity, and it conveys the paradoxically naïve yet cool and aloof aura typical of Beat Happening and pretty much every interesting indie pop act.

http://strong-boy.bandcamp.com/album/strong-world

Yuji - Inimitable Livers Grabe tinatamad na talaga ako magsulat in English. Basta sobrang ganda nito. Imagine niyo parang Lou Reed-Jandek hybrid tapos demented slacker rock na sobrang lo-fi. Medyo dream pop pero di siya gentle at all so “bangungot pop”? Inimitable Livers proves that there is an alternative to all the cutesy Scout Magazine/berlin-artparasites bedroom twee pop solo projects; you can, under the same circumstances, create something simultaneously frightening, intense, and magnetic.

https://soundcloud.com/yujidetorres/sets/inimitable-livers

Also worth checking: Daydreams - Teenage Feelings

COLLAPSING WALLS OF SOUND

Beast Jesus - In Various States of Disassembly Never mind their recently-released, self-indulgent and conceptually gimmick-y although technically impressive, 16-minute Name-That-Genre-of-a-track “Eros Obfuscate”. In Various States of Disassembly however will come down as an EP that will be talked about by succeeding generations. Beast Jesus’ most admirable quality is their elusiveness to being pigeonholed by genres—the typical categories just don’t apply to their output. In their debut EP, they disassemble genres such as shoegaze, indie pop, noise rock, and post-metal to form some hybrid sonic arsenal suited for their needs.

https://beastjesusmanila.bandcamp.com/album/in-various-states-of-disassembly

Disquiet Apartment - Little Infinities Shoegaze that jettisons hallucinatory comfort for indefatigable momentum. It is dreamlike and intense, angelic and ethereal without ever sacrificing energy. Undeniably one of my favorite EPs last year.

https://disquietapartment.bandcamp.com/album/little-infinities

VOYAGES INTO VIOLENT VORTICES AND THE CESSPOOLS OF CULTURE

Den Sy Ty - #MANILACIRCLEJERK A collection of violent and brutally honest tracks, introspective and at times political, swirled into one heady and disorienting mix.

http://densyty.bandcamp.com/album/manilacirclejerk

Calix - Breakout Satirist Blatantly political and unrepentantly wrathful. Opts for the stark and straightforwardly vicious rather than the woozy. Grime-y tracks that try to match and level with its targets in malevolent intensity.

https://soundcloud.com/calixph/sets/breakout-satirist-2016

帰宅します，Ａｍａｄｏ - 帰宅します，Ａｍａｄｏ Extremely dusty vaporwave minus Arizona and Tron-like VHS graphics, only motifs handpicked from propaganda posters. Neither is there any weeaboo traits, only sympathies with Communist China. 80s synthpop and video game music is ignored for contemporary pop songs and a good dose of Manila Sound classics. This is vaporwave that flaunts its indebtedness to Marxism, without neglecting humor, and it is “distinctly Filipino”. Including this mostly because of “Walang Drama….”.

https://virtualbarangay420.bandcamp.com/album/--2

Also worth checking: 帰宅します，Ａｍａｄｏ- ＴｈｅＷｒｅｔｃｈｅｄｏｆｔｈｅＥａｒｔｈ

THE SOLE PRISTINE ARTIFACT

Moon Mask - Irreversible I lack the appropriate referents to paint a lucid description of this EP but it is enjoyable, danceable, and it doesn’t come across as cheesy or lazy; it contains well-crafted and unashamedly contemporary-sounding pop tunes that seem to draw from 80s New Wave/synthpop and video game OSTs; it undermines all boneheaded suggestions of a dichotomy between pop and “good” music breaks the staid dichotomy of pop and “good” music

https://soundcloud.com/moonmask/sets/irreversible-ep

CYBORGS, KNOB TWIDDLERS, CIRCUIT BENDERS

Local Disk C:- Dyson / System / Temperament This trilogy is a must-hear so as to experience the polar opposite of bombardment, to witness music at its most skeletal. Tones stand autonomously not in support of one another. This is an exploration of our exploration to musical elements like rhythm, melody, and texture. Its intensity and density contracts and dilates. At times, extremely sparse but can also swell into a cacophonous assemblage.

https://localdiskc.bandcamp.com/album/dyson

https://localdiskc.bandcamp.com/album/system

https://localdiskc.bandcamp.com/album/temperament

John Pope - Halocline Contains traces of grime, early dubstep, and musique concrète. I’d like to think there’s an affinity in approach between this and Local Disk (C:)’s trilogy (to explore and emphasize the potential of different tones, their diversity and multidimensionality) but for a wholly different purpose, which is to hook people with its groove.

https://johnpxpe.bandcamp.com/releases

MALDOROR - THE UNIVERSAL BASIS OF Similarly, a tour-de-force of an individual’s experiment with tones. It is multilayered electronic noise, digital glitches, and found sounds/musique concrete. MALDOROR explores a wide range of timbre and utilizes schizophrenic loops that intersect/interlock/overlap/interweave.

https://mldrr.bandcamp.com/album/the-universal-basis-of

Also worth checking: MALDOROR - BASTARD ORGAN; MALDOROR - STATELESSNESS; Similarobjects - Rara Avis

CAN’T RESIST INCLUDING A FEW STANDOUT TRACKS:

Tall Ice Lung - “How I Wish I Met You Sooner in My Life”

https://soundcloud.com/diagnostic-records/tall-ice-lung-how-i-wish-i-met-you-sooner-in-my-life

fisherfolk - “Trial By Fire (feat. Teenage Granny)”

https://soundcloud.com/fisherfolk/trial-by-fire-ft-teenage-granny

Musical O - “House Tea”

https://soundcloud.com/musicaloph/musical-o-house-tea

Ang Bandang Shirley - “Umaapaw”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pXZCO3A_8w

Sour Cheeks - “Anymore”

https://soundcloud.com/sourcheeksmusic/anymore

Mellow Fellow & Clairo - “How Was Your Day?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAV8X7lviVw

SONGS THAT I THOUGHT WERE RELEASED IN 2016 BUT ARE TOO GOOD FOR ME TO LEAVE OUT:

Musical O - “Lips”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAP6pNzMQUE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAMINoZbgg4 (Labio)

Joee & I - “Teknobalat”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GYh7Zn1JNg

http://iandjoee.bandcamp.com/track/teknobalat

NOSTRADAMUS’ COLUMN (EFFECTIVE 2017):

-90’s-emulating guitar-centric rock will be “phased out” for a couple years to give way to the tried-and-tested and more palatable genres like (but not limited to) “big band soul” and conyo rap

-A counter-movement marked by abrasion and self-aware vulgarity will continue to brew steadily in the margins as a response to the sanitized and lackluster acts in the spotlight

-More bands active in the indie circuit will cross over to the mainstream

-MYX-tailored/geared bands will pop up with more frequency

-New scenes/zones/circuits (which may or may not overlap with existing ones) will be generated; an almost complete change of terrain

AN UNNECESSARY CALL-TO-ARMS (OBLIQUE STRATEGIES FOR AN OPTIMISTIC CODA): continue to stage disruptions, interrogate relentlessly, re-open wounds, leap into and/or form new dimensions, morph ceaselessly, don’t merely break ground rather engineer tectonic shifts

MAKE 2017: BIZARRE, WILD, IRREVERENT, STRANGE, JAGGED, SPIRAL, DOPED UP, FLUID, SPECTRAL, FRACTURED/FRACTAL, DISCORDANT, FEED()BACK, (IN)TENSE, PULSATE, ORGIASTIC, ACCELERATE, INFERNAL, SONOROUS, GLACIAL, ELASTIC, DYNAMIC, IMMACULATE, PRISMATIC, AMORPHOUS, RELENTLESS, INTERTWINE, IMPLODE, ZIGZAG, GENERATIVE, UNPREDICTABLE, VICIOUS/VISCOUS/VIRULENT/VIRAL/VITRIOLIC/VISCERAL/VIBRANT/VIRTUAL/VITAL/VIOLENT

#year-end list bingo #best-of #other-hyphenated things

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