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CARELESS MUSIC

What does it take to change the landscape of the local music industry? Or rather, who? Careless Music Manila might just have what it takes.

- Words by LEX CELERA Photograph­y by JP TALAPIAN Styling by HIDEKI ITO

FOREVER IS THE most criminally underrated, if not the best, song in “Palm Dreams.” The lyrics are easy enough to understand. For example:

You are all I want So much that I put it in a song Can we just stay home We can take turns on the PlayStatio­n

The lyrics, written by James Reid allegedly a month into his relationsh­ip with Nadine Lustre last 2016, read like a diary entry. The entirety of “Palm Dreams” shares the same sentiments of desire, excess, and youthful energy bedded in vibrant, relaxed R& B groove. But Forever settles in that sweet spot of vulnerabil­ity that catches you off- guard. Out of all of the songs in the album, this track in particular doesn’t exactly call to the fact that the album was made by famous celebrity and one half of power couple JaDine, James Reid. It shouldered the idea that the album would be listened to by anyone who isn’t familiar with James, which makes “Palm Dreams” not your typical run- ofthe- mill artista album, which earns it some artistic merit. While a lot of albums earn acclaim simply because of the name attached,

Forever and the rest of “Palm Dreams” pointed out that albums could stand on their own two feet. No other artista could have replicated James' vulnerabil­ities in Forever, much more the rest of the album.

But “Palm Dreams” wasn’t just a contractua­l obligation nor was it a passion project. When one of the biggest young celebritie­s in the country is being given full creative control of his own music label and does what James Reid is doing, this is Careless Music Manila, spearheade­d by James and Bret Jackson, have been signing potential artists across the country left and right, and have been slowly gaining interest among

discerning music fans in the country about what they are up to.

Right now, Careless are attempting the foreseeabl­e future, if everything Dreams” to garner so much acclaim, but it sparked something in him to make a move and create his own label. What we’re seeing here is a possible game changer in the making, a force to be reckoned with that is slowly realizing its trajectory. With one foot in the dominating and controllin­g showbiz industry, and the other in the fringes of the music scene, Careless might just have what it takes to change the local music industry.

The name Careless began as an inside joke between friends after Careless

Whisper adlib,” James shared. "And then, it just kind of grew."

“We were in Boracay [a few years on the beach and one of my friends said, ‘ Ang careless mo gago.’ And we just laughed about it,’” shared Bret Jackson, otherwise known as the frenetic, energetic rapper KingWAW in Careless. “And then biglang everyone in Boracay was saying it. They would it stuck. When James was recording “Palm Dreams,” he was asked to give a name for the label. “Careless”

James and Bret met onstage as contestant­s in Pinoy Big Brother: Teen

Clash 2010. They quickly became friends after sharing their interests in music, and both signed contracts with Viva Artists soon after. You can still see remnants of their old band WE ARE WHATEVER online–a reflection of their inspiratio­ns at the time, including Never Shout Never, whom Bret covered as well.

Seven years after Pinoy Big Brother, the two are together again in a label under their creative control with one project each under their name. Joining them are: the equally talented and fellow renegade Nadine Lustre, Dubai- born model and rapper Luke Hassan a. k. a. AstroKidd, Dumaguete- based half- Ghanaian, half- Filipino Haissam "Massiah" Morton, 19- yearold Tacloban native Sofia Romualdez, and rapper-

entreprene­ur Mito "Curtismith" Fabie. Some of them have only been on the spotlight as early as July’s Scout General Public, and yet as early as now, their actions indicate that they are onto something, and that they are onto something big. Probably something even bigger than all of them put together.

“We only work with people we like,” Jeriko Tan, COO of Careless, said while casually sipping coffee. Sharing images of Careless’ recent work trip to Macau and of his motorbike, Jeriko stressed that Careless as a group maintain a strong foundation of friendship to build on. public’s ears as of yet, the tracks in the album reveal a polished dynamic between the labelmates.

group at 19, joined Careless after a chance meeting with Bret in the studio. The two would later work on a song that was never released, along with the rest of the songs from encounter would later bear fruit. “It was over a year ago. James and Nadine; they heard my stuff and wanted me to get there.” Thinkin’ U latest track, shares the same pop- R&B sensibilit­ies and currently breathe in.

Bret was also responsibl­e for bringing in Massiah and Astrokidd, who add trap table. Before they joined Careless, the two were on different trajectori­es. While AstroKidd has double degrees in aircraft engineerin­g and marketing management, Massiah just recently shifted from engineerin­g to creative writing in Siliman University.

AstroKidd garnered attention after releasing the music video for Skyfall feat. Dalla and Pzycho Sid. ‘[Before

WHEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST YOUNG CELEBRITIE­S IN THE COUNTRY IS BEING GIVEN FULL CREATIVE CONTROL OF HIS OWN MUSIC LABEL AND DOES WHAT AMES REID IS DOING THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE CALL A FLEX.

he shared. “I was just making music on the low.” While working on music and enjoying modeling stints, he’s also set to work on his own clothing line in the near future.

Meanwhile, Massiah quietly settled in the Dumaguete undergroun­d scene working with Midnasty, one of the biggest Bisaya artists. Out of everyone in Careless, he might have one of the widest musical tastes. “YouTube is really my drug. I can watch YouTube for hours.”

Curtismith joined Careless “quite organicall­y,” as he put it. The past year, he has placed his energy on things other than music: opening a restaurant in La Union and career to a stop after imploding on Twitter in lieu of allegation­s of misogyny and being a Marcos apologist, both of which he has categorica­lly denied. Regarding the to just channel my energy where I would want the things that I can control, doing more good work, regardless of people noticing, and sticking to my values.“His polarizing image notwithsta­nding, his lyricism and penchant for laidback beats proves an interestin­g addition to the posse. “IDEAL” and “Soully, Yours” were both projects that inked Curtismith’s name in the local music scene, and which contribute­d to the growing appeal of music that had none of the hallmarks of local formulaic pop, but had still the capability to be recognized internatio­nally.

When it comes to dealing with the media and the general public, no one in Careless knows more than Nadine and James. For the past few years, the two have been basking in the limelight, both together and as their own respective artists. Trust me when I say that their fans are as allconsumi­ng and all- judging whenever their names are mentioned anywhere online. And the two are very well aware as well.

When the name “Careless Music Manila” surfaced as the name behind the Nadine- directed music video for “Palm Dream”’s The Life on Dec. 15, 2017, there was some backlash haters, bashers, and they started calling me careless,” James shared. “I thought it’s funny; it gives me no guilt because for me, careless is I don’t give a f*ck.”

For James, music has always been Careless, he’s set to make his mark for himself. When he started with “Palm Dreams,” he “was just making music that he thought was cool.” But with the album’s release, the decadent, indulgent music videos, the lustful lyrical content–it changed his public image. It was like uncovering a mask. For him, that’s catharsis.

We live in a country where music, cinema and sing and dance on Sunday noontime shows while singers and dancers land roles in movies and teleseryes. For the same pool of people to venture into politics wouldn’t be surprising. It’s all too normal for us.

To disrupt this line of thinking, this status quo, is to be labeled improperly as “indie,” and as different. But

“THERE’S SO MUCH TALENT BUT IT’S JUST NOT GETTING OUT RIGHT.”

It’s great. It’s in this ambiguity that Careless thrive in and are able to stretch–they are under Viva, after all–but the group represents a shift in taste when it comes to what and how people consume media. While some would convenient­ly dismiss James and company as a mere industry plant, as another iteration of the showbiz industry’s glacial step into what the kids are into, Careless, the label, the group, the sum of its parts could maybe give the man a middle the window and potentiall­y changing the landscape of what constitute­s as OPM. I mean, JaDine is already doing

Luke, and Haissam aren’t just the members of Careless; they are joined by graphic artists, photograph­ers, and producers–artists that know the score when it comes to what the kids are into today. People who would have had to grind for years before earning a break. The attitude to collaborat­e with young, deserving artists is already a move that would contribute as to why Careless have been dubbed as “pushing the culture.”

Pushing the culture. A phrase in some social circles, particular­ly the hip- hop, skate, and indie scene know all too well. What does it mean? James’ take is a personal one: “It is not the type of culture that gets to be put on TV. I think now’s the time. The generation now is like. . .Filipinos are hella cool. They’re hella stylish and there’s so much talent but it’s just not getting out right.”

For far too long, the entertainm­ent industry in its intentiona­lly myopic vision maintained its perpetual chokehold on its artistas while maintainin­g their “para sa masa” rhetoric. Maybe it does take someone who knows the system well enough, someone with the machinery and public image to take it down. But it does take more than one person to build it back up, and Careless–the name they call themselves now a misnomer– are well- equipped, and more importantl­y, not lacking in any foresight.

“Palm Dreams” was one of the few albums from an

artista that caught my attention last year, and their debut mixtape–tentativel­y dubbed “Careless Music Vol. 1”–will be a whopping 15-track project that’s technicall­y been years in the making; a result of collaborat­ions between numerous talented individual­s working on a singular vision. After that, each artist is set to roll out their own individual project. They’re also in talks to do a tour in the United States, and in time, sign more artists. They’re not limiting themselves to the neon- lit, moody pop, trap sign some rock bands next year, some of which he has already scouted.

By the time this story gets published, Careless–all them rowdy, calculated boys and girls–would have already been celebratin­g the release of their debut mixtape. As “Palm Dreams” and “Island City Poems” indicated, the most promising quality from this group is their willingnes­s to act on what they think is good, supplement­ed by natural talent and informed by their capacity to make their projects happen. Whatever their next moves are, they are a force to be reckoned with. They already have the eyes of both the local music circles and the bigwigs up in corporate media. I think they’re well aware of that, which is why they’re anything but careless.

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(this page) ON BRET: OJK vest, F&H pants (opposite page) ON ASTROKIDD: BALENCIAGA suit, F&H knit top ON MASSIAH: KC PUSING coat, F&H knit top as shoulder warmer ON CURTISMITH: OXYGEN pants ON SOFIA: F&H white hoodie, JANN BUNGCARAS joggers ON NADINE: ALEXANDER MCQUEEN shirt, VALENTINO JEANS denim jacket ON BRET: OSH KOSH B’GOSH jacket, F&H hoodie as scarf ON JAMES: GAP corduroy blazer, F&H inner shirt
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ON SOFIA: PR()BLEM co-ords, NIKE shoes ON MASSIAH: PAOLO MENDOZA coat, NIKE shoes
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ON CURTISMITH: YVES SAINT LAURENT top, NIKE shoes ON ASTROKIDD: PR()BLEM coat
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