As producers of electronic dance music, it takes a heightened sense of awareness to produce and mix, with a certain kind of wickedness to boot, a perfectly flowing track that would lift a listener up and carry them into a particular state of mind. That weak-kneed, eyes-closed, arms raised in then air feel–or euphoria for lack of a better word.
This is what DJ/producer Curse & Bless strives for in every single time they step out onto the stage to pump out their eargasmic tunes and heart-pounding beats. Whether in front of an eager crowd or on a media platform like soundcloud or Beatport, this duo of Jared Celemin (Curse) and Karen Toyoshima (Bless) do exactly that.
The material they bring to the table are fresh and original as all of the tracks they release are produced by them. Raised in Chicago and eventually moving to L.A., Curse’s ideal for the perfect EDM track is rooted in the music itself. Anybody with a drum machine who’s read a manual can probably whip up some beats. But Curse’s structure is from a deeper understanding of what the music is, and what it is to be.
What Bless brings is her Japanese pop culture sensibility, creativity and discipline. While her music inclination comes inate by her Filipina roots, feminine and artistic, she’s drawn into the music simply because she loves EDM.
When playing live, Curse & Bless makes sure that they keep the ideal of DJ’ing alive as opposed to just playing with that little slider in the middle of the controller, and EDM enthusiasts would know what this means. Rest assured that Curse & Bless keeps to this ethos and that’s why they are one of the best DJ/Producer duo in the local EDM scene here in the Philippines.
For their original major label debut, Curse & Bless have issued a quirky titled track in “Sushi Dance.” A fun track, “Sushi Dance” is part comic storytelling, with Japanese lyrics, L.E.D. kicks, mystic sushi and ninjas thrown in. With a compelling synth motif and a driving beat, “Sushi Dance” is the perfect entry point to the world of Curse & Bless.
The duo are also the founders of the Philippine-base EDM collective known as Kurai, which is composed of up and coming producers with a love for bass-centric music that puts out some of the most extraordinary tracks the world has yet to hear.
Apart from that, Curse & Bless are also the founders of the sole electronic dance music social media network in the country, EDM Philippines with a strong following that increases by the day. Ditto the Rave.ph, a community of festival goers and dedicated ravers, which is spearheaded by these two individuals who certainly know how to push themselves to the limits.
As producer/DJ’s, the duo has graced many an event and has made music for a number of projects and commercials. Among these are the Smart Jump anthem back in 2014, as well as appearing in the movie “Just The Way You Are” as themselves and as music contributors. Karen has also appeared in numerous TVC’s among them Colgate, Tide, Western Union, Jollibee, Diamond Rent-a-car, and on Smart Big Bytes as the female lead. Both have acted in the 2015 MMFF film “The Midnight Janitor.”
Recently, Curse & Bless has played at 97.9 Home Radio’s club and EDM themed program Invasion Manila, wherein the duo played a two-hour set that included their favorite tracks, deep cuts from their influences and “Sushi Dance.”
“Sushi Dance” is released by Viva Records and is available at iTunes, Beatport and can be streamed on Spotify, Guvera, Deezer and other music services.
Follow us: