Our Intimate Experience with Clara Benin at her Coming Home Concert

It’s not uncommon for artists to take hiatuses from the limelight, but it comes as a surprise when a promising act decides to bow out just as their light is beginning to shine. A relative newcomer to the local music scene, Clara Benin started conversations with her earnest songs that emanated faith and an almost serene quality. Despite the shadow cast by her well-known musician of a father, Clara soon carved a name for herself with her unassuming yet soothing music worthy of repeated listening.

This was a concert, but it was in no way a show filled with theatrics and needless visuals. Just some heartfelt music and poetry was enough.

Words by Lausanne Barlaan & Photos by Andrei Suleik
In partnership with Stages Sessions

Clara describes her music as “coffee shop music,” but it was evident that she was made for a much bigger venue and much wider recognition. Soon after the announcement of the concert that she will have before taking a hiatus, the local music community clamored for tickets to see Clara perform for what might be the last time in a while, so much so that a second night had to be opened for people to be accommodated.

Though Clara’s Coming Home was set in a venue as big as Teatrino, it was clear that the night was an intimate send-off, with the dimly-lit stage strewn with books, carpets, and lamps. This was a concert, but it was in no way a show filled with theatrics and needless visuals. Just some heartfelt music and poetry was enough.

Indie-folk band Munimuni started the night with their songs and stories, their relaxed banter inviting the audience as if they were part of their circle of trusted friends. And while most concerts leave the audience to their own devices while the next act is setting up, Clara’s Coming Home offered a welcome surprise to pass the setup time. Spoken word artists, commenced by a moving performance by Fiona Comendador, provided a worthwhile way to usher in and transition to the next act.

Clara soon entered the stage with Human Eyes off her first full album. She was soon joined by singer-songwriter Quest as they sung of No Greater Love, backed by Clara’s friends Poch Barretto and Justin Ratilla. They followed it up with the upbeat Be My Thrill, with Quest injecting his verses as Clara crooned. It was one of the liveliest moments of the night, most likely due to the infectious energy that radiated from the stage as Quest and Clara sung.

To usher in the next act, up-and-coming rapper Curtismith performed a timely piece about his beloved Philippines’ struggle with greed and fear-mongering, his memorable poetry infused with Bible verses. The stage was lit up next with the powerful lineup of singer-songwriters Reese Lansangan, Rizza Cabrera, and Keiko Necesario blending in with Clara, supported by talented musicians (among them singer-cellist Coeli San Luis). What followed was a glorious set by the quartet as they performed Some Kind of Magic and Just For Now, their harmonies inducing goosebumps and well-deserved cheers from the crowd. Bob Ecarma closed the first half of the concert with her piece Tug, speaking of drifting away, finding peace, and returning home.

Welcoming an even more stripped down second set, Clara drifted onto the stage in a white dress and bare feet. She invited her “favorite person to make music with” onstage, who unsurprisingly turned out to be her father Joey Benin. Together, they calmed the audience with performances of Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now and a newly-penned song by Clara called Momentary.

Clara ended her concert with Dust, with the audience singing along in hushed whispers, as if willing the inevitable end of the night to stall its arrival. The audience did not hold back on the eager applause as Clara and the rest of the performers bowed, cheering for an encore.

While Clara might be leaving for a while, it was apparent that she will always have this loving community to come home to.

Skate Park Sessions with Josh Salvacion

Now on its 4th year, Skatezophrenia has nothing to lose. It seeks to showcase the talent and wide skill set of various Filipino skateboarders. It becomes an avenue as well for the rise of the unique local skateboarding culture. This year, the journey takes us to five weeks hitting the best parks and street spots around Luzon. With a bag of tricks in his arsenal, Josh Salvacion has become one of the people to watch in the skateboarding scene. The dude who hails from the city of Cebu showcases some gnarly shredding yet again in his footage from Skatezophrenia 4.0. Watch him ride and cruise Luzon like a boss below. Shot and edited by Alken Estrada, it doesn't get any more raw and real than this:

The Exploration of Life and its Beauty in Paincake Patrol's new album, Consonance/Dissonance

In a world full of different perspectives, occurrences and everything in between, it is helpful to be at peace that we can't control any of them. And to have an appreciation for all the things happening, the experiences, the good and the bad, is what Eeman Bulotano III AKA Paincake Patrol comes to evoke in his new album, Consonance/Dissonance. "The EP [//Social Constructs] dealt with existential crisis and about how we perceive our reality and how our views may be views of other people that we have absorbed as our own without questioning." Eeman explains. "[The album] is the continuation of that journey." It seems like the //Social Constructs EP was the electronic ambient musician's intro to a deeper sense of self. While it conveys an exploration of the self, the upcoming album, Consonance/Dissonance, tackles the exploration of the life around us.

"[Emptiness and meaning of life] are mere reflections of each other," Eeman claims. "And there's more to life than just eating and money. It's time that we all realize and accept that depression is real and can lead to fatal consequences." As much as the album focuses on the wonder of all experiences in life, it is also his mission to shine light and spread awareness about depression. He believes that life should be lived to the fullest no matter how empty one feels. "That maybe emptiness isn't such a bad thing and that being empty means we can absorb more and become an entirely different and hopefully a better person." Eeman explains. So through Consonance/Dissonance, he aims to show his support to the cause by donating part of his proceeds from the album to an organization that shares the same advocacy as he does.

The first-ever album of Paincake Patrol is set to launch on August 6, 2016 by 8pm at SaGuijo Cafe + Bar in Makati City. In addition to his album release and performance, other artists like MOONWLK, Nights of Rizal, Coeli, S E R I E S, Alisson Shore and Audio Drive Thru will perform as well. There will also be Spoken Word Poetry and a Collage Art Exhibit during the event. Tickets are available at the door for Php200, and for more info, you can visit the Consonance/Dissonance event page on Facebook. If you haven't of heard his music yet, we've attached a video of him playing live below too.

Cover up with the Rainy Season Collection 1 of Threedown

Our local weather news are again in the same loop, always warning about thunderstorms, with warnings of more tropical storms in the coming weeks. If you are looking for gear built for this kind of weather, then check out the latest drop from streetwear brand Threedown. They came up with embroidered details for these pieces. Both the pocket tee and the zipped hoodie jacket have an embroidery of a Threedown text logo on the left chest. The hoodie also has a print on its right sleeve, in black and white with broken glass effect. Also part of the drop is a navy blue beanie with a TD logo woven patch label. Photographs by Erika Yamaguchi, modeled by Sherlaine Yap & Threedown bmx rider Jerome Perez. Available at Secret Service, Ronac Art Center, Greenhills and through their Facebook page for online orders.

College Friends has released their latest track No Colony

College Friends’ latest release No Colony feels like a road trip on a summer night, with its feet-tapping beats and earnest words. Listeners unfamiliar with lo-fi will probably need to adjust to its sound quality, but if anything, the lack of refinement only adds to the charm of the track. The catchy track deserves a spin, if only to summon feel-good vibes despite the gloomy weather. No Colony is College Friends’ first release, which we hope will be followed up soon. Listen to the track in full below:

Dance through a History of Techno Parties from 1996-2001

Did you know that before the rise of mainstream electronic dance music (EDM) proliferated by the likes of Calvin Harris, Alesso, and Zedd, the Philippines was a hub for both underground and non-underground techno music raves? Pulseradio.net recently released a rare compilation video of techno parties in Manila from 1996-2001. The video shows techno music greats like Derrick May (1196), Laurent Garnier (1997), Ken Ishii (1998), Pure Science (1999), Alec Empire (1999), Toti D (1999), Josh Wink (2000), and Stacey Pullen (2001) playing in packed Consortium parties all around the metro. These secret and not-so-secret all-night dance parties were held in offbeat venues like the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the National Library, Star City, and Festival Mall in Alabang.

Take a trip down memory lane and watch the clips by Toti Dalmacion below:

Source: Pulse Radio

Elevate Apparel back at it again with their Words of Wisdom Collection

The emergence of Facebook as a free/less-pricey but effective platform for entrepreneurs to market their product has definitely led to the rise of many clothing brands. One of them is Elevate Apparel, a local lifestyle label that started out in 2009. They steadily gained steam and saw their fanbase boom after a couple of years. Ups and downs led them to scale down production, focusing more on accessories these past few months and having their last release of apparel dating back to June 2015. Despite these trials, the experiences they gained now belong to the arsenal of knowledge that they possess as they march on in their endeavor. Now, they have a new batch of threads, aptly titled the Words of Wisdom Collection. Choose from their new selection starting with a tank top and a 3/4 raglan with printed graphics. They also came up with a marble-inspired tie dye tee with an Elevate box logo up front. If you long for their prowess in cut and sew shirts, then the Triad pocket tee is the one for you. Go to www.elevateapparel.com for purchase details of these goods.

Gnarrate drops new music video for "Bagsak"

When it comes to music videos, there's always the inevitable dance between mediums. Done right, MVs can capture all the power and raw emotion present in the music. Done wrong, it can do the opposite. So when you have something as biting as "Bagsak" - a single from Gnarrate's EP, "Koronasyon" - you'd wonder how to translate such narrative into video. The answer: be equally starkly honest.

Shot in black and white and produced by mSbeats and Kraeon Films, it blends in frenetic transitions, urban imagery, and the artist's prowess in all simplicity. Check the full video below to see for yourself.