Seiri

The heart of Seiri beats for the love of life and its unfolding, and in many ways life unfolds more unexpectedly than the current of the ocean or more capriciously than the local weather. Sometimes it will unfold to touch you with sweet, sweet pain; tying in melancholia with the frequent tour through the trenches of the past, and even the future.

However, fear not. Our seventh issue shall hold these feelings at bay, and after this experience, one may be renewed in the present.

Ishka Mejia

note

contentsTHE CORE

THE CUT

IT COMES IN THREES

ARTThe SublimeGraphic Language The Other Side

FILMIn Search of Something Else

LITERATUREPoetry Playlist { 3} : Bitten to BoneThe SEIRI ReviewScattered Loss

MUSICUnder the BridgeOne of the ClassicsMixtape 7: Feeling Naked

SARTORIAL MENTION: Beetroot PH

UPRISING

ABSINTHE

AWAY

CONFABULATIONPower ToolsThe Burden of the English Literature Major

SPECIALREZ TOLEDO: The Artist

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

Contact Usseirimag@gmail.com

the CORE

Lian Dyogi

Jonathan Baldoza

Julian Occeña

Patricia Padilla

Ishka Mejia

Christine Imperial

Nina Martinez

Jade Katherine Castro

Erika Morales

Kirsten Raposas

A L T E R N A T I V E C U L T U R EY O U R O F F E R O R S O F

features editor

editor-at-large

creative director

managing editor

editor-in-chief

literary editor

art editor

music editor

associate art editor

illustrator

Enjoy the intimacy of not having to say much.

the CUTW O R D S O F W I S D O M

Scott Hayes

it comes in threesA R T

Sainte Chapelle, Paris, France

THE SUBLIMEby Ishka Mejia

in the presence of something that can hurt him) within its midst. Such was the purpose, and so was the effect.

As I traveled to different places in Europe, discovering that most structural treasures were for the glory of God, I could not help but pleasure myself in touching, feeling, smelling each column, buttress, stained glass, the arches, the domes, the sculptures of saints and angels, Jesus Christ, and the Virgin Mary. Never was being a Roman Catholic more awe-inspiring. All I could I think of was how difficult it must have been to have built these monoliths, so intricately carved, so intensely glorified. SUBLIME was the word, not grand, nor opulent.

In Alain de Botton’s book, The Art of Travel, he specifies that, “Sublimity had to do with the feeling of weakness.”

Sublimity has to do with

vulnerability

CChurches were not built to be opulent, they were made to be sublime.

So many criticize the Catholic Church and its excessively devoted, yet hypocritical members, and their ancient gullibility to condemnations about going to hell that they had to pay much for it. So easy was it for the bishops and priests to wrap their chains of power over their unwitting and truly pious victims, yet this power never so exceeded its fruit and full exemplification which was the construction of a church. The church without the capitalization was the weapon that steered heretics to rethink their ways and pilgrims from miles away to tread, to suffer, and to discover ‘God’.

If it were not the deserts of Sinai nor the colossal width and breadth of Tibet’s mountains, nor the Swiss Alps, it would have to be the church. Even if I were drawn out to a different fate, and not to be an architecture student, I shall be undeterred in giving praise to the creators and master builders of these divine structures. The church has perpetrated not only modern engineering, architecture, art, and sculpture, it has brought nearer to the urban setting a sublime entity that will make every human being with the faintest ego feel like scum (expected to remain quiet in

Stephansdom, Vienna, Austria

Furthermore, de Botton states, “There are few emotions about places for which adequate single words exist.” And that is the sense of the sublime.

Ultimately though, with sublimity comes the fact that these structures were built to scare the human with the effect that these are divine creatures made of materials that were worth more than your whole house, evern your whole life. Ivory, silver, precious stones, and gold were frighteningly outsourced for the construction of one such structure. The Notre Dame, the Sainte Chapelle, Paoay Church, Stephansdom, St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Church… etc. Yet, they remain standing, constantly being reconstructed in the belief that it is the house of something divine.

The contrast in today’s churches in where the use of minimalism is aimed at an audience that has already made peace with the fact that faith rests in faith and not fear, is most evident. These decorative edifices are now, although still fully utilized (others not), serve more as artworks and tourist spots, yet the sublimity remains. The awe remains.

Makes one realize and wonder, what the Church really stands for is actually, maybe for its sublime architecture.

Kreutzkirche, Dresden, Germany (Protestant though)

A R T

Paoay Church, Ilocos Norte, Philippines

A R T

THE SUBLIME

The flying buttresses of Notre Dame de Paris, France

Matthias Church, Budapest, Hungary

St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague, Czech Republic

CGRAPHIC LANGUAGE:

by Nina Martinez and Kirsten Raposas5 visually stunning video games

Journey has a rare type of gameplay. It had no intro; just an open area for discovery. There is an apparent plot, but there no direct textual messages to present it. This aspect of the game earned is what earned our love. It’s a beautiful game because it’s simple and pleasant: well-made scenery and graphics, and with an amazing OST to accompany them. There are a lot of games which have these, but Journey had these together in perfect blend. The mystical atmosphere will make you sigh with bliss.

You can watch the question viciously ping-ponged between gamers and art-world elitists if you have an hour or five to spare. But for those with just a handful of time to dip their toes into this occasionally intimidating genre, there’s one thing easy to agree on: video games can be beautiful. Very beautiful.

“Can video games be art?” is a tired old debate.

Journey (ThatGameCompany)

A R T

L.A. Noire is a classic in its own category. It’s like a cross of CSI and GTA (with its open-world gameplay), and it probably had the best of both worlds. The setup is good. Its revolutionary use of motion capture for characters’ facial expressions is what makes it a great detective game. The graphics and gameplay overpower the forgettable story to very fairly earn the descriptor of “memorable”, and, yes, “beautiful”.

L.A. Noire(Rockstar Games Social Club)

Two words: underwater city. Six more words: biopunk set in the 1960’s. One more word: amazing. There is a reason – multipe reasons, to be frank – for why Bioshock is considered a classic. It sets a unique story and morality-based gameplay against the vast, glowing backdrop of a dystopian planet Earth. It’s even breathed life into multiple sequels, all of which just as visually stunning.

Bioshock(2K Boston)

A R T

(2K Boston)

The industry nowadays is practically tripping over zombie apocalypse games. The Last of Us stands out not just for its unique take on the genre – featuring LGBT representation and a genuine exploration of one’s humanity – but also for presenting itself in harsh, almost heart-breaking realism. Sunlight spills through desolate landscapes and abandoned buildings, and you’re almost more scared by characters’ haunting expressions than you are by the graphically rendered zombies. Almost.

The Last of Us(Naughty Dog)

GRAPHIC LANGUAGE

Heavy Rain has a rare type of gameplay. It’s essentially just an interactive story, but it immerses you through unique quick-time events and a very thematically dark, almost palpable environment. The gameplay might scare away some gamers but it fits its story and theme perfectly, and that’s what makes this work worthy of the description “beautiful”. Every motion of each major character is controlled by you, bit by bit, detail by intricate detail. You’re just as lost in the story as any of them are.

Heavy Rain(Quantic Dream)

IThe Other Side: A Look at the Protest Art of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Revolution

Introduction and curation by Nina Martinez

Bottled Water Umbrellaphotograph by Alex Hofford

Ingenuity seemed to be a recurring theme in Hong Kong during its citizens’ protests against the Chinese government from September to October 2014. Besides their peaceful protest via occupation of major roads, there is the powerful image of their use of umbrellas to shield themselves from pepper spray.

Then there is the other side of their protest: China tried as much as possible to control what news outlets were reporting about the Umbrella Revolution, but this power, mighty as it was, didn’t cover social media. From illustrations of the streets of Hong Kong to inform the rest of the world of the world what was going on, to attempts

at designing a symbol to stand for the bravery, endurance, and of course, ingenuity of the protesters themselves, there is no doubt of how many people this particular umbrella has cast its hopeful shade over.

The protests have for now died down, with citizens concerned for the safety of their country people, but the city – and the internet - remain colored with their voices.

For example, there are the members of Urban Sketchers Hong Kong and Sketcher-Kee who report the goings-on via drawings uploaded to Facebook.

A R T

A Youthful Sketch by Wai Wai

Sketch by Alvin Wong

A R T

A colourful mode of vandalism: Hong Kong’s government office was blanketed with post-it notes, with simple declarations of “I Love Hong Kong” or even drawings of umbrellas.

Photo by Anthony Kwan/Getty Images

THE OTHER SIDE

In Search of Something Else: A Review of John Carney’s Music Movies, Once versus Begin Again

WWhile I am a fan of movies like X-Men Days of Future Past (and First Class), Iron Man, Avengers, Inception, and other grand blockbuster movies, I needed some big-movie therapy; sometimes you look for the relatively “smaller” films that are not such an assault on the senses. Though definitely not small on emotions, my therapy came in the form of John Carney’s Once and Begin Again.

I am a John Carney fan, at least, I’m a fan of his music-movies. Truth be told, my relationship with John Carney (if you can call it that) began not with his films, but with the musical adaptation of Once. I was lucky enough to have watched the musical live and all I can remember was being captured and blown away by the emotions and raw-ness of it all; it was one of those goose-bump inducing shows. After watching the musical, I told myself I had to watch the movie. A year later, I was finally able to watch Once and was happy to find that the the goose-bump effect and raw-ness I experienced a year earlier came from the source material.That being said, when I saw the trailers for Begin Again, I got really excited to watch another John Carney creation. I’m happy to report that it did not disappoint.

There are a lot of similarities between Once and Begin Again: both revolve around the world of musicians, both explore the healing properties of music, both involve two people whose paths have crossed, and both movies have spoilers for titles. You could call Begin Again the higher-budget slightly more “ambitious” version of Once (Once had a 112,000 Euro budget). Begin Again weaves into its story a wide variety of issues from divorce, infidelity and heartbreak to the dilemma of the music industry; that record labels are becoming increasingly irrelevant because of the ease of distribution (i.e. Youtube, Itunes, Soundcloud, etc.). It is these relevant themes, coupled with the central story of two people finding solace in each other and ultimately, helping each other to begin again (hooray for spoiler titles) that makes Begin Again a timely and entertaining film. Begin Again may be grander in scale, compared to Once, though it still retains moments of intimacy. Another difference between Once and Begin Again is their tone. Begin Again smells a bit more commercial (not only because of the big ticket names involved in this film, ahem Ceelo Green, ahem, Adam Levine) but also because the overall tone is more optimistic and hopeful.The way Begin Again was shot also hints at this more hopeful tone.

by Lian Dyogi

it comes in threesF I L M

F I L M

The scenes are lit in such a way that you get a more polished and “glossy” look (compared to Once). This could be the result of a higher budget though. That being said, I don’t think I would want Once to be shot in any other way. Once is shot in a very documentary-ish style where the camera follows the characters. The storytelling is also very linear in that, unlike the clever time-jumps Begin Again uses to show where and how the lives of our main character’s intersect, in Once you get the distinct feeling that you meet these characters at a particular point of their lives. You get to know these characters as their personal and professional relationship evolves; the audience doesn’t get a “one-up” on the characters by knowing more information than the other characters do. In Once, both characters are hanging in an emotional limbo (akin to Begin Again). The guy has just separated from his girlfriend and the girl moved to Ireland with her child, leaving her husband behind. The pair end up making an album together. Though Once has a lower budget, it is this “lower budget” that adds a realism and intimacy to the film that, overall, Begin Again doesn’t consistently provide. The fact that the two main actors are actual musicians (not actors and both are relatively unknown) who composed the songs themselves probably factored into this realism. Once also differs from Begin Again in that it is more bittersweet and, like the musical, raw. . The fact that these two characters have no names (they are called he and she in the credits) only drives home the point Once so beautifully makes: that some people are only meant to come into our lives for a short period of time, sometimes only once.

One thing’s for sure though, I will definitely not watch these movies only once. These are the types of films that, for me, have staying power. I love these films not only because I love music but because sometimes you want a break from all the grandeur, wham-bham, moral dilemma, great responsibility-ness of the comic book movies. Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded that it is not our abilities, our individual accomplishments, nor legacies that make up the everyday fabric of our lives but it is our relationships and connections with people. Sometimes I get caught up in grandeur and lofty ideals that I forget that it is this intimacy between humans that makes life so special. Begin Again and Once showcase this heartily. I really do hope John Carney, and other directors, make more of these movies soon.

... it weaves into its story a wide variety of issues from divorce, infidelity and heartbreak to the dilemma of the music industry; that record labels are becoming increasingly irrelevant because of the ease of access of content distribution and payment

“

”

by Lian Dyogi

JOHN CARNEY ON SET

it comes in threesL I T E R A T U R E

La lecture de breviare, le soirby Carl Spitzweg, 1808-1885, MunichPhotographed in the Musée du Louvre, Paris

curated by Christine Imperial

poetry playlist iii

L I T E R A T U R E

Bitten to Bone

MMy sister screams at the maid. Where are my white shirts? Every weekend, she loses something. She walks into my room, expressing annoyance. She delineates why it’s impossible to lose all those white shirts as she paces back and forth in my room, scratching her head, then reprimanding me for a snide comment. I’ve stopped asking about where

my clothes go. I blame myself when I’m missing something.

*

At home, there are still pictures of my mother, yet many of them have disappeared. The denis no longer a place for family portraits, but for artwork and signed posters from Broadway shows. In my father’s room, there was a photo of them hanging above the television. In front of a maroon background, my mother’s arms were wrapped around my father’s torso as they smiled for the camera. Now a painting of an old man hangs there. He sits on a stool, looking beyond the painting. The man will always be waiting. My mother left for the States before I entered third grade. Every year I write about losing her

to herself.

*

We ask ourselves “Where does the time go?”

*

A woman in white mourns the loss of her friends. She cries visibly, yet resists balling as people enter the chapel. When she walks away from the casket, we share a glance. Her eyes are swollen. She looks at me, wondering who I am, whom have I lost. After exchanging pleasantries with the bereaving family, I leave. I didn’t know the deceased, but I am compelled to go back, to look for answers where only more questions will arise.

*

This poetry playlist is about of loss.

L I T E R A T U R E

Mirror by Mark Strand

A white room and a party going onand I was standing with some friendsunder a large gilt-framed mirrorthat tilted slightly forwardover the fireplace.We were drinking whiskeyand some of us, feeling no pain,were trying to decidewhat precise shade of yellowthe setting sun turned our drinks.I closed my eyes briefly,then looked up into the mirror:a woman in a green dress leanedagainst the far wall.She seemed distracted,the fingers of one handfidgeted with her necklace,and she was staring into the mirror,not at me, but past me, into a spacethat might be filled by someoneyet to arrive, who at that momentcould be starting the journeywhich would lead eventually to her.Then, suddenly, my friendssaid it was time to move on.

...

The whole poem may be gleaned fromMark Strand’s poetry collection Man and Camel

BITTEN TO BONE

Lullaby by Louise Glück

My mother’s an expert in one thing:sending people she loves into the other world,The little ones, the babies--these she rocks, whispering or singing quietly. I can’t saywhat she did for my father;whatever it was, I’m sure it was right.

It’s the same thing, really, preparing a personfor sleep, for death. The lullabies--they all saydon’t be afraid, that’s how they paraphrasethe heartbeat of the mother.So the living slowly grow calm; it’s onlythe dying who can’t, who refuse.

The dying are like tops, like gyroscopes--they spin so rapidly they seem to be still.Then they fly apart: in my mother’s arms,my sister was a cloud of atoms, of particles--that’s the difference.When a child’s asleep, it’s still whole.

...

The whole poem may be gleaned from Louise Glück’s Ararat

L I T E R A T U R E

Field Guide by Tracy K. Smith

You were you, but now and then you’d change.Sometimes your face was some or another his,And when I stood facing it, your body flinched.You wanted to be alone--left alone. You wadedInto streets dense with people: women wearingBook bags, or wooden beads. Girls holding smokeA moment behind red mouths then pushing it out, Posing, not breathing it in. You smiledLike a man who knows how to crack a safe.

...

The whole poem may be gleaned from Tracy K. Smith’s Life on Mars

BITTEN TO BONE

Saying Your Names by Richard Siken

Chemical names, bird names, names of fireand flight and snow, baby names, paint names,delicate names like bones in the body,Rumplestiltskin names that are always changing,names that no one’s ever able to figure out.Names of spells and names of hexes, namescursed quietly under the breath, or called outloudly to fill the yard, calling you inside again,calling you home. Nicknames and pet namesand baroque French monikers, written inshorthand, written in longhand, scrawledillegibly in brown ink on the backs of yellowingphotographs, or embossed on envelopes linedwith gold. Names called out across the water,names I called you behind your back,sour and delicious, secret and unrepeatable,the names of flowers that open only once,shouted from balconies, shouted from rooftops,or muffled by pillows, or whispered in sleep,or caught in the throat like a lump of meat.I try, I do. I try and try. A happy ending?Sure enough — Hello darling, welcome home.I’ll call you darling, hold you tight. We arenot traitors but the lights go out. It’s dark.Sweetheart, is that you? There are no tears,no pictures of him squarely. A seaside framedin glass, and boats, those little boats withsails aflutter, shining lights upon the water,lights that splinter when they hit the pier.His voice on tape, his name on the envelope,the soft sound of a body falling off a bridgebehind you, the body hardly even makesa sound. The waters of the dead, a clear road,every lover in the form of stars, the roadblocked. All night I stretched my arms acrosshim, rivers of blood, the dark woods, singingwith all my skin and bone Please keep him safe.Let him lay his head on my chest and we will belike sailors, swimming in the sound of it, dashedto pieces. Makes a cathedral, him pressing againstme, his lips at my neck, and yes, I do believehis mouth is heaven, his kisses falling over melike stars. Names of heat and names of light,names of collision in the dark, on the side of thebus, in the bark of the tree, in ballpoint penon jeans and hands and the backs of matchbooksthat then get lost. Names like pain cries, nameslike tombstones, names forgotten and reinvented,names forbidden or overused. Your name like

L I T E R A T U R E

a song I sing to myself, your name like a boxwhere I keep my love, your name like a nestin the tree of love, your name like a boat in thesea of love — O now we’re in the sea of love!Your name like detergent in the washing machine.Your name like two X’s like punched-in eyes,like a drunk cartoon passed out in the gutter,your name with two X’s to mark the spots,to hold the place, to keep the treasure frombecoming ever lost. I’m saying your namein the grocery store, I’m saying your name onthe bridge at dawn. Your name like an animalcovered with frost, your name like a music that’sbeen transposed, a suit of fur, a coat of mud,a kick in the pants, a lungful of glass, the sailsin wind and the slap of waves on the hullof a boat that’s sinking to the sound of mermaidssinging songs of love, and the tug of a simpleprofound sadness when it sounds so far away.

...

The whole poem may be gleaned from Richard Siken’s Crush

BITTEN TO BONE

The Memory of Elena by Carolyn Forché

We spend our morningin the flower stalls countingthe dark tongues of bellsthat hang from ropes waiting for the silence of an hour.We find a table, ask for paella,cold soup and wine, where a calm light trembles years behind us.

In Buenos Aires only threeyears ago, it was the last time his hand slipped into her dress, with pearls cooling her throat and bells likethese, chipping at the night—

As she talks, the hollowclopping of a horse, the sound of bones touched together.The paella comes, a bed of rice and camarones, fingers and shells, the lips of those whose lipshave been removed, musselsthe soft blue of a leg socket.

...

The whole poem may be gleaned from Carolyn Forché’s The Country Between Us

REAP WHAT YOU SEW

curated by Christine Imperial

L I T E R A T U R E

T

B

M

Billy Collins begins his collection of poems with a poem to the reader. The poem opens with the line “I wonder how you are going to feel / when you find out / that I wrote this instead of you.” A line that may be taken as a statement of condescension before one reads the rest of the poem. In the span of eight short verses, the poem moves from an assertion of the writer’s power to assertion that everyone, the reader included, has the ability to write poetry. That all the information and experience for writing poetry is already there, it is just the poet who was able to see the opportunity for a poem—the poet writes what is already there. The poet writes poetry out of experience, he turns object into symbol, turning friends into personae. This short poem is a brilliant introduction to the rest of the collection. The Trouble With Poetry is a book of these experiences—drawing class, looking at statues, class pictures—written in language that contrasts the notion that poetry must be written in a convoluted manner, that only the erudite can understand it. Collins, like the best poets, reveals insight in the ordinary. The Trouble With Poetry is a great introduction for someone who wants to get into reading poetry.

Michael Chabon is an award winning essayist and fictionist, and wrote collection of essays, Maps and Legends, exuding the power of stories. This description may turn readers off, but Chabon never narrates his essays like the protagonist of a Hallmark television movie. He does not limit the stories in his book to literature from the canon, but reflects on stories that range from Sherlock Holmes to young adult novels to Jewish folklore to comic books. He also talks about his own stories and the stories that he has encountered, which have helped him become a better writer and have shaped who he is today. Maps and Legends is an entertaining read that allows the reader to love the stories they love. It is a book that says all stories matter, and all stories have the right to be told.

The story narrates the life of Tsukuru Takazi, a self-proclaimed ordinary person. Tsukuru was once part of a group of five close-knit friends until he was mysteriously ejected from the group in his second year. Like many of Murakami’s past works the novel navigates the lines between the world of dreams and reality. When compared to Murakami’s previous works, it is most similar to Kafka on the Shore. Both novels have self-proclaimed ordinary protagonists who undergo a journey of discovery that includes significant women, symbolic dreams, and coming-of-age. In many ways, Colorless Tsukuru Takazi is Kafka on the Shore for grown-ups. It’s less whimsical and the events that unfold are more, for lack of a better term, realistic. At times the writing feels clunky, which may be an effect of translation, while certain metaphors deployed were cringe-worthy. However, these foibles are forgiven when the overall narrative and instances of clever writing are taken into account. It may not be the most memorable of Murakami’s novels, but it is one that pleases fans of the novelist, and is a good way of entering into the rest of his works.

AL I T E R A T U R E

Short stories by Filipino Writers

Flakes of Fire, Bodies of Light by Carlos Aureusin Naguenos, University of the Philippines Press:Quezon City, 1997.

“Life is a flake of fire, she thought. So ephemeral. Where it came from and wither it will go she did not know. But it is there, surely it comes from somewhere and surely it has to go somewhere. What if it disappeared completely?”

The story is about Tanya and how she struggles with accepting the imminent death of her husband Sid. He takes it bravely, like a dutiful son ready to abide by his Father’s wish, and lightly, making fun of it, and for this, Tanya chides him. As the narrative moves forward, their story is told, introducing the people that have shaped their views and influenced their lives, the landmarks of Naga, the city that has given life and, at the same time, is enlivened and brightened by the various stories of its sons and daughters, including theirs. There are many questions to ponder, on the aburdity of life and death, the cruelty that accompanies living in this world. Until the end, there is a quest for answers that are partly answered by some scattered insights from Christian philosophy and even science. But, considering the uncertainty and mystery meshed into life, can they actually find answers?

curated by Jonathan Baldoza

Literary Notes

Approaching a century since its inception and proliferation in the country, the short fiction in English remains to be a bastion in the artistic wealth that is our literature, a testament to the brilliance, creativity and ingenuity of the Filipino writer. In honor of this long and fruitful journey, and of the efforts of its most excellent disciples, we present to you titles and quotes from stories by various writers, published throughout the years, in the hope that you might be interested to seek and read them, and then, go beyond our list, browse their books and other anthologies and read even more. By immersing ourselves in the worlds that these stories offer, we allow our minds and senses the pleasure of exploration, of distant observation, in the past, present and even future lives of the Filipino, in and around the city or barrio, inside hospitals, schools, and malls, with professors, servants, farmers, journalists, lawyers and many others -- the characters that comprise the very core of our society. Reading these stories draws us to open our eyes to the various cracks and complexities that are features of our culture, and more importantly, they make us understand the Philippines and the Filipinos in a distinct, specific way. And moreover, they are a delight to read. Most of the stories that will be presented here are included in the anthologies edited by distinguished Professors of literature, Leopoldo Yabes and Gemino Abad. Some are from the published collections of the writers. References are provided for the readers. We begin with two stories by writers Carlos Aureus and Gregorio Brillantes.

Short stories by Filipino Writers

The Living and the Dead by Gregorio Brillantesin The Distance to Andromeda and Other Stories, University of the Philippines Press:Quezon City, 2000.

“He was tired, bereft of strength, the uncaring spark gone, and desolation and grief flooded his being, carrying with it the ruins of all his desires. Not phrasing the ache into words, he longed for another life, unburdened and simple, away from the red tile-roofed house and his father and mother and sister, the dances, the celebrating crowds and the automobiles and the cemented streets. What have I done? Why did I do it? Self-pity beset his soul: the world is cruel; and God, I’m alone, alone. . .” The story is set in the 1950s, about Jose Romano, a patriach of an upper-middle class family, who holds a certain kind of unknown political power. It seems that Jose has all the things one could dream of, yet, he feels the vulnerable, alone and guilty of something that takes him back to those glorious days of the past when he was not yet the way he is, when there wasn’t much loneliness and helplessness. He is surrounded by his loved ones yet he feels an immense kind of alienation that makes him question the very core of his faith, the very meaning of his existence. As he hides these apprehensions, he sifts through as if all is normal. But, deep inside, he knows that when that resolution comes, when that light is revealed, it could mean destruction, perhaps, death.

THE SEIRI REVIEW

Upon reading Stephanie Lacava’s An Extraordinary Theory of Objects, I was led to ruminate, in stark contrast to her found treasures, on the things I’ve lost in transit; may it be around the world, or here. Sketched and pondered on are certain items I’ve unwittingly and densely dropped or left behind while walking, on the train, while eating. This is definitely not something to be proud about, but it can be something subtly sensational; leaving parts of me every where I go, without deliberation. It was just meant to be.

Scattered Lossby Ishka Mejia

sketches and notes of lost things

Moleskine Planner (Ginza, Tokyo, Japan)

*a planner

to plan is to live /but to live is to not to plan /how do we do this?

“planning is great, but you have to get moving”

by Ishka Mejia

Giraffe-spotted glasses(Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA)

L I T E R A T U R E

*giraffes

“How do giraffes throw up?”

The age of a giraffe can be calculated from its spots.

The darker the spots, the older the giraffe.

*glasses

living through lenses i never thought i needed to define, to learn

iPhone 4S(Brussels, Belgium)

L I T E R A T U R E

*a cellphone

A myth (?): Can cause cancer.

*iPhone

designed in Californiaassembled (made) in China

Gauntlet Ring(en route to Berlin, Germany)

SCATTERED LOSS

*party ring

Grandmother says, “Why do you keep wearing that? It’s obvious that it’s fake.”

*gauntlet

A knight’s armor of a glove, used for protection

it comes in threesM U S I C

SELF-TOURING AROUND EUROPEJamie Collier serenading before the statue of Martin Luther in Neumarkt in Dresden, Germany.

EEdith Piaf’s sung words portray a coveted scene that just doesn’t exist here. If it does, it’s presence is unfelt. The first idea held regarding the Filipino and his fear of conscious shame is most present in the absence of street performers in the metro. By street performers it is intended that they are full practicing musicians or street artists who do not peddle for money, but actually expose their souls in a means they can and are capable of. Europe encourages this culture in a more open and lenient manner, although some countries have already grown stern with this in certain areas, the practice remains unbeaten.

Jamie Collier is one such unbeaten artist who was stumbled upon a walk through a day trip to Dresden, Germany. Directly to the side of Martin Luther’s black as ink memorial statue, he was wearing khaki shorts, a black camisole, and Harry Potter glasses (trés normcore), with his eyes were closed. An open guitar case lay before him with a microphone lodged to a stand, and a somber tune streamed out of his mouth. Someone exclaims, “Now, that’s an artist!”

He claims he is from New Zealand, way down under from the Philippines, moreover from Europe. “I’m self-touring around Europe actually,” he adds as his purpose was questioned. It is oddly fascinating to know such a thing is possible and is being done. Travel and music, what more may be asked for in this world? 5 euros for a CD, perhaps? Were these his best songs?

“Those that I’m happy with,” he muses.

Under the Bercy bridge, a philosopher sits, two musicians, and a few idlers amongst millions, under the sky of Paris.

«  Sous le pont de BercyUn philosophe assisDeux musiciens, quelques badaudsPuis les gens par milliersSous le ciel de Paris  »

As the cobbled streets were forgotten and the historic architecture laid before one only but emphasized the magic in the need to have one’s ordinary day doused with a soundtrack, Jamie Collier gave one whole square that magic. And what was the feeling? Oh, the feeling of this one man (or a quartet of women – with cello, viola, bass, and a violin– or an old mariner singing with tabac and his accordion) serenading with very own crafted words on foreign soil where some do not even understand the tongue of his songs.One may hand it to poet Rainier Maria Rilke’s to divulge of such beauty in the midst of a world seemingly drained of meaning and drenched in earthly confusion about entertainment:

See: this much was accomplished. / A life, perhaps, was made too little of, who knows? / a happiness in hand let slip; yet despite this, /for each loss, there appeared in its place / this spun out thing, not lighter than life, / and yet perfect, and so beautiful that all our so-be-its / are no longer premature, smiled at, and held in abeyance.

His latest album atjamiecollier.bandcamp.com

M U S I C

... but emphasized the magic in the need to have one’s ordinary day doused with a soundtrack, and Jamie Collier gave one whole square that magic. ”

”

PROLIFIC SINGER - SONGWRITER

Mr. Jamie Collier boasts a vast collection of crafted

songs paired with equally beautiful album art,

spanning about 5 years.

UNDER THE BRIDGE

ONE OF THE CLASSICSby Jade Katherine Emily Castro

Snagged from Anberlin frontman Stephen Christian’s

instagram account.

more for their encore performance. Their fans flocked to The A-Venue Hall in Makati, thinking that this is the only chance they’ll get to watch Anberlin perform live. And when the most expensive ticket cost 1500 Php, it was a great deal—considering that other bands usually charge more than twice just for general admission. At the end of the night, the fans were more than satisfied—and if anything else, grateful. The second time Anberlin came to Manila was August of last year. They were part of the lineup for Bazooka Rocks II, an indoor rock festival, performing alongside The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Tonight Alive, and We Came as Romans, among other acts. It was held in SMX Convention Center, where there were no sections to divide the fans—just one massive pit where fans could mosh and jump around together to their favorite music. When it was Anberlin’s turn to come up on stage, there weren’t too many in the crowd who knew who they were. Still, as they were all in the same genre, the crowd enjoyed the 17-song setlist and surely there were new fans by the end of their performance. It wasn’t that surprising, really; most—if not all of the audience (which was

WWhen your favorite foreign band or artist flies all the way to your country to perform, you know it’s something special. You’d go to extreme lengths just to save up money for their concert, with the conviction that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and that there will never be another chance for you to watch them perform live ever again. Anyone who has gone to a concert or even a simple gig knows that there is a great difference between listening to a studio recording and hearing an artist sing their songs live. One gets to witness the stage presence of the artist, where they feed off the energy of the crowd watching them. And to be part of that crowd—knowing that you were there to help make the songs come alive—is a dream come true for any fan. Now, imagine one of your favorite bands come over not once—not twice—but thrice. That’s three times a dream come true. The first time Anberlin played in Manila was in 2011, six months after the release of their album Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place. Their set list was composed of sixteen songs and two

mostly composed of screaming teenage girls anyway) actually went there to see All Time Low and/or to watch A Rocket to The Moon for the last time as they were disbanding. To a fan, if there’s something better than watching your favorite band for the first time, it’s catching your favorite band for the last time. Too many artists disband or discontinue their singing careers all-too suddenly, leaving their fans heartbroken. After A Rocket to The Moon’s last song, most of the crowd were in tears—it was a sight you wouldn’t expect from what was supposed to be a rock festival, but then again, the crowd was full of emotional teenaged girls. Still, despite everything, they were grateful that they were given the opportunity to watch their favorite band perform for the last time for them. When Anberlin announced that they were disbanding, all the fans were in denial. After all, it’s not an easy fact to accept for any loyal fan. When they released the dates and legs of their final tour, Filipino fans were relieved to find that Manila was on the list. At 3000 Php, the ticket for the gold section was twice the price of the most expensive ticket from their first concert—but still, it wasn’t a bad price. And besides, if this was going to be their last concert, it was okay to splurge, wasn’t it? Their last concert in Manila was held on the 13th of September, in SM North Edsa Skydome. At least five-hundred fans were in attendance, and the merchandise—especially the shirts—was quick to run out. There weren’t any opening acts, so the fans were antsy for Anberlin to come up on stage for the last time. When they finally did, they were met with applause. Before they even started performing, Anberlin was met with cheering from the crowd—and Stephen Christian, the lead vocalist of Anberlin, smiled, acknowledging all the fans that came out on that rainy night for them. Prior to the concert, Anberlin asked their fans which songs they wanted to be played. After all, aside from saying farewell, Anberlin held the concert for the fans, to thank them for all the support they’ve given and shown for the past twelve years. Anberlin delivered the requests well—surprising everyone when they played The Haunting, a B-Side song from their 2007 album Cities. They played songs from all of their first six studio albums and ended their 22-song set list with Feel Good Drag, their most successful single in the US charts.

Naturally, the fans reacted when Anberlin left the stage. Shouts calling for an encore performance echoed in the venue and a few minutes later, Anberlin re-emerged and sang (*Fin), the last song from Cities with added lyrics (“We’ll live forever”) from another song, Harbinger, the last song of their last album, Lowborn, which was released earlier this year. There weren’t too many tears, but instead the fans had their hands raised, fingers crossed—as in the logo* used by Anberlin for their backdrops in various shows and the cover art of Lowborn.

*to cross one's fingers is a hand gesture commonly used to implore God for protection, as well as to wish for good luck. The gesture is

referred to by the common expression "keeping one's fingers crossed" or just "fingers crossed"

and has also been historically used in order to allow early Christian believers to recognize one

another during times of persecution.

M U S I C

Anberlin’s final album, Lowborn.

To a fan, if there’s something better than watching your favorite band for the first time, it’s catching your favorite band for the last time. ”

CULLED OUTSet yourself on melancholic fire

TThere are people who are not only attracted to melancholy, but are also driven to pursue it. To feel vulnerable is to feel naked, bare and uncomfortable, with joints exposed and skin unprotected, making the heart an easy target.

In music, melancholia may be easily felt as it is easily slipped away from. Let us explore this feeling, as in life; everything that goes up must also go down.

M U S I C

www.8tracks.com/seirimag/feelingnaked

SARTORIAL MENTIONB E E T R O O T

If there were any budding local brand that truly manifests rugged and sexy chic, it would have to be BEETROOT PH

Home to pieces that may be rarely found among racks of local sartorial brands, Beetroot boasts on its tags, “designed and crafted in PH” as well as designs catering to the taste of bolder, more sophisticated ladies. In the collaboration between Seiri and Beetroot, our muse exudes both mystery and a sultry quality that only a natural sophisticat may be able to attain with effortlessness. Devour our editorial as quality beats quantity with Beetroot’s beautiful pieces.

GET TO KNOW BEETROOT AT:

https://beetroot.checkout.ph&

http://marketplace.zalora.com.ph/clothing/beetroot/

Uprisingwith John Aquino & Ish Dayto

Absinthewith Justine Slough

Awaywith Vivien Nelsenmake up by Inna Valerafeaturing pieces by Beetroot PH

TOP: PLEASE WOULD BE NICE

TOP: PLEASE WOULD BE NICE

DRESS: SLIP DRESS

DRESS: SLIP DRESS

TOP: ROYALE WITH CHEESE

TOP: ROYALE WITH CHEESE

DRESS: 5 DOLLAR SHAKE

TOP: VEGA

TOP: VEGA

TOP: BLUEBERRY PIE

TOP: BLUEBERRY PIEBOTTOM: SLIT MAXI SKIRT

TOP: PLEASE WOULD BE NICE

CONFABULAtiOnD I S C U S S I O N S X C O L U M N S

he/she is capable of carrying the burden. Although all three are motivational phrases, good luck, you can do it, and kaya mo yan are not the same as ganbatte. Ganbatte’s literal translation is “do your best”. This shows its emphasis on the human spirit. Its root is the verb Ganbaru, which has several meanings: to persevere, to persist, to keep at it, to hang on, to hold on, and to do one’s best. There are many variations of this verb and this is only goes to show how engrained doing one’s best is in the Japanese culture. The factor that separates Ganbatte from phrases like good luck and kaya mo yan is that one must not only do, but one must also do one’s best. So one must not simply accomplish the task, but one must accomplish the task well--- to the best of one’s abilities. Thus, the word ganbatte emphasizes excellence. However, doing one’s best also emphasizes that you are only “competing” with yourself and it is your best, not somebody else’s best.

Japanese lexicon to climb Mt. Fuji... and even life itself.

Power Tools by Lian Dyogi

IIt’s amazing how much you can learn from a culture just by taking the time to understand the language. As we trudged and slid up the rocky Mordor-esque terrain of Mt. Fuji, it was encouraging to hear our tour guide shout “ganbatte!” repeatedly. Ganbatte is a Japanese word which means, “do your best!”. It can be likened to the english expression “good luck” but it’s a little bit closer to the Filipino “kaya mo yan!”However, neither of these phrases seems to fit the meaning of ganbatte. The phrase good luck implies that you are wishing your friend for good luck. It is more related to fortune; acquiring fortune or some kind of blessing. This fortune is either acquired or given to you by a higher power or the universe in general. The expression good luck then points to some external factor influencing the activity (and your life) you want the good luck to be directed to. This takes power away from the human capability and spirit. However, it is important to recognize that we have no control over certain thing in our lives—we can’t control everything; sometimes we have to let the universe do its thing. Now, let’s look at the Filipino expression kaya mo yan. Kaya mo yan is often said to a friend who is having a particularly hard time accomplishing a certain task. Its direct translation is the phrase you can do it but I don’t think kaya mo yan has the exact same meaning. The word ‘kaya’ connotes a sense of burden, as if the task is something that is too much to bear. By saying “kaya mo yan” you are saying to the other person that he/she is capable of accomplishing the task

So one must not simply accomplish the task, but one must accomplish the task well.

So as our tour guide kept telling us ganbatte! Ganbatte! We were encouraged to keep pushing forward. We would mutter ganbatte to ourselves whenever we felt our legs were about to give way or when our packs felt especially heavy. It gave us that extra push to climb on. I found myself amazed at what this one word did for our psyches. It motivated us and reminded us of our goals— that we had to get to the summit no matter what. Pushing through with achy feet, lack of sleep, cold weather, and mild altitude sickness, we reached the summit at around 4 AM. Even if we didn’t get to see the sunrise because of the fog, at 3,776 meters and with some tears, we felt joyous and were satisfied to know that, indeed, we had done our best.

GANBATTE!

I found myself amazed at what this one word did for our psyches.

VIEW FROM UP HIGH, THANKS TO GANBATTEphotograph on top of Mt. Fuji by Liz Magsaysay Dyogi

W“What’s your course?” “Oh, I’m an English Literature Major”. Whenever I am asked this question, I get either of the three responses:

A. Ah, so what can you do after? B. Wow, so scholarly.C. So you want to be a teacher?

To the first, I usually say I don’t know yet but this gets me a lot of pitying nods or quizzical “will this girl go anywhere” looks. To the second and third response, no I do not want to be a teacher and yes maybe it is quite scholarly. There are a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions about English Literature as a course. Sometimes people just don’t understand. You want a straightforward answer? We read books, a lot of books and after reading them we pick them a part and analyze every. little. detail. Yes, we can become lawyers. Yes we love to read and of course it’s time consuming. Yes, we have no “definite” future; some say we have no future but to them I say there’s always law school. And I know what you’re thinking, the unsaid question, what’s the point? What’s its relevance?

What’s the point??? What’s its relevance? English Literature is everything man, English literature is the study of LIFE.

BOOM.

In what other course do you get to ask questions such as: is warfare a necessary evil? Is one’s identity wholly and solely shaped by one’s environment? Is love just a construct? In what other course are you allowed to ask questions, hard question, discuss ideas and different perspectives that are not necessarily dinner table conversation; questions concerning race, religion, warfare, politics, love, relationships...

This is why I have come to really enjoy this course. First, our analytical skills are honed and you’d be surprised how applicable this skill is (like realizing that a feature article on a public figure will always be, in a way, “skewed” to a certain perspective). It is through this training that we learn to take everything with a grain of salt. I find that this is both a good and bad thing. It’s a bad thing because it can turn optimistic people to cynics. There is also the tendency to distrust everything and youjustdoubteverything. Too much analysis, after all, can cripple after sometime. I find that being too critical of everything, in the wrong place at the wrong time, can be kind of a killjoy. For example, say you’re watching the Little Mermaid and you start to “analyze” it. It kind of ruins your childhood. That is why it is useful for the English major to have an off switch. Analyze on, analyze off. Of course, this is not so easy to do but I guess it comes with practice. Anyways, moving on. On the more practical side, aside from analysis, we are also trained to write clearly. This is a very useful skill in various professions such as business and even advertising. Another thing that comes from reading and analyzing a lot of texts (which includes novels, plays, short stories, poems, and critical essays) is that you are exposed to and discover different perspectives, opinions, and ideologies. We study characters like Septimus from Virgina Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway who comes back from World War I a different man. Throughout the novel we see how the war has affected him. We study texts like Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier, which is basically the Renaissance self-help book that talks about how it is best to fashion a gentleman. We read texts like Thomas Moore’s Utopia that describes an ideal society. We study societies like that in Robert

Better proofread what you say to an English Lit Major

The Burden of the English Literature Major

by Lian Dyogi

C O N F A B U L A T I O N

Art by Kirsten Raposas

Heinlein’s Starship Troopers where everyone has to serve in the military in order to get the right to vote and be called a citizen. Reading these texts has considerably expanded my world-view. It has made me consider ideas and topics that I would have never thought about before. I feel it has made me a more open minded person. It is this change in mindset that makes the English Literature course valuable. Not only do you become a better analyzer, but I think you become a much better person as well: you learn to become more open minded, which I think is a much needed trait in a world where race precedes character; where our occupations have somehow defined our value as a person (“oh you’re the Vice President of what company?”); a world where prejudice, hate, and intolerance still reside. We need to stop seeing the humanities as a completely irrelevant field of study because it is not. In fact, it is even more relevant today as we are faced with an increasingly globalized world. Now I’m not saying we should all become English majors because that would be both impossible and impractical. You need to be in a course where you think you can maximize your abilities and where you feel you can grow as a person. And yes, I also realize that even if one would like to be an English major not everyone can. Other students have to think about their families to feed after they graduate so they need to find jobs right away. Heck, some Filipinos don’t even get to go to college much less finish high school. Despite that, my point is that we need to recognize the importance of the humanities in today’s world.

It has as much a right to be up there on the budget list as the Sciences do. It helps fashion citizens who are more tolerant and possibly, conscientious; who are supposed to think before they act. It helps fashion citizens who could contribute to society in a variety of fields (through the law, media, education, foreign services, government, the arts, businesses, etc.)? It helps further humanize the human.

Okay that last one didn’t make any sense.

What I’m trying to say is, we should stop course-shaming and thinking that one course is “better” than the other. No course is better or worse as each course contributes to the betterment of different sections of society. We all have to contribute in the best way that we can and for some, the study of English Literature can get them there.

So guys, next time you find out that your new friend is an English Literature major I hope you know how to respond now. Here, I’ll give you three options:

A. Do you want to go into law, business, international relations, or something more related to the arts? B. Damn that must be hard, you guys read so much!C. So, how do you plan to contribute to society after you graduate? (NAKS #highexpectations)

Go ahead, take your pick and remember, “you’re an English major, that is so amazing” is also a very acceptable response.

C O N F A B U L A T I O N

What I’m trying to say is, we should stop course-shaming and thinking that one course is “better” than the other.

”

Art by Erika Morales

WTHE ARTIST

R E Z T O L E D OWhen it’s not about the person, but the music itself, that’s what makes a great music scene. That’s what makes a true music scene. One of the main perpetrators of such ideal is Rez Toledo, a local artist and producer of music you will never have thought even exists in Manila, even the world. He dubs it, “It’s more about the kind of sound that we want to create and not trying to sound like anyone else.”

If you don’t know who he is, you better. One of the people worth knowing, and worth learning from as an artist in the 21st century, moreover one from the Philippines. From his Somedaydream mask to Logiclub, nothing can stop this artist from doing what he wants.

Seiri: First things first, how is Rez Toledo?

Rez: I’m fine. Recently I’ve been sleeping at 5 am, which is cool because I’m adjusting to a nocturnal sleeping pattern. At night… (this time 7 pm) until 3 is when I usually work.

Change of lifestyle.

S: And you like this lifestyle?

R: Well, every time, I try to like each lifestyle I’m on. I guess I shift every once in a while. Ever since I got my studio, my own team, projects... it’s getting more stable.

I’m looking for stability, I guess.

S: Like a routine?

R: No, not a routine. I’m trying to project where I want to be 5 years from now through what I’m doing everyday. If I’m not doing, I’m thinking about it. I’m not saying I’m doing a lot of things, but I’m always thinking. Always thinking, What do I have to do today?, How do I balance my projects? … with what I want to be in the future.

Recently, I saw… A door opened and I saw my artistic path. That’s what I’m really most happy about; that I can see where I want to go with my work.

S: Talking about your evolution, I’m sure a lot of people need to know this. Was Run Manila really your first venture in music?

R: That team, Run Manila, was my high school band. We would practice here (in my house) play in gigs. I still maintain a really good friendship with them. S: Then… Somedaydream.

R: [Somedaydream] was my solo project.

S: And Dance Play Create (DPC)? What is DPC?

R: I was actually part of two bands in high school; Run Manila and Dance Play Create. Then when I broke away from DPC and after I focused on the Somedaydream stuff, I went back to helping them out because that was really my dream. Just when I was in high school, I told them, “When I grow up, and when I become a producer, I will produce you guys.” And that’s what’s happening now. So I’m their producer, manager, and friend.

S: But you’re not part of it anymore?

R: I’m not part of it. DPC is like the trio and I’m just a partner and friend.

S: And now you have Logiclub?

R: And now I have Logiclub, which is a producer collective; a group of like-minded people.

I’m coming out with solo stuff as Rez Toledo and another project called Lluwin. So yeah, that’s the evolution in terms of sequence.

Just when I was in high school, I told them,

“When I grow up, and when I become a producer, I will produce you guys.” And that is what’s happening now.

The artist, Rez Toledo, in his studio.

S: When you look back, how does it make you feel? All these stages that you’ve been through?

R: It depends on what state I’m in when I’m looking back. When I try to look back to my Run Manila days and I see our friendship (because there were rifts then)... and that’s how it is on the scene, people become successful – we’re just on different sides sometimes. In terms of friendships it gets awkward. But in terms of music, all was well.

R: Of course I like looking back on Somedaydream (SDD). Started it in 2009, first year of college, and then I announced my break from it towards the end of college, so about 4 - 5 years. WHOA.

Yeah, so in a way, WHOA. That’s how it feels. But anyway, these are just masks I just put on. I put on a role for Run Manila, role for DPC. And sometimes I’m very explicit about it.

After a while I had to be very explicit about SDD being a project. Because, 1) I have control over it. 2) It doesn’t mean I am Somedaydream.

S: But there are a lot of people who associate you with SDD.

R: Yeah of course. But there’s no problem with that. I guess also, there was just some internal turmoil as an artist. As the part of SDD became of celebrity, wala na among paki masayado. [I really didn’t care anymore.]

S: So, talking about SDD, it’s a really huge shift from that to Logiclub? Because it’s really different. What prompted you to begin a producer collective?

R: I had problems with the [music] scene as SDD. This isn’t something I’m very open about, but it was pretty obvious to my smarter friends that people were saying SDD was heading to something great, but I didn’t see it that way. SDD, in terms of the bigger reality, and I keep this as one of my first hurtful realizations for that project, was just there to fill in a hole. The artists who were big before, they created a hole in the culture I guess, and they just recycled stuff, but after a while, they couldn’t produce anything new. So there was a gap. In the industry we call it a ‘gap’ and they were just trying to fill it with new stuff and they just can’t, in my opinion, ‘cause right now, the industry is still down.No one is earning.

S: It plateaued.

R: It just plateaued. Down even. Like, they’re doing something wrong or they’re not doing anything about it.

When SDD came into the scene, just being a hybrid of that, I didn’t feel continuing it anymore, especially because I was alone in trying to forward a new sound. That was my mindset then, to forward a new sound. Make everybody listen to what was being created and then the butchered side of that is that everybody took it at face value. Not everybody, but most... from the masses because it was becoming popular. But for me, I didn’t care if it was popular or not. It was really just about the music, and then when I realized it wasn’t about the music anymore… I had to do a lot of things I didn’t like to do. Show up for an appearance that didn’t have to do anything with my work. I had an internal and philosophical turmoil with what I was doing, so that’s what prompted me to leave the mask and start what I really want to do.

R: And everything just coincided after I quit SDD. I was building a studio and I was also starting a bedroom group of friends.

S: Bedroom group?

R: I mean, living room group of friends. And then it became a musical barkada that eventually turned to something very serious. So, that’s how we formed a collective. We were all like-minded people, who have the same vision and aspirations. I found a group of people who had the same mindset I had.

S: And why the name, Logiclub?

R: As we try to redefine every step of Logiclub… as a leader, I try to redefine what this is about. A lot of it is about logos, which means ‘logic’ - word, reason, argument, talking... meaning. And then in a very deep sense, that’s what we’re tying to create. To be a pool of people trying to animate the world with what we can do, what we talk about.

Because surprisingly as a producer collective we really talk a lot, which is nice. because that’s what logic is about.

S: And who are the constituents of Logiclub?

R E Z T O L E D O

R: Myself, Chris, CRWN, Dance Play Create, She’s Only Sixteen (most of them), John Pope, Ninno, St. Vincent and more to come. We’re planning to expand.

S: Let’s go to A Vibration Exercise, your brainchild.

R: It’s actually named after a routine. What we do is a music ritual. What we do is that for 30 minutes we produce music get on with our gear and then whatever comes out from such exercise will be the track. I call that A Vibration Exercise, a series that I put out every once in a while.

What’s special about the songs part of of the exercise is that, for example, if you’re a musician/producer and I, as a musician, hear your work, I hear your VE (vibration exercise work) or tracks, [we do it] with each other. It’s like a window to your soul. Even I get surprised with my own tracks.

It’s a different kind of event. It’s a channel for people to experience something new, and in turn it promotes something different.

It’s really focused on music and the vibes, the vibrations of the place. It’s for people to have an exercise.

S: And Lluwin?

R: Lluwin is a project in where when I perform, I lose myself in that state. I want to be able to do something that is beyond me. And then it’s not just about music anymore, but how to perform it and express it. How to make the music coincide with what I’m doing with my body, with what I’m feeling in my head.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSICTandems ‘91 at a Logiclub event in 12 Monkeys, Century City, Makati

THE CURRENT MASKRez Toledo’s current solo project;

Lluwin

– more of the conversation at www.seirimag.com

Seiri September/October 2014