11.28.2006

KJWAN IS 2-STEP MARVELOUS

WITH THEIR SECOND ALBUM, 2-STEP MARV, KJWAN TAKE WHAT THEY DO TO A WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL

by Joelle Jacinto

Talking to Kjwan is like talking to a group of grizzled music veterans, as opposed to the band next door. I mean, none of them bring up the weird novelty of fans recognizing them in malls, or having mailing list EBs, and they would much rather talk about putting their album together than anything else. Sure, all bands are excited when their next album is about to come out, but Kjwan take it to a whole different level.

Which is just about right because, if I may be blunt here, Kjwan’s second album Two Step Marv absolutely kicks ass. And it’s so unlike the first album in so many ways that it’s no wonder the band—vocalist Marc Abaya, drummer J-Hoon Balbuena, bassist Kelley Mangahas and the new tag-team guitarists Jorel Corpus and Boogie Romero—really get into their discussion of it.

So how would you say the second album, 2-Step Marv, is different from the first?

MARC ABAYA: I think it would be safe to say that our second album, like most bands’ second albums, the second album is a lot more mature in terms of content, musicality, the time that was put into it, as opposed to before where the songs were mostly jams—you put the four of us in a room, in an hour, we’ll give you a song. So, all of those tracks were basically a product of that. This time… It’s been nearly 2 years since the first album, we had a lot of time really to hone each song, to try to make each song the best that it could be, as opposed to having “wala lang” songs. So there, compared to the first, I think the whole band agrees, we’re very proud of the second, all the more with the fact that, well, for us, it’s totally different from the first one.

KELLEY MANGAHAS: Actually, the second album was a long process, over a year’s worth of writing, writing songs, jamming, fighting, recording, everything, it was one whole year of us figuring out how we’re gonna go from the first album, how we were gonna sound on the second. It’s also an influence of what we’ve been listening to, what we’ve been hearing, exploring since the first album. And siyempre, Boogie.

BOOGIE ROMERO: The interaction here, for me, is very exciting. After six to seven years of playing only in one band, I find a different chemistry with Kjwan, and it’s great, playing with new people with different skills and talents.

Was it very much different from when the band had just one guitarist?

BOOGIE: Yeah, siyempre it’s much different now, kasi we’ve toured together. We both used to play in a band na one guitar lang, but now we have to put our heads together and really cooperate with each other. And this second album is really more experimental, as opposed to the first album na more rock n’ roll talaga, there are different elements in this new album, like we have a track na medyo more dance-y, more… (looks at J-Hoon beside him) Ano pa ba?

J-HOON BALBUENA: We had a track where we put some keyboards, we had a song that’s kind of hip-hop and everyone sang to it, so it’s different from the first one, more mature. Like the musicality’s definitely different from the first, higher than the first. And with Boogie’s addition to the band, it adds more texture and that’s what’s different from the first album.

JOREL CORPUS: Coming from the first album, na-establish namin sa first album na, okay, we’re a rock band. Meron kaming mga rock elements, marami talaga kaming mga rock elements dun sa first album. Meron ding light elements sa first album, the way I see it, parang kung baga yung light elements namin black and white, talagang light siya. Kung rock siya, rock siya talaga. This time, parang kumpurtable talaga kami sa sarili namin. First album, we were trying to prove something na parang we wanna come out, we wanted everyone to recognize us. This time around, parang, okay, kilala niyo na kami. Tapos alam namin yung ine-expect ng tao na ‘pag lalabas ng second album, kailangan umakyat na yung musicality mo, gumaling… Ngayon, yung nagawa namin na material para sa second album, ako personally, ‘pag napakinggan ko, naririnig mo na hindi na siya… hindi naman sa hindi na siya parang galit, hindi na siya, kung baga kumpurtable na kami sa ginagawa namin, hindi na nagpapasikat, alam mo yun? Yun na yun, parang steady-steady lang kami sa pag play namin ng music namin, so parang kumpurtable na siyang pakinggan, hindi na alanganin. At saka sa album na ‘to, we’re trying more to find our own sound. Lalo na nung first album, meron kang rock elements, merong light elements, we mix ‘em all up together sa second album. For me, parang hinahanap namin ang tunog namin dito, and comfortable yung playing.

MARC: I’m sure you heard this from everybody—we came out, we wanted to prove too much, I think it would be safe to say, more objective to say that the music, even the lyrics, everything about the second album, like Jor says, is more personal. Originally, we found it was a bridge to find ourselves: what are we ba? Yeah, we proved everything, since the beginning. For me, [the second album is] a more personal album. Of course, fine line, di ba you have to please your audience? We put a lot of pressure on our music and also on us, as brothers, so talagang… We’re just hoping that people will like it also, and be able to appreciate it for what it is because, again I can’t say it enough, we are very proud, we are very very proud of what we’ve done. It took so long, but it was worth it. Hands down, J-Hoon just said it, we… keyboards, we’ve never done that, we never put so much thought into an album, into the composing, into the recording of it, into the mixing, into the video-making of it, that’s another story on its own. So there, I think we’re a little older, a little bit wiser.

How did you start working in the other genres into the Kjwan sound?

KELLEY: We listen to a lot of different things, drum n’ bass, soul, electronica. So all of these mixtures, we’re more fully aware of these influences and we’re trying to translate this into a whole new different thing for the second album. Ang daming ups and downs din in the middle that the band got into. We survived, we got our guns going. We have a good team now. We’re really confident about our product, especially for the second album.

MARC: We have this song called “Pintura,” which echoes “Daliri.” I keep on saying this—if “Daliri” had an uglier, stinkier, nastier sister, it would be that song, so we have a lot fun playing that song. If you were a fan of “Daliri,” I think you as a listener would like this. Objectively, it’s a lot darker, it’s a lot heavier. It sounds it, even though the lyrics are more hopeful. It’s funny but the rest of the songs are different. We’ve got dance stuff, jazzy. I mean, Kelly, all of a sudden, is getting into dance music. Jun is basically a DJ, yeah?.. Hands down, I will say he’s the greatest drummer I’ve ever met and he’s insane that way but he’s gifted that way, so when Kelly got into dance, the two of them started hooking up, the band had to follow. And then from there, saya, because even the time when we took a vacation, we went to the beach, hung out, the sounds that we listened to would never be our stuff. Never. For a while it wasn’t rock, just to learn things. The new album is a lot more ambient. Not light. It’s trippy. As much as possible, songs that can be played beside any band… we still have the rock edge, the riffs.

Why is it called 2-Step Marv?

J-HOON: From the song “2-Step Marv,” and it so happened everyone liked the title. It’s a 2-step beat, the song itself… And I don’t know, we just said, “Marvelous,” so 2-Step Marv.

JOREL: J-Hoon just has this habit of mouthing off random stuff. And there was a time when we were practicing and then J-Hoon was doing the beat, then sabi ni Boogie, “J-Hoon, ano yan? Anong tawag sa beat na ‘yan” And then, niloloko nitong si J-Hoon si Boogie, he just mouthed it out loud, “2-Step Marv,” and Boogie believed it. [laughter] And J-Hoon was just laughing the whole time and we all found out so. J-Hoon has this thing with inventing names, actually. He invented… Sa kanya nanggaling yung word na “Kjwan.” Yung name ng band.

How is Kjwan different from your other bands?

KELLEY: With Kjwan kasi, for me, of course the people are different. I’m with Boogie also in Dicta [License] but in Kjwan, I have a different mindset. It’s a lot more intense, for me ha. Especially since we’re working on the album now. We’re a very moody band.

BOOGIE: With Kjwan, I think it’s also a mutual thing, I feel may ibang nalalabas from me when I play with them and at the same time, meron din akong nalalabas from them.

MARC: Just to be objective since I’m not in Dicta, what makes it different, again, first and foremost, Kelly said it, different members. Second, in terms of song structure, again, inasmuch as Boogie, Kel and me listen to the same stuff, we’re the same batch eh, Brian and Pochoy are so different from Jorel and J-Hoon. And then in terms of song structure, there may be some similarities in the sense that we love riffs, that’s where we both come from. In terms of content naman, there, Pochoy is a lot more profound than me. He’s a lot more passionate, intense, and I think it’s because he’s younger than me. And you can hear it in every single Dicta License performance, in every word that he says, that he raps or when he sings, it’s different. You can tell that I’m a little older.

KELLEY: Pochoy has always looked up to Marc, he’s always been barkada with Marc’s brother, we’ve all known each other for the longest time, and it’s just a different mindset. I’ve known Marc since I was high school, I was bandmates with him since I was high school. Marc was the one who introduced me to Pochoy so I met him like a little later on, so kahit papaano, it’s two different sides of me, I guess.

So Kjwan is the more intense side of you?

KELLEY: Moody, intense.

MARC: I think Kjwan is more dramatic. It’s not moody, it’s not intense. Dicta License is more intense. We are more moody, in terms of music and things. There’s more drama.

KELLEY: Trippy. It’s trippy for me.

MARC: Dicta is a savage beast. It’s like the constitution right in your face, but that makes it cool without being too preachy, yeah? And it’s funny because when it comes to performances, everyone just wants to watch these guys. I mean, this guy, gifted singer Pochoy, he’s just making sure that every single word sinks into your head like a nail. It’s a mutual respect thing. We’re very different. You put us both together, you may have two of the same members, but if you listen to the songs, that’s not the same. Like also Jorel has Happy Meals, which is more funky and more Teeth, it’s like a school of piranhas, that’s Happy Meals. Kapatid naman is more funky. Karl Roy. Period. Boom!

KELLEY: It works out.

What are you happy about this time around?

MARC: Our new label [Barnyard Music under Wally Chamsay and Alvin Llanderal], to whom we’re most grateful. We did our share of shopping for labels, and especially nowadays it is so hard because, again, the band scene is thriving, yeah? It’s so hard to get signed. So, what our label and what our bosses have enabled us to do, and in signing us up, they gave us basically the courage and the security, the security blanket of knowing that we can create our music with minimal hindrances, and it’s just so much love because we, like in any business endeavor, we know that they are taking a chance on us, in investing in us. But then again, it’s a mutual thing, what we’ve already done in the past, they were the ones backing us up ever since day one [back when Chamsay and Llanderal were with Sony Music, now Sony BMG]. So, at the end of it all, we found ourselves lucky and blessed to be with the people who have backed us up since the beginning. I believe they helped us excel, helped us be more confident that, yeah, we don’t have to worry about it being sellable, at the end of the day, and it’s nice because at the same time, it’s very objective, they can be cruel, even nice because they know us. I mean, who better to tell you that you suck than your friends, yeah?

KELLEY: To add lang, we got our dream album, album design, we’re making our dream video, you know, recording.

J-HOON: I’m more happy because on this album, I feel we’re really experimenting with music. Let’s say Jorel got to do some percussion and I’m fortunate that the boys loved this track I programmed, so there isn’t one sound that we [settled on]. I think, as Jor said, it’s a process, but I think we’re very clear about this process, you know, we try to do as much as we can, then we’ll see what’s up, later. I think we should test all these waters, if rock can touch trance and jazz. We should do something while we can, while we’re young. We should do something different.

[For those of you who haven’t picked up 2-Step Marv yet, this will give you more of an idea of what to expect: Kjwan talk about two songs from their second album.]

“Invitation”

MARC: Basically, “Invitation” is more song-based, more song-oriented, fashioned as a song, as opposed to just instruments. And then, Boogie and I are big fans of A Perfect Circle.

BOOGIE: Perfect Circle ba? Well, actually the drums, the drums are more Bloc Party-ish, medyo drum n’ bass yung drums, and you know the guitars are more spacey, edgy, not necessarily distorted. Really rough. But the vocals, I think, are influenced by A Perfect Circle.

MARC: And Madonna.

BOOGIE: Yeah, there. And we put it all together, all those different elements together, you just have to listen to it, I think.

JOREL: Yung “Invitation,” medyo marka din nung bagong sound namin eh, dahil meron kang elements ng drum n’ bass na si Jhoon ang nakikinig noon pa. Tapos meron kang elements ng space, tapos may elements ka ng dalawa yung nag-gigitara, na during the verse, iba-iba ‘yung ginagawa namin ni Boogie, tapos meron ka ring elements ng solid rock groove na kung anong ginagawa namin nung first album. Tapos, ‘yung lyrics ni Marc, tungkol sa … [looks at Marc]

MARC: I wrote it as a stalker song, this is about a stalker, yeah? To a degree, it’s a dark song. It’s a very dark song, it’s a combination of “Shai,” of a song like “Shai,” the heaviness of “Ang Daan” and “2-Step Marv.” So, since it’s a very complicated song, especially to perform live, I chose to make it sound creepy. But the funny thing is I meant it there as a wacko song, from first person perspective and then, for some weird reason, first it was Jor who said, “Ang ganda ng lyrics mo,” which I rarely get from Jor. Seriously, because he knows when I’m faking it, he knows when it’s real. And that hit me. And then, my girlfriend loves it. I don’t know why, and then I tell them, but it’s about a stalker and it’s not funny, but the cool thing about it, in terms of lyrics naman is taking into account what Jor said and why for some weird reason why our girlfriends like it is it could be also misconstrued as like, getting busted, you know what I mean? Loving someone and just not getting it back in return. So there.

“One Look”

JOREL: Personally, hindi kasi ako, I’m talking very objective, objective-wise, I’ve never written a song that’s in the major scale. So, “One Look” is very simple, it’s a very simple song, it’s got two chords… five actually. Two chords mainly, but there’s one chord progression, and the lyrics talk about a girl, this girl I like. It all went together, and the recording was fun dahil I put in some percussion elements din. I think it’s probably the poppiest song ever.

MARC: We all have our things, but Jor, this song is very personal to him. “One Look” is the ultimate example of one single, it’s his heart and soul in that song. So, it was a challenge to be able to play it because, again, to be honest, there is a creative tension, especially when you know it’s coming from this guy’s heart, so you can’t mess with it, and again, Jor said it’s a very very simple, poppy happy song. In turn, some of the vocals, the musicality, he’s happy about it. Like the lyrics are so sublime, meaning, to the point of conversation na. The melody is so catchy, tuney, that many vocalists would want to play around with it. Play with the keys, make it go up [demonstrates high notes], do all of that but the funny thing is because of my fear and respect that it is Jor’s baby, I sang it, I tried my best to sing it the way, consciously talaga, even in the studio, I was like, I’m not gonna ad lib my style, I’m just gonna sing the way Jor wanted me to sing. But at the end of it, seriously, when we got to the rough cut of the five songs, “One Look” was actually the nicest song to listen to, and I understood more than ever why Jorel was so, I’m sorry, OC about it. And then, for me musically, ah that’s why. All the girls love it, seriously man, it’s not funny, I’m like “O, how do you like this song?” “I like Jor’s song.” And seriously, they’re all babes, so there, it’s a great song and I really… It’s a risk saying that it sounds poppy, but it’s part of the album, man, and it’s part of us and we’re very proud of the song and… Have you heard it? You should hear it. You will hear it and you will love it. It’s a good vibes song that is still very much Kjwan. Oh! And Kelley, Kelley’s got a thing for 311. And, like, I fell asleep while he was recording, but when he recorded that song, I woke up. So, for me, of all the songs that Kelley made the basslines, ‘yun ‘yung pinaka ang daming laman, pero tamang-tama lang. And I love it and ay nako.



Very special thanks to Yvette Tan.

Both “Invitation” and “One Look” feature Brigada on percussion. Dan Gil and his Rhodes keyboard appear on “Can’t Do That.” 2-Step Marv is currently available in the stores and at Kjwan’s gigs. You can check out their gig sked here.

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