FORTHE’s Bandcamp Picks: September 2021
11 minute readFORTHE’s Bandcamp Picks is a regular series highlighting brand new music releases from Long Beach musicians, producers, and bands. Bandcamp Friday began last spring as part of Bandcamp’s monthly initiative to direct more proceeds to artists in light of the pandemic by waiving its usual 15% service fee for all music purchased that day. That means that today, artists will get to keep all proceeds from music sales, minus a small PayPal or card processing fee. It will continue every first Friday for the rest of 2021.
Below, our members Erin Foley, Kevin Flores, and Santiago Charboneau picked their favorite local releases from September in no particular order. By purchasing from their Bandcamp pages, you can support these local artists directly.
And if you’re a Long Beach musician, let us know when you release new music by hitting us up at editors@forthe.org or on the socials.
Bootleg Orchestra –
With a title derived from a popular revolutionary chant in the Philippines—“Makibaka, huwag matakot”—which means “dare to struggle, don’t be afraid,” Bootleg Orchestra’s new album is a soulful, danceable critique of capitalism and imperialism, as well as a spirited call to action.
“The best thing you can do / let the revolution guide you.”
Living by the same decree as High Priestess of Soul Nina Simone, who said it was “the artist’s duty to reflect the times,” Bootleg’s founding members Vanessa Acosta (vocals, trumpet) and Menchie Caliboso (executive producer, bass) have been making strides to do just that through their own unique blend of electronic soul activism ever since they met at Poly High School over 10 years ago. Canadian transplant Andrew Dickson, a social justice scholar and musician, was a natural addition in 2018. (Introduced by a mutual friend, Caliboso and Dickson smile as they recall making a beat within the first half hour that they met.) Dickson says, “I come from a sort of pseudo-socialist society where [they have] things like universal health care and social safety nets. I’m American by birth, but I grew up in Canada. America is just so individualistic, and it was a blessing to meet people who were more like-minded.”
In the spirit of community building and their overall intention of “keeping it lit,” which Caliboso says with a laugh, Bootleg has several exciting collaborations on the album. Acclaimed underground producer Free the Robots (Chris Alfaro), who has shared the stage with DJ Shadow and Flying Lotus and is a longtime musical inspiration for Caliboso, joins them on the first song, “Carry on the Fight.” Alfaro, who is also Filipino American, collaborated with Bootleg with the intention to fundraise for the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines. (Read the Op-Ed by Acosta and Caliboso that FORTHE published last year for more info about solidarity work between the people of the Philippines and the US.) “Something New,” which appears halfway through the album and is the only song without Acosta on vocals, is a lively song that features Grammy-nominated trumpeter Emile Martinez and singer-songwriter Silahis with a rousing call to “get up, get up, get up!”
“We could build a world…we just want to be free/money won’t save me.”
MAKIBAKA also advocates for taking time to rest, dream, and as Acosta says, “be gentle with ourselves.” Caliboso explains, “While I’m engaging in this political struggle, I also have heartbreak that I’m working through … I also need to work on personal stuff because it affects how I show up for my community.”
Released as a single, the deceptively upbeat “Rock Your Body” was also made into a vibrant music video featuring Caliboso and actor/dancer/choreographer Sierra Fujita depicting the beginning of the end of a romantic relationship. Acosta says, “Even love can be revolutionary.”
The last song of the album, “Contradictions,” which features the poetry of a kasama (comrade in Tagalog) named Kinaiya, sums up the whole album. Caliboso explains that the struggle can be exhausting, but we aren’t alone. “It’s acknowledging that individual struggles, [such as] mental health struggles, [also] have a lot to do with the capitalist system that we’re living in. I don’t have to go at it 100% every day, but I have to remember that, no matter what contradictions we’re going through, ultimately [we do it for] the people…steady progress is the goal.”
-EF
DüllHaus – Control // Tension
Afflicted by doom and filled with brooding intensity, the Clearwater brothers are back and this time they invite you to the edge of their world. And perhaps, your own as well…
The duo’s newest single “Control” and B-side “Tension”—terse titles both mechanistic and carnal in nature—are synthy nocturnes inspired by the waking nightmare of institutional collapse and the daily demagoguery of 2020.
The instrumental opening on “Control” would be a perfect fit in a synthwave soundtrack for an ‘80s cyberpunk film. It retains this cinematic quality throughout as it becomes more and more layered with retro minor key tones. Lyrically, there’s a throughline of powerlessness leading to a kind of nihilistic freedom in a world where “We’ve lost Control / They’ve got all the guns.”
“Tension” starts out as a bouncy cross between New Order and Depeche Mode. But midway through, the vocals descend into those of some darkly distorted masochistic overlord, growling “Do you like it rough? / Talk tough / Was it not enough? / Your words are never enough to release the tension.” This electro-industrial number seems to have brought together a lot of elements DüllHaus has been playing around with in past releases and combined them with cleaner production and a poppier, less experimental feel.
-KF
Onymico – Onymico
On Onymico’s self-titled super-album (available via subscription on Bandcamp), the Long Beach producer explores and crafts a diverse sonic palette that evolves and shifts gears multiple times throughout the album’s 24 songs. “Gifted Guava” kicks things off with a throbbing and uplifting synth pad over a deliberately tricky 808 beat, compelling the listener to divest from their expectations and be guided through a trippy sonic experiment. On standout track “Aleph,” Onymico invokes shades of Aphex Twin with multilayered arpeggiated synth-bells and textures, which seem to call and respond as the listener keeps pace with the musical conversation taking place. Sonically, Onymico does not concern itself with genre limitations or audience expectations; rather, the artist crafts a sonic path all on their own and invites the listener aboard. Though the album only lasts an hour, the many layers of synthesized bliss beg to be listened to and discovered upon repeated listenings.
-SC
editors@forthe.org
