I visited digital platforms, I listened to contemporary music and I was conquered by new sounds, at least to my ears, coming from nearby ASEAN countries. I preferred compilation albums to easily sample the breadth of the country’s pop music landscape and in the end, a part of me got the feeling that we, the OPM nation, cannot fully lay claim to producing the latest and the best indie music on our side of the globe.
The proof is in the sampling so let me now tell you about my voyage of discovery.
First Stop: SINGAPORE
VA – Pick of the Lot
Produced by indie pop-punx label Tired Records, this is a compilation of Singapore bands covering other Singapore bands. The main thrust is pop-punk but surprise, surprise, there are lots of power-pop propulsion going on probably to subvert the usual notion that pop-punk is hardcore for wimps. Musically, that is, because going by the titles of the tracks, there’s nothing remotely subversive about “Peaches”, “Cup of Tea” or “Loveless.” Still, there are loads of fun moments across the album.
Picks of the Litter: Susurrus; “Anchor Forever,” Forests’ “Headless and Mindstrong,” Xingfoo&Roy’s “Warm.”
VA – Uploading
Beatmakers and sound designers/producers round up this collection. Its general trajectory is eclectic electronica with the whooshing throbbing sound of a departing spaceship consistently in the background. Soul, hiphop, funk and trip-hop are part and part-parcel of the musical arc and one or two tracks pay homage to the crate-digging prodigiousness of DJ Shadow.
Picks of the litter: Intriguant’s “For Shadow.” OFTRT’S “Sunset.” Zrina’s “Thoughts,” fzpz’s “Intake
Second Stop: INDONESIA
VA – RR2: It’s Alive
The liner notes say melodic hardcore/pop punk is on the menu just like the label’s UK partner Real Ghost Records! Fortunately, the first three tracks are imbued with the spirited punch of premium power pop, followed by lots to tribute to guitarist Johnny Ramones chunky chord thrashings. Some of the bands may have real punky core able to dispense lyrical morsels around “Violent Dreams” or “Walter, We Do Live In A Rotten World.” Me, I take the label’s advice to heart. Just enjoy!
Picks of the litter: New Junk City’s “Coffee Mug”, Cubfires’ “Pace” and “Saturday Night Karaoke’s “Bam Bam Bam”
VA – Holy Noise Shoegazer Compilation
Yay! Shoegaze is in the house and in my years of covering music, it’s one genre that most avid music listeners and enthusiasts can’t come to easy terms with. Ignored by most, beloved by true fans like myself, shoegaze has unfortunately not taken firm roots in Pinoy rock, for some reason. In this compilation, the indelible influences of UK stalwarts Ride, Catherine Wheel, MBV and Swervedriver are in full bloom. The enveloping heavily textured haze is all over most of the tracks that fizzle to mere synth wankering near the end. I may have chanced upon a 2015 releases but shoegaze remains alive and well in Indonesia with new bloods Sunlotus and Rissau announcing an ASEAN tour this year.
Picks of the Litter: Black Mustang’s “Fade Away,” Kapsul’s “Martir,” Damascus’s “Slightest”
Third Stop: MALAYSIA
VA – Radioactive Vol. 1
My two left feet notwithstanding, I am greatly taken by this eclectic collection of original EDM anthems. For one, the tracks are arranged according to beats per minute, starting at 175 bpm for the opening track to 225 bpm for the 10th and final track. I would later learn that house/tech house/electro house are in 120-130 bpm realm while trance/techno/dubstep slot in the 130-150 bpm range. Additionally, I get to listen to metal riffs and pastoral embellishments in otherwise brutal quadruple time breakbeats. Plus, all of the sonic adventurous textures come in the service of a worthy cause: the preservation of primate orang-utangs in Borneo.
Picks of the litter: Asteroide’s “A Saucerful of DMT” @200 bpm , Narxz’s “2 Phones” @ 225 bpm, Apple Maggot’s “Chernobyl” @ 194 bpm
VA – Pop Sound
Released by the UK-based Sound of Asia label, Pop Sound got me initially thinking the current pop sound of continent as interpreted by Malaysian musicians. Lo and behold, the participating artists remember the swinging sounds of the late 1960s/early 1970s. Groove is the defining element as the diverse 15 tracks revolve around soul, mod and funk, with nary a Beatlesque or first Brit Invasion credit in this round-up and that’s all right by me, reminiscing about the sounds of my teen years while overcoming the language barrier.
Picks of the litter: Siti Zaiton’s “Malang Selalu,” Zaleha Hamid‘s “Jangan Mengharap,” Diah Iskandar’s “Bila Senja Mendatang”
The Various Artists collections reviewed are available on most digital music platforms, especially bandcamp.