Radio Republic: Living in a Small World

"And it’s the same thing, sadly, with our society as a whole here in the Philippines: we are prisoners to our own ties, our own connections. And this interconnection comes with its own inertia. The longer you stay in it, the more that you do not want to rock the boat, the more things stay as they are."

Read more at http://www.radiorepublic.ph/living-in-a-small-world/

From Radio Republic: In which we give in to the Halloween Spirit

Archiving articles from my Radio Republic column, Drinking Coffee as the World Goes By:

"20 years ago, Ozone Disco Club in the Morato area became the scene of one of the worst club fires in recent history. Many of the club-goers that night died near the entrance, trapped by inward-swinging doors, the heat, and smoke inhalation."

Read more at https://www.radiorepublic.ph/in-which-we-give-in-to-the-halloween-spirit-balete-drive-and-goodah-the-resto-where-ozone-formerly-was/

From Radio Republic: Empty Boots at the Gate

Archiving articles from my Radio Republic column, Drinking Coffee as the World Goes By:

"But this, the issue of gatekeepers, is something people should think about. When we say gatekeepers, we’re talking about people or entities whom we trust to be the ones to tell us what good music is. Be it Casey Kasem, Francis Reyes, or any other DJ or music figure that we consider has a finger on the pulse of whatever music scene they’re in, they are gatekeepers. They steer us to what’s new, what’s happening, and what is, presumably, the Next Big Thing."

Read more at https://www.radiorepublic.ph/empty-boots-at-the-gate/

From Radio Republic: Out and Loud

Archiving articles from my Radio Republic column, Drinking Coffee as the World Goes By:

"Every time I hear the phrase “He’s okay, even if he’s gay” and all the permutations of that statement, it simply shows that gay is not okay. You don’t have to kill us to say that there is gay discrimination. You just have to make a distinction of us versus them."Read more at https://www.radiorepublic.ph/out-and-loud-music-and-being-gay/

From Radio Republic: Generations

Archiving articles from my column in Radio Republic, Drinking Coffee as the World Goes By:

"But the coming of the Internet screwed with the formula. While in the past you could get along on album sales, that’s now more of a cost to be shouldered, rather than a profit center; finding your own way to sell merch or set up gigs for yourself is the name of the game, as is using internet social media and broadcast platforms in a cost-efficient manner."

Read more at https://www.radiorepublic.ph/generations/

From Radio Republic: Trying to do Something Right

From my column in Radio Republic, Drinking Coffee as the World Goes By:

"I say all that because the danger of the internet, of having all this information readily available, is that we sometimes take for granted that most of this information is true. The fact is, this overabundance of information should make us even more suspicious. Even if research makes a person feel lazy, when it comes to inserting ideas into our heads, we should really be more careful."

Read more at https://www.radiorepublic.ph/trying-to-do-something-right/