The 10 Best Tracks by Filipino Artists, according to No Rome
No Rome recently made his Coachella debut after joining The 1975 on stage, becoming the first Filipino ever to perform at the festival – something that’s long overdue. Today Rome Gomez releases his ‘Crying in the Prettiest Places’ EP via his stage-mate’s label Dirty Hit, a lush work of R&B textures and tear-jerking melodies that he’s described as “very emo”.
Championing themes of the complexities of millennial life and love, the hyper-modern-sounding release follows EP ‘RIP Indo Hisashi’ and single ‘Cashmoney’, which Gomez wrote aged 16 while working in a call centre in Manila. Now London-based, No Rome hasn’t forgotten his Filipino roots, and below names his favourite tracks by artists originating from the Philippines.
“Diego Mapa is such an innovative artist in Manila and always does something special and something really good for Filipino underground music. He has multiple projects that I love listening to as well but this song right here definitely sends me off.”
“I heard this at a Filipino grocery store in London, and I fucking knew it was gonna be a really sick five-minute pop song, haha. The song is mainly about a couple fighting and now he’s rushing on his way back to his lover.”
“Richard Griner’s use of talk box/vocoder in this track got me. He’s been around the independent hip-hop scene in Manila and I’ve caught some of his shows last few years I was in Manila and it was amazing. The whole EP he just put out is an R&B treasure for me – reminds a lot of a modern day Stevie Wonder-inspired record.”
“I love the production on this one and also just sick visuals to accompany a good song.”
“I remember listening this song when I was high school in the back of a classroom with my Sony headphones on. Rivermaya was a big band in the Philippines before, I think they still are, but this song is one of my favourites from them. The song is mainly about a girl moving to another place and him saying goodbye and hoping for the worst.”
“I guess besides the fact that I was featured on the song, I just thought this song had such a really nice flow to it and is genuinely one of a standout songs bp valenzuela has done.”
“I love Modulogeek’s taste in synths and progression. It’s all analogue with amazing atmosphere.”
8. Bugoy na Koykoy – ‘Keshia’
“Bugoy na Koykoy is like an underground legend, almost kind of iconic in the independent hip-hop scene, well at least to my observation. It’s cool to see him rap about being an icon and also post-politics of the Philippine government at the moment. I love seeing him put out material.”
“Lean Ordinario is a really close friend of mine and he also plays drums for my live band at the moment. I just think this song is a keeper and I saw him make this song, the message of it speaks to a lot as well. No bias but I really do like this song. x”
“Bee Eyes was my one of my favourite bands in the Philippines – their songs were just so fitting to a soundtrack of melting in the scorching sun of Manila.”
Listen to No Rome’s ‘Crying In The Prettiest Places’ EP:
