ON THEIR FEET
Celebrating the very best in Pinoy Shoegaze
IFELL in love with shoegaze the first time I heard Catherine Wheel’s “Crank” at NU 107’s new music program sometime in the early ‘90s. The wall of sound dissonance paired with dreamy vocals just about captured something fresh and contrarian to the prevailing heavy music of the times.
Subsequent conversations with Pinoy rock musicians and fans revealed there was little interest in the genre.
As if to prove the point, only a smattering of a typically thin crowd gather at special shoegaze showcases at Club Dredd and Mayric’s.
Years onwards, I contented myself reliving the music’s thrill in CD samplers in foreign new music magazines and the farin-between local releases from the likes of Sugar Hiccup.
Then lo and behold, just when I’m consigned to listening to new shoegaze acts from elsewhere comes three various artists compilations from Pilipinas Shoegaze label. The albums trawl the past and luxuriate in pretty recent brave
rockers who continue to traffic in the “scene that celebrates itself.”
As for the future, all I’m sure is I will keep coming back to my favorites in these excellently curated compilations.
ALUNIG: A Shoegaze Pilipinas Compilation Volume 1
ALUNIG (translates to “resonance”) offers a historical perspective, beginning sometime in the early 1990’s and then presenting the influence of the late ‘80’s/ early ‘90’s UK scene on the local under-the-radar subculture. The resonance with the bands that arose from the famed No Zone and Awakening scenes in Metro Manila is all over the place. It should serve as a foretaste of how shoegaze and dream pop influenced the Philippine music scene from the early/ mid ‘90’s to the turn-of-the-millennium Buzz Night fuzzheads down to the current crop of Furiosa noisemakers.
Favorite tracks: Aurora Borealis – “Walkie Toki”; Avalyn – “Blusher”; Candyaudioline - :An Empty You”; Some Gorgeous Accident – “A Million Miles Away”; The Rave Tapes –“Sucker Punch”.
ALIMBÚKAD: A Shoegaze Pilipinas Compilation Volume 2
ALIMBÚKAD (translates to “in full bloom”) Volume 2 broadens its sound and reach from the first volume to cover kindred acts from Metro Manila to Pampanga; from Cebu to Dumaguete; from Cagayan de Oro and Davao all the way to the UAE, Oman and Qatar. Featured is the spectrum of influence of beautiful noise by Filipino bands all over the archipelago and the Middle East united by the common love for shoegaze and dream pop.
Favorite tracks: Concave - Gaze”; KRNA – “Wide Eyes”; Precal Dropouts – “Stay... It’s Eventide; Lilybeth Ostman – “Stay”; Megumi Acorda – “Unexpectedly”.
ALPAS: Beyond Reverb And Noise
ALPAS, which translates as “to become free or break loose”, is the third installment of the Shoegaze Pilipinas compilation series. It’s a continuation of Alunig and Alimbukad and goes beyond the spectrum of beautiful noise and reverb and travels well past the Philippines and Asia.
This compilation features bands from the USA and Canada with members of Filipino descent, joined by several bands from the motherland. From shoegaze and dream pop, the featured acts proceed to dig into post rock, psychedelia and indierock and ultimately crosses over to indiepop, ambient and electronic pop and dreamy synth pop.
Favorite tracks: Pale Blue Morning – “Lost In Oblivion”; Apple Orchard – “A Slow Dissolve”; Cinéma Lumière – “Dream Catcher”; Day & Dream – “A Study In The Pixels Of Your Face”; Mister Disco – “All Forever”.
Favorite tracks are my personal choices. Truth be told, every track deserves to be a favorite of anyone who enjoys great sounds.
Let the bliss resonate on your mortal soul!