BLKD x UMPH - Gatilyo (Music Video)

From the cracks of the aftershocks the drop of Gatilyo has left on our local hip hop scene, BLKD and UMPH unleashes the first music video from their collaborative project. The album's first track that shares the same name, Gatilyo is an introduction towards the main points that the whole album wishes to drive home. BLKD raps this one-verse track inside a slaughterhouse, a metaphorical visual presentation of what the emcee wishes to accomplish through his music. The scene then switches to BLKD standing and spitting in the middle of the street, this time performing his verse from Kawal, his song with fellow Uprising emcee KJah. They then close the curtains by posting the first four lines of the poem Ang Dapat Mabatid ng mga Tagalog written by Gat Andres Bonifacio. Curated and produced by Ryan Armamento, shot by Kevin Vea, and edited by Cedric Cordero.

Purveyr Instagramer: Kara Chung

Staying true to Instagram's philosophy of #CommunityFirst, Kara has extended beyond her 15.8k followers' phones and into the real world. She truly believes that Instagram is a platform that connects like-minded creatives, and because of this, she has forged connections with Instagramers, models and other creatives from different parts of the globe. Her feed, composed mostly of portrait and fashion photography, shows her versatility and skillfulness in working with different types of people in varying sets and conditions. Playing with cool tones and pale hues, Kara's photos evoke a sense of mystery as each one makes you wonder and delve deeper.

"Hi! I’m Kara, and I work as a freelance artist. When I was younger I started out doing graphic art and music. My first set of pictures I released as a university freshman mainly complemented my design projects- during my time in college I made posters for a bunch of events. I needed to create my own graphics to place on my images, thus I started to take my photography more seriously. 

I identify as an ambivert and photography lets me bounce between temperaments. My work allows me to get out of the house, go location scouting, and meet new friends- but at the end of the day I also enjoy staying alone in my room and immersing myself in the editing process." 

How long have you been using Instagram and what made you decide to give more effort in it?

I started to use Instagram sometime during college. A bunch of photos I took over the past year that seemed to follow a similar theme led me to explore a darker mood. 

How would you describe your approach (style) to photography? 

A focus on color, interesting layers, minimalism. 

What are your usual subjects? 

People - especially when I can show emotion using form and posture rather than facial expression. 

What makes for a good Instagram shot? 

When the photograph tells a story. 

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve done for an Instagram photo? 

I wouldn’t say I do unusual things specifically for Instagram, but I do put a lot of effort into my shoots in terms of assembling teams that help me get the portraits I aim for. 

Are your photos on Instagram solely taken from your phone, or do you use other devices, such as SLRs, digital cameras, etc? Do you think the equipment one uses is a big factor in producing stunning Instagram posts?

I use my Nikon D750. I think that the device one uses does not determine whether or not a photo is good- many photographers I admire use solely mobile photography apps for shooting and editing. 

What inspires you? And how does it influence your passion for photography?

Video games were my first love. I used to play a lot of Zelda on my Gameboy Color as a kid, and I’ve always preferred the 8-bit graphics over realistic renders that came out on later consoles. I found it interesting that the platform could use so little to build intricate storylines, and I’d like to think that this minimalism carries over to what I produce today. 

Who are your favorite Instagramers? 

Maria (@marielleko_) - For her evocative conceptual shots. I love how she lets her subjects interact with their environment. 

Heather (@h.va) - An avid explorer I admire for her editorial work and landscape photography. 

Tony (@bellnjerry) - Tony’s gallery is a mix of light-play and bright shades. Am especially drawn to his cinematic portraits of performers. 

What do you dislike about Instagram? 

-

What is Instagram for you? 

A platform that connects like-minded creatives.

Christmas Light Show at Filinvest City

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and Filinvest City makes it a point that everyone feels the spirit of the holidays with eye-catching decor, exciting events and fun activities lined up all month long. To kick off the season of merriment, Filinvest City launched its Christmas campaign, "The Light of Christmas," at the River Park in Festival Mall with a ceremonial lighting of its annual Christmas Musical Lights Show, plus performances from Jed Madela and A.M.P Big Band. The Christmas Musical Lights Show is a must-see for everyone as it features 350,000 twinkling lights dancing to holiday tunes. If you didn't catch the ceremonial lighting, there's no need to worry since the show goes on for 20 minutes daily from 6 to 9pm.

Christmas is definitely just around the corner at Filinvest City, where beautiful lights and decor can be seen practically anywhere especially along major roads and gateways to delight and excite Southerners and visitors from the north side of town for the most-awaited holiday. 'Tis the season to be jolly, so come home to Filinvest City and feel the magic of Christmas.

WeFXD BRKLSS in Japan: The First Tour

It seems like the cycling community in the country just keeps on growing and getting more exciting every time. We see a lot more people riding bikes around the city, and even outside as well. And it actually goes with all kinds of bikes and riders. However, as of the moment, the group who's making the most noise and appearances in our opinion is the fixed gear community. It may be due to the fact that they can be the most flashy in the cycling circle, and are connected to a lot of other communities. To just prove that, earlier this year WeFXD, a premier fixed gear riding group, organized a tour to Japan. The riders were composed of various personalities in the local fixed gear community; bike shop owners, artists, community pioneers and more. They spent their time in Japan biking around the cities of Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo and some more around those areas. To have a glimpse of those rides, you can check out The Breakaway's photo essays here or have a look at their short documentary above. The video is nothing short of inspiring and thrilling, so it's enough to make you be eager to ride as soon as possible after watching it.

Source: The Breakaway

QueenCity Collective Fourth Quarter Release

There has been a surge of new independent local brands from the south. It is very exciting to see how the culture has been growing in the country. Also, having Cebu-born brand, Nick Automatic achieve national and international success, it's not surprising to have new promising brands popping out from the region. One of those brands is QueenCity Collective, who just recently released their fourth quarter collection. Taking inspiration from their hometown, the brand prides itself of being natives of Cebu and celebrates it proudly through their products. The collection has few graphic t-shirts that take a simplistic approach in front and more intricate designs at the back. Since it is just a small collection, it makes us excited for what more they can do in their future releases.

Source: The Working Class

Tell Stories with Storytell Prints

Technology has tranformed the way we live. It has changed every aspect of modern life in both work and play -- Communications are now electronic, documents digital, and all can be accessed through your laptop, smartphone and tablet. We live and interact daily in a digital world, where we have easier access to information and inspiration, and we believe the best way to share this is to tell the stories that get us excited about living in a world we can be proud of. This is where Storytell Prints comes in -- Storytell Prints makes gallery wrap canvas prints, Instagram prints, playing cards, photo boards, mugs, photobooks, paper wallets, photo squares, and a whole lot more, with photos from your Instagram feed or camera roll direct from your mobile phone. All you have to do is download the application of Apple AppStore or Google Play, and browse through their products to see how you can make timeless memories.

The Girl + The Bull Pop-Up at 12/10

Photos from Girl + Bull and Marvin Conanan

After two years of serving n orders of your favorite buttermilk fried chicken and faux twix along Aguirre Avenue in BF Homes, The Girl + The Bull is moving out and to a new location. While we're keeping their new address a secret, they will be bunking with 12/10 in the next few weeks to serve you a completely new lunch menu. But nothing to worry, crowd favorites will still be part of their food & drink offerings -- made better, of course. They will be taking over the kitchen from 11AM to 2:30PM, then 12/10 will be prepping for their usual dinner service starting 6PM. While we're all waiting for the new The Girl + The Bull, let's take a look at their 'used to be' home in the photos below.

Easy Skate-Surf: Surf N' Turf Event Recap

Good food, good music, and just over-all good vibrations, this was the situation last Saturday at Easy Skate-Surf's Surf N' Turf event. With Nolita's three pizza flavors: Pesto Grilled Shrimp, Grilled Shrimp with Bechamel and Cheeseburger, plus Taco Vengo's two tasty tacos: Fish and Bacon Lengua Tripe, everyone's tastebuds were left tingling and excited for more. To wash down all those savory delights, Easy partnered with Barista Box, EDSA BDG, Craftpoint and Better Common to serve up some coffee, beer and cocktails. Live music from select DJs completed the chill session at 3 Brixton. See snippets of the event in the photos below.