May 29th, 2007

NOFX IN MANILA: PUNK CLUNKS ERRORISM

• By : paochec

May 28th, 2007

INCUBUS

• By : paochec

I used to be a big Incubus fan. I remember there would be days when all I would be listening to was the S.C.I.E.N.C.E. album over and over. Maybe it’s too much to ask for another S.C.I.E.N.C.E. After all, Brandon did say when they released Make Yourself that he wished the entire S.C.I.E.N.C.E. album had sounded like “Summer Romance (Antigravity Love Song).” We should have been warned. So with that in mind, as well as the basic truth that we all grow up sometime, I went and listened to their new album, Light Grenades, with as open a mind as I could muster. For a while, I toyed with the idea of not comparing the songs to older hits, but that’s kind of pushing it, I thought. “Kiss to Send Us Off” seems to follow the in same vein as “Megalomaniac,” while the rhythms of “Love Hurts” recall “Drive.” They don’t suck, and neither are they exact copies, they just remind me of other songs. And the title track sounds like it belongs on S.C.I.E.N.C.E. It’s actually one of the better tracks on Light Grenades, but not as interesting as the tracks on S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Aye, I know. People liked Incubus because they made music that you didn’t expect. It was exciting. Even when they wrote the rather lounge-y, surefire mainstream hit, “Are You In,” it was welcome because nobody expected that they would. Now, nobody expected that they would eventually write predictable songs either, but that somehow isn’t sitting as well with us as it seems it should have, theoretically. This is perhaps the biggest flaw of Incubus’ Light Grenades, after which there isn’t much to keep picking at, really. If we stop comparing the new songs to examples of the band’s former glory, we actually have a pretty decent album. The arrangements and textures of the songs prove how much the band has matured. All the musicians are at the top of their game on this outing, particularly drummer Jose Pasillas, especially on “Paper Shoes.” There are a lot of blow-‘em-away moments from guitarist Michael Einziger, and Brandon Boyd’s always been good at using his voice. It just seems to me that he’s lost some of his poetic gifts, much of his lines don’t work (“Anna Molly”? Nuff said.) His love songs (heh, anti-love songs, some of them) are uninspired, basically “Stop fighting with me” diatribes. I guess you can only write so many brilliant love songs (“Stellar,” “I Miss You,” “Aquaeous Transmission”) in one lifetime, huh? The best lyrics-music combo is “Pendulous Threads,” which comes along towards the end of the album, just when I was about to lose hope. On “Pendulous Threads” and some other songs (“Dig,” and despite the lame wordplay in the title, “Anna Molly”) I am reminded why I loved Incubus so much, and why I’d still listen to this album even as I reach for S.C.I.E.N.C.E and even Make Yourself and Morning View after it. The music is (still) good and they’re (still) Incubus. We all grow up, sometime.

May 24th, 2007

BLOC PARTY

• By : Paul Gonzaga

This isn’t Silent Alarm part 2. Bloc Party’s sophomore effort is a darker, less instantly likable collection of songs that might get you wondering about second album syndrome during your first listen. Read more…

May 17th, 2007

GOOD VIBRATIONS: THE BLOOMFIELDS MAKE MUSIC FOR EVERYONE

• By : paochec

Rock ‘n’ roll has always been the domain of the young: parental rage has been one of its by-products since its inception in the ‘fifties. So it’s not often that you can bond with your parents—or grandparents—over music. Unless of course, it’s their brand of rock ‘n’ roll you’re listening to. The Bloomfields are a young, fresh-faced band who find themselves bridging that gap: with a sound drawn from the popular music of over four decades ago, they garner fans that range from little kids to their parents and grandparents, to—of course—mobs of screaming teenaged girls. Made up of Jay-Jay Lozano on lead guitar and harmonica, his brother Pepe on guitars, Louie Poco on bass, Lakan Hila on keyboards, and Rocky Collado on drums, with all of them doing vocals, The Bloomfields released their first album—containing five original songs and twelve covers—under EMI records last March 23, 2007. The launch was held in Eastwood City, Libis, where they had been playing every Wednesday for some time. The well-attended event was a definite high in the career of a band that, in theory, plays music that only your mother (and father) would love. The Bloomfields is more than just a sixties tribute band; while their repertoire consists of hits from some of the sixties’ biggest acts like The Beatles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Smokey Robinson and The Beach Boys, they’ve also rearranged Pinoy classics like Bodgie Dasig’s “Ale” and Tito Vic and Joey’s “Iskul Bukul”—as well as composed their own songs—in that inimitable sixties style. “Most of [our arrangements] are done by Jay-Jay and sometimes, our vocal coach, Mr. George Mercado, helps us out. And actually, Lakan helps out, too,” Rocky says. Jay-Jay explains his songwriting process: “Personally, I would really explore the melody first… whenever I would go to his [Rocky's] place, I would play the piano, find the melody and write it. Really, that’s how I write,” he says. Talking about “Wala Nang Iba,” one of their originals, Rocky explains, “Jay-Jay came up with this melody and I put English words to it but it didn’t sound right, and then George suggested that we write a Tagalog song.” “And of course, the rest of the guys helped us arrange it,” Jay-Jay adds. The result was a song that everyone agreed should be the first single. “It was unanimous. Even EMI and our manager loved it,” Rocky says. As of this writing, their first single, “Wala Nang Iba,” has been receiving successful radio airplay, with “Ale” following suit. The Bloomfields strive for sixties authenticity with more than just their music. From their haircuts to the Rickenbackers they swing around to, of course, their suits, they try to get the details right. The suits, they say, were Jay-Jay’s idea. “We were iffy about dressing this way, but Jay-Jay really, really insisted on it. ’Come on, let’s dress in suits. Let’s have some suits made,’” Rocky confides. “We all thought it was too much but one time, we played for this debut… and we had to be in formal clothes, and we said, ‘Okay, we have an excuse to be in formal clothes, let’s try it out.’ It turned out pretty well. We kept on doing it.” The Bloomfields currently have around five suits each, plus a special one that they use only when they play by the sea. “We’re going to be using that only at the beach. So if anyone goes to the beach and sees us there, it’ll be unique,” Rocky says. Despite the universal appeal of happy sixties music and the good vibes it brings out in most people, getting The Bloomfields off the ground had its share of hardships. “We’ve had a lot of comments like, ‘They’re never going to sell, people are never going to understand them, they’re only going to be for the oldies,’” Rocky says. “The first timers go, ‘Who are these guys?’” Jay-Jay laughs. “It happens, I guess,” Rocky muses. “When you go into the market, people are going to start criticizing you and that’s all right.” Before they found their mission to spread the happiness that is sixties pop-rock, Rocky, Jay-Jay and Louie were in Bloomfield, an alternative punk band, while Pepe and Lakan were in the shoegaze band Weedisneys. They found their current sound in college, playing Ritchie Valens songs during odd gigs. They decided to stick to the sound, and as a result, introduced a “new” kind of rock to today’s youth that their parents knew more about than they did. As expected, The Bloomfields’ crowd is as eclectic as any rock crowd can get. “We get families most of the time,” Rocky says. “We’ve got regulars. There’s this one family that’s been coming for five, six straight weeks now. That’s a lot. We’re really amazed.” “You’d be surprised also because we also get youngsters like four-year-olds—” Jay-Jay adds. “Yeah, four year-old kids.” Rocky continues. “And they’d be bringing their toy guitars and jumping around. I’m not kidding. You should see them one day.” The Bloomfields may also have the distinction of having the only parents in rock and roll history who were truly happy with their sons forming a band. “They really, really love it,” Rocky says. “Our parents are always there, in almost every gig. I guess that it’s not everyday that you get a kid who shares the same interests.” In an age where angst is magnified and everything is more dramatic than it should be, one tends to wonder if it’s hard channeling the simplicity of the sixties, especially if one happens to not have lived through the era. For The Bloomfields, this isn’t an issue at all. “Right now, we don’t think that it’s hard. It’s not work. It doesn’t feel like work. We have a lot of fun on stage, God knows that,” Rocky says. “Channeling the sixties vibe, we’ve been listening to it so much that it just comes naturally to us now, I think. We don’t listen to a lot of other songs. I mean, we do, but not as much as we do this kind of music. So yeah, it’s in our blood now.” A part of channeling the sixties vibe includes watching the people without whom there would be no sixties rock, and—when possible—opening for them. So far, The Bloomfields have opened for Gary Lewis and the Playboys and Herman’s Hermits when they performed in this country. They also got to watch The Beach Boys perform. Each experience, the band says, was amazing. In fact, they can’t seem to stop gushing about it all. “Oh man, 20,000 fans in Arantea Coliseum. I mean, they weren’t our fans but I mean, 20,000 people there and they were screaming and that was awesome,” Rocky shares. “Gary Lewis and the Playboys were really nice,” Rocky adds. “They kept giving us advice about staying together and being friends and all that. Most band people do. They keep telling us to stay together, don’t fight, be friends and all that.” In terms of rock and roll, The Bloomfields break the mold. Aside from avoiding angst and playing “happy music,” wearing formal gear when performing, and getting parents to go to gigs with their children (and enjoy themselves too), they also don’t think of themselves as a rock band. “We prefer to be called a pop band. We’re not rock,” Rocky says. In fact, they go so far as encouraging people to call them a boy band. This points to extreme confidence, especially in an era where rock bands don’t want to be “liked by girls” or “thought of as boys” or “pogi.” After all, if you’re comfortable with your music, who cares what other people think? “To be called a boy band is a compliment. I mean, obviously the girls think they’re hot,” Rocky quips. “So, if we’re being called a boy band, it might mean something good, right?” The Bloomfields are in between worlds in more ways than one. They play rock and roll, but don’t think of themselves as rock musicians. They don’t mind being called a boy band, yet play their own instruments and can write their own music. They sing in English and Tagalog, covering both American sixties and Pinoy seventies rock, and if you’re lucky enough, some Britpop as well. Which begs the question, where do The Bloomfields fit in the current Pinoy music scene? “Every artist in the Pinoy music scene has one goal. That’s to entertain the Filipino people. That’s what we’re doing. That’s what we’re trying to do,” Rocky says. Other bands seem to take their presence in stride as well. “They don’t beat us up or anything,” Rocky says, eliciting a round of laughter. “They don’t call us losers or anything.” “They’ve been very nice to us,” Jay-Jay says. “Like Slapshock and Sugarfree. They’ve been very nice.” When asked what else they hoped to accomplish in their music career, Jay-Jay candidly said, “Success. Everybody wants success. I just hope that we can keep on doing this because we really love what we’re doing and we hope that we can just keep on doing this for a long while.” Visit The Bloomfields online here and here .

May 17th, 2007

DEKODING AMPON

• By : paochec

Absolute Messages Personified Over Noise, or AMPON, is a gathering of non-mainstream (perhaps even anti-mainstream) hip-hop artists who take pride in being more “art-core” than hardcore, in writing intelligent music instead of party music. The group was determined to produce their music fiercely independent of the mainstream, until they eventually started up their own label. Operating as a collective, they released their first album, Dekoding Rhythm—an anthology, if you will—in 2006. The collective is home to individual artists Caliph8, Anygma, MIC, Six The Northstar, Gabby, D-cal, Plazma, Marlowe, Chec, Azeem, Skarm, Jolo, Ago, Anton, and hip-hop groups Dialect, composed of Abnormalities and NothingElse, and the trio Epical, made up of Flexx, Chyrho and Beetlejuice. We were able to speak to: NothingElse (Eleazar delos Reyes): When I got out of engineering, I got into music… I was stunned when I saw the performance of my friends and I told myself, I can also do this… Started out with freestyling, battling then into music production… My lyrics are quite simple when deciphered, I just want to say what I wanna say in a more intricate manner. Beetlejuice (Martin Lazaro): My life is all about music and art. It’s been like that since I was born. Flexx (Miguel Pacheco): I started freestyling before writing, I was about 18 and as I was into music …I asked myself why my friends could produce but I couldn’t. So everyday since that thought bothered me I insisted on recording myself on a tape deck accompanied by some Pete Rock and DJ Krush beats and I’d just mess around with that until it reached the point that I was able to dispose vocab which had sense. It all went by so fast after that because I had neighbors that rhymed as well and not even more than a year passed and me and some friends were already able to form Epical [composed of Martin, Victor and Mic]. We had our first gig at this college and the experience made me fall for music producing (with regards to lyrics and the beats…). After that night as I remember a great force was formed, a bunch of emcees from everywhere who just wanted to be free but at the same time understood the standards of music… and that was AMPON. Anygma (Alaric Yuson): I’ve been myself for 18 years. sKarm (Philip Pacheco) – My name is Philip Pacheco a.k.a “sKarm”, producer/emcee for AMPON. Been emceeing ever since I started writing back with the grade school vocab. I move like a terrorist cell, I am one voice in this collective we call AMPON. Personally, my beats, lyrics and tone are to be described as just plain “real & raw”. I do not make your typical 15 track love song album, I do not cover songs, I turn my back on the songs plainly talking about the bling and women. Basically I morph everything I get from samples into me and just put it all together. As for the something special part, I would not call it special but I guess “different” would be the word. I just choose to put my beliefs and perceptions of this world through a 60-100bpm beat with either samples from the past and present or even playing instruments for my appreciation. Don’t get me wrong, if you dig what I am doing feel free to hop in the train of the minority because this music we make is not really a club jumper, sentimental mover, popular choice for music. Its something else and I really find it good for the soul. MIC (Mic Sanchez): I accidentally discovered that I could play the drums when I was about 9 years old. I kept trying to imitate drum patterns when I was a lot younger. Then luckily when I hit 9, my aunt gave me a Yamaha Digital Drumset complete with foot pedals. The first time I sat and tried to play that thing, a basic “kick-kick-snare” beat came out and I was like “damn!!” to myself.. I got myself a real drumset about two years later.. From then on I just kept evolving as a drummer; especially when I heard John Otto’s funky/rock/hip-hop style on Limp Bizkit’s “Significant Other” back in 1999… That’s when the beats really started to get some groove… As for the lyrical side, there’s not much to it; back in high school, I used to keep a notebook where I’d write sh*t down… So anything I felt or anything that would happen during the day, I would write down. Then the notes turned into short personal poems; then the poems turned to lyrics… and that’s it.. The electronic beats? I always wondered how all those hip-hop artists used to make sample-based beats when I was a lot younger. I used to do it really “crude-method” style; record my drums on tape then add guitar and bass on another tape… and so on and so forth… till I found out about Fruity Loops during the early high school days. It’s a pretty good sample-based music-creating software for those with a low budget. I still use FL till now cause I still don’t have money… I cut and import my own samples and drumkits though; usually from old movie soundtracks and songs. Much respect to DJ Premier for the heavy influence… Plazma (Paolo Callangan): I started rapping when I was twelve. But back then it was nothing serious, heck I don’t even know what I rapped about, some typical gangsta rap shit. It just takes time for an artist to grow. After going through different stages of life, there you will be able to express fully what you feel. I gained consciousness in my writing at the last year of my high school. I was exposed to the grim reality of life and was able to survive it. Hip-hop became like my journal. Now I’m in college, and I continue writing in that journal. Hmmm… I am a huge fan of Horror and Exploitation movies. Six the Northstar (Felix Gantioqui): I started writing rhymes when I was 14 and at the same time played around with musical production. I joined AMPON when I was still with my group Archonz Akeen and I was there during the collective’s inception. I’m currently a DJ at Killer Bee 106.3 in Bacolod. Marlowe (Marlowe Uy): As an introverted kid growing up in the outskirts of Tagbilaran City, Bohol, I spent most of my time listening to music, reading books, and writing anything of literary value. Without any available means to waste my time since I had no Sony Playstation, cable TV or a “barkada” since we really had few neighbors, my childhood days were spent on attempts to doing anything creative. In elementary school, I took up guitar, piano, and banjo lessons. But I didn’t have the discipline to provide ample time for practice so I was not really adept at playing those instruments. I also dabbled in poetry, which I still do until now. In high school, I started rapping. I performed at school events and did some collaborations with the bands of my friends. It was also during this time when I started writing my own lyrics. However, the music scene in the province wasn’t really conducive for hip-hop artists during those years. In fact, being a rapper was pariah, except if you were in some rap-rock band that emulated the likes of Slapshock and Limpbizkit. Ridiculous as it may seem, I recall some people there who would say “hip-hop bulok, punk is not dead” whenever they notice someone who is into hip-hop. As a hip-hop artist who lays emphasis on lyricism instead of the typical rap-rock rants and the gangsta-poser rhymes, I was really in an isolated position back then. I was fortunate enough that I was awarded a university merit scholarship to study in Metro Manila. This gave me an avenue to know people who were also into hip-hop, specifically individuals who also lay emphasis on the lyrical aspect of rap. During my freshman year, I joined Archonz Akeen, which is now a defunct hip-hop group that was once part of the AMPON collective. When the group disbanded, that was when I started creating beats. Most of my beats, I gave it to fellow AMPON emcee Plazma, who also used to be part of Archonz Akeen. As an emcee, I perform during AMPON gigs and other hip-hop events. Outside AMPON and hip-hop in general, I provided some beats for the score of a theatre production titled “If Death were a Playwright,” which was staged at the University of Asia and the Pacific. I am also into spoken word poetry. Although not really a veteran of the spoken word circuit in the country, I have already performed at the Cultural Center of the Philippines for the Word of Mouth event, Art Centre at SM Megamall for Danny Sillada’s 10th one-man exhibit, and also at the UA&P Humanities Arts Festival. Abnormalities (Cole Benares): I have been trying to make musical tracks since I was 13 years old. Growing up in the Philippines, the local scene influenced me more than my foreign influences. Chec (Paolo Pacheco): Actually I really had my hands on music seriously when I got in AMPON, I’ve been messing around with a few PC programs and tape decks back in high school aspiring to be a so-called “DJ” someday. Ago (Miguel Agoncillo): Wow, musikero na din pala ako… [I’m a] Ph.D. student in philosophy. Regrettably, the rest of AMPON could not be reached at press time. What was it that drew you to hip-hop? How would you describe the kind of music you listen to and how it influences the kind of music that you create? What else do you listen to? NothingElse: A very basic answer—the headnoddin’ beats and the rhymes. I was lost when I first listened to hip-hop, I was listening to commercial rap. Then back in high school, Flexx introduced us to A Tribe Called Quest, the old Rawkus records, some neo-soul… then in college came the influx of backpack rap, leftfield hip-hop… I also listen to some drum and bass, electronica, free form jazz, list could go on and on quite a cliché answer but true… they influence me in such a way that my perception has been altered and [is now] weird to others. But they do not necessarily influence my lyrics ‘cos my lyrics are the reflections of the now which I am experiencing. Beetlejuice: Beats, rhymes and dirty loops. The culture itself is fun and inviting. Been a hip-hop junky for a very long time now. I listen to a lot of music. Jazz, hip-hop AND ALL SORTS. I collect records, tapes and other sound junkieness! Record digging and getting my fingers dirty is my idea of a good time. Searching for old and new music is my thing. As for the music I create, hip-hop is just a part of what I do. It’s a fragment of something bigger. Part of the creative process. What I do is more than hip-hop. It’s forward thinking. Flexx: I think it was Radio City [in Galleria in ‘96] and the first two tapes I purchased were Tommy Boy Records and Cypress Hill…..and I enjoyed those tapes, ha ha….. Early 90s grooves were great, but then when I started noticing music during the late 90s, a lot came to my attention with regards to spotting “the difference” on this force which was music. I needed guidance through this path of survival. Luckily my music would always come from Martin and Pg since they would always have the top notch good shit, like say some De La Soul, Wu, early Common, Blackstar, Tribe, Ninja Tune, Arrested Development, Pete Rock, and my favorite producer DJ Krush! Code 4109! Ha ha… And it wasn’t just hip-hop but a lot of soul, jazz and during the start of 2000 a lot of Def Jux, Ninja Tune, Rhymesayers, Abbey Lincoln, Helen Eriksen and all sorts of free-the-world type music that in my description is a soothing symphony for the shattered souls who appreciate the truth. That’s the kind of music I’m into, while the music I produce contains a lot on how I feel we get surrounded by robots who just want to infect the innocent but at the same time I feel I can’t blame anyone since resources for underground music down here is limited… Anygma: Lyrics, beats, the culture. It’s great music. I also listen to jazz, reggae, blues, other music. sKarm: What drew me into hip-hop was the use of the voice overpowering all other sounds in a song, because I believe that the voice is the most powerful instrument a person can use. I mean the sound can be nice but if what you are saying is just powered by what you think fans just want to hear then I find that crap. I like its clarity and head bop effect. When you hear that emcee drop some story or perception on the different things that affect us in life powered by a background in a rhythmic tune—it reaches some point in human spirituality where you just get dazed and confused. The music I listen to always has to have content, whether a person is talking or the instrument is setting the mood for his/her feeling at that moment. I listen to artists like Atmosphere, Aesop Rock, Eyedea, Sage Francis, Sole, Dose One, Murs, Soul Position, RJD2, Blueprint, Grayskul, Immortal Technique, ILL BILL, Necro, EL-P, Alias, Nas, the old Mos Def and Common Sense, GANGSTARR. I had my days with Limpzkit’s Three Dollar Bill and Significant Other and turned my back to the rest. DJ Lethal is still sick though… John Coltrane’s Era, Benny Goodman, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Billie Holiday, Abbey Lincoln but the most influence came from the whole Rhymesayers – Defjux – Anticon camp. MIC: I’m not sure how I got into hip-hop but I think it’s when I heard “The Message” by Nas from a friend of mine way back in ‘96/’97; I was just stunned and impressed by the sample, the crunchy drums and the elegant yet gritty lyrics.. Hip-hop was on my list from then on… Off the top of my head I’d have to say those that have highly influenced the hip-hop side of my music are: DJ Premier, Nas’ Illmatic and It Was Written, Smif n’ Wessun’s Dah Shinin, AZ’s Doe or Die, DJ Muggs, the Beastie Boys’ Hello Nasty, The Roots’ Illadelph Halflife… I listen to a whole lotta other hip-hop stuff but these are the ones I respect the most. I like the early 90s hip-hop stuff. Hip-hop is just one side of me but I’m also a big fan of the rap-rock/nu-metal stuff… Limp Bizkit’s Significant Other and Three Dollar Bill Y’all—much respect to those two albums! Korn, Slipknot—Joey Jordison, that dude’s a phat-ass drummer too! Deftones’ White Pony, etc. All kinds of music come into my life, friends givin’ me CDs of artists I never heard before—I also download a lotta stuff, so it’s just endless… I mean, I don’t limit myself to any genre, if the song sounds good, and if it gives you that fix of whatever you’re lookin’ for, then its good. My music is just an expression of what I feel—and all these artists (and future artists) that I listen to help to give me ideas of how to express those ideas, feelings and things in my head waiting to get out. Plazma: Hip-hop is probably the most expressive genre ever. You can do anything with it; you can add a little rock, metal, jazz, reggae feel to it. You can rap about anything too. The music is flexible. I’m also a big fan of Heavy, Thrash, Death and Black Metal. Metal has played a very big role in my music too. Metal makes anger and damnation sound so beautiful. Six the Northstar: First it was the hard hitting beats of the 90’s where hip-hop was at its height, with snares snapping your neck while you bop your head to a person rhyming. Then it was the rhymes weaved with the beat. Now I guess, I evolved so much as a listener and a musician. I’ve been listening to free jazz stuff like Sun-Ra and some funk music from Sly and the Family Stone or other obscure stuff I can get a hold of. I guess that molded the production I have now although I try not to listen to something before I do my beats and lyrics. I’m into some Deftones and AC/DC right now. Marlowe: If you are referring to hip-hop music, then I’d have to say it was the imaginative manipulation of language. The intricate rhyme schemes, wordplay, punch lines, and the usage of literary devices like figurative speech attracted me to hip-hop music. That is probably the underlying rationale why the type of hip-hop music I listen to always accentuates the lyrical aspect. Just to name a few of the hip-hop artists I constantly listen to: Sage Francis, Aesop Rock, Eyedea, GZA, Common, Atmosphere, Canibus, Dose One, and Buck 65. These artists influence me in a way that I continually attempt to transcend the established boundaries in hip-hop music. Besides hip-hop, I also listen to John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Portishead, Puccini, Philip Glass, Stylistics, John Cage, Frank Sinatra, Radioactive Sago Project, Up dharma Down, Buddy Wakefield, Billie Holiday, Norah Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, Nirvana, Carpenters, and even some Peter, Bjorn, and John. Well, I really listen to a lot of musicians but these names came spontaneously like rushing water from a stream of consciousness. Abnormalities: I started going into hip-hop scenes in Manila at a young age with my older brother who was at that time an artist as well. Watching the people who made the movement possible for hip-hop music, as well as the environment I grew up in, influenced me to create the music I make. When things around me change, my work adapts with it. I don’t restrict myself to a certain genre. I could even listen to FM radio at times. Chec: Honestly, it was the beats that caught me…I was 8 years old then. Soon after, I learned to appreciate the lyrics and began to develop understanding the deeper meaning of each and every element of the genre. From hip-hop, I appreciated jazz, soul, breaks, and electronica music which I am into nowadays. I’m very open-minded when it comes to music, I try and learn to appreciate each and every genre and sub-genre that exists. Ago: The beats and the lyrics… I listen to electronica, hip-hop, rock, anything that I like. It allows me to experiment with other things and push the envelope. In your own words, describe what AMPON is. How does AMPON relate to the Philippine and global hip-hop scene? NothingElse: Absolute Messages Personified Over Noise, I guess that about describes AMPON. Personally, when it comes to Pinoy hip-hop, I don’t really relate with ‘em. We just do our own music on our own terms. But with hip-hop as a whole, we keep the traditions with what we do on a more progressive tip. Beetlejuice: “Ampon” is a different approach in local hip-hop. There’s not much to relate AMPON within the local scene except for a few. As for the global scene, there can be some traces drawn with other underground/progressive hip-hop cultures around the world. But styles remain different. We are from the Philippines. They got theirs. We got ours. Flexx: AMPON is a free association of musicians, we’re all different but our similarities with regards to music is what draws us together. Personally I think we don’t have the patience for compromised music and the relation to the world is that everything we release is real. I just can’t appreciate bullshit music, it gets me nauseous. Anygma: We’re not for club music. sKarm: AMPON is an independent label filled with emcees, DJs, turntablists, beatboxers, producers, poets and basically a bunch of people who were just sick and tired of the same old shit and wanted to create something that stood for what we believed in. AMPON relates to both scenes. Our stories are powered by our surroundings (the Philippines) and also the other things outside the boundaries of our country. There is no rule in making a song nor boundaries on what you can or can’t say. Personally, I just don’t give a fuck what others think. We just make our music and put it out for us and for this music to be exposed to the public. MIC: AMPON for me, is a “compilation” of musical artists that all got together to help each other in their music… from beatmakers, to lyricists, to producers, to people who play instruments… AMPON creates music and puts it out there in the hopes of being heard and listened to. Nevertheless, we don’t care whether people like the shit we put out or not; we just make music we like to hear and music that we feel—and that’s it. Plazma: We are different from the typical hip-hop heard on the radio and seen on television. Six the Northstar: AMPON is a box of puzzle pieces. The pieces are its members with different shapes and sizes. Simply put, each piece, regardless of shape, fits with one another to bring a bigger picture. But we’re not all serious all the time like what other people might think, one common thing about us is our sense of humor (laughs). We just try to do great music that we like and what other people may dig. Regardless of which seen, we just want to evolve and progress with the times. It’s always been like that since day one. Strictly artistry. Marlowe: For sure, AMPON is more than just a Hip-hop collective. We treat each other like brothers. This is a family comprised of individuals with similar interests and ideals in life. In relation to the Philippine hip-hop scene, AMPON is not really that well-known to most hip-hop heads. Maybe because we don’t market ourselves like cheap commodities for sale. Our music is an acquired taste. It is not music you listen to while doing something else. This music demands focused attention on the part of the listener. In AMPON, we don’t really have a target market nor do we cater for a specific audience/crowd. If you are the right person, then this music is for you. Abnormalities: AMPON is a big family. Even the name AMPON (adopted) applies to the music we create and how we work as a group. We take in artists that have the same nature towards what we are doing. We help each other, share knowledge, and most importantly support each other’s work. Like any hip-hop scene, local or global, we also want to expand and spread our work. Chec: AMPON is just a bunch of people having the same interests with different flavors gathered into one corner, tripping on music not knowing that we are actually doing something else, that’s because we don’t care much about what people will think of our music when we make it. The hip-hop scene in the Philippines I believe is running on a highway… we just have our own lanes. Global is much different and is more complicated. Ago: AMPON is all about the music… Sure, we need money but we don’t center our work on it. AMPON can show both the whole country and the world that there is also another side of the Philippine hip-hop scene which the people can find as both refreshing and not all about the Benjamins. Why a collective? What were the origins, and more specifically, how did you get to join in? NothingElse: Power in numbers, I guess. And maybe ‘cos it’s musically healthier to cipher around heads with the same vision. AMPON started back in October 2003, we found other hip-hop cats and decided that we should do something and be heard. I was invited by Chyrho, Beetlejuice and Flexx (the founders) to be part of AMPON. Beetlejuice: The idea of AMPON was to put together artists who shared the same differences and similarities. We figured out that it would be a great idea to start a record label that pushed a different approach to the local hip-hop scene and to have an entire hip-hop crew share common interests and bring a variety of styles and skills to the table. AMPON was a vision and finding other members for the crew was even more exciting. Finding someone who can identify with the group’s style is really special. And that’s what happened, artists came to AMPON coming from different camps, cliques and simply gifted indivduals. AMPON is made up of mc’s, beat makers, poets and artists. So we built a clique. A strong and starving crew hungry to express themselves. An art-core hip-hop collective. Flexx: We formed AMPON days after that first gig at that college, AMPON consisted of emcees who wanted know why… of people who weren’t tired of digging. Anygma: It works better. I was just a fan and a friend. sKarm: We are a collective because you can make a greater effect with people who have the same perceptions as you. We take our music very seriously and it is nothing to fuck with. Taking the extreme point of view is present in any AMPON song you hear. Because if you don’t take that extreme point? People won’t even listen to you or, worse, they won’t take you seriously. I was not there when AMPON actually started but I was already rapping at the time and was intimidated by these individuals. I was a 13 year old hanging out with a bunch of 15-20 year olds spilling their theories on hip-hop. I was just fascinated by the fact that I could make words rhyme. I got in because they knew me and the music I was making was pointed in the same direction they were going, plus these are the people I grew up with. MIC: All I know is back in probably around late 2002—I got into “Epical” with Miguel (Flexx), Martin (Beetlejuice) and Vic (Chyrho)… I was about 15 or 16 back then and I was just taggin’ along meeting all these other older heads and doing gigs… I was stoned most of the time—and by around ‘03 or ‘04, I suddenly found myself in a music group called AMPON… the rest is history. Plazma: It’s because we support the unheard. We help each other, we’re not just a collective, we’re family. You see we are united up in here, unlike other artists who are contestants in popularity contests. Six the Northstar: Well, during Archonz Akeen I thought it was cool to kick it with other people rather than just 8 of us then (laughs). But I actually thought it was way better to have people to support you when you do your music. I actually had a call from Epical’s Chyrho and Turbulence’s B-Roc for that infamous meeting in a resto in Makati. Imagine more than 20 men in one long table, goofing around and talking music like they knew each other for a long time. Marlowe: AMPON initially started as an indie hip-hop label like Definitive Jux or Anticon. However, due to lack of financial resources and time, we became more of a collective comprised of different groups and solo acts. Given the current state of hip-hop in the Philippines and the type of music we create, it is more advantageous for the artists in AMPON to be a collective. Abnormalities: Most of the people in AMPON are the same people I grew up with. We shared the same ideas and decided to put them into work. Collective because we all are different, each artist in the group has different influences, knowledge, and beliefs. This provides us flexibility in creating our music. Chec: As I stated earlier, we are a bunch of people having the same interest with different flavors. Combine all the different talents (raw, experienced, developing, etc) and keeping focused on being just ourselves makes a collective great for me. I was asked by NothingElse to join AMPON as a business head back in 2003 (which didn’t quite work for me). Ago: It allows us to spread the movement of AMPON faster and to a wider range of audience. Had a fight with one of the members which I was able to resolve when I joined the group. What was your role in the production process of Dekoding Rhythm? Does this role extend to a bigger scale in other AMPON efforts? NothingElse: I did most of the legwork: copyrighting, finding out the place to press our CDs, collecting funds for the production of the CDs, managing the whole AMPON. Flexx: I only produced a track on that album which was “Holografiction,” and rhymed as well on beats produced by Mic and Vic (Chyrho the wrath). Anygma: I did my share. I hope so. sKarm: I produced track 11 of Dekoding Rhythm, Dcal’s “on beat.” Dekoding Rhythm was just a taste of our projects. From that time to now, we have gained a lot. It’s a learning process; even if you’re a senior citizen, [when it comes] to this music you still learn. Our beats are evolving, flows are getting more experienced, and our minds are like a black hole, sucking in all we can learn. MIC: I took care of mastering and mixing all the songs to optimize their sound and make the album sound consistent throughout. It was a hard one ‘cause it was my first time tryin’ to do somethin’ like that and the songs came from different studios and recorded at different times, not to mention the beats came from different producers; so it was really hard. But it’s cool ‘cause I learned a lot from it and the album came out and sounded pretty good. I also produced beats for some of the artists in the album; as well as the “intro” and “outro.” Plazma: My solo track “Demented State of Mind” and the track with Marlow and Chec, “Satanas.” Everyone’s roles extend to a bigger scale. Six the Northstar: I had to sit this one out for this compilation since I’m currently in Bacolod City. I did a song for Dekoding Rhythm but I may contribute more in the next project for AMPON. I was actually in charge of sales here in Bacolod City. Marlowe: I provided the beat for the track “Demented State of Mind” by Plazma. I am one of the beatsmiths in the AMPON collective. Chec: I made two of the beats in the album, recorded and mixed three tracks in my house. Ago: Wala akong nagawa sa album, nagbenta lang… Hehehe… What is it about the members of AMPON that makes it work well as a group? What are the qualities that the members have that helps make AMPON what it is? NothingElse: The weirdness, the uniqueness of each AMPON member. The different perceptions which sometimes collide but in a way we still make it work. Beetlejuice: Everyone is special in their own way. That’s the common ground we all share. It works. Flexx: We have a lot of similarities with regards to how music should sound and the standards aren’t even mentioned but already understood within the circle without having to ask, the beauty of this all is that our styles are so diverse that you could easily spot who’s rhyming because we all talk about everything and that “everything” is very much in detail. The good thing about everyone is that no one goes clubbing and the pop life does not exist, thus we are able to create our own environment. Anygma: We’re all open-minded. Being critically observant. sKarm: What makes us all connect is that we are all different individuals but at the same time our theories in music are alike. We all make music for ourselves but again if you like it then cool, if you don’t then it’s all okay. MIC: We all know how valuable rest, intoxication, and laugh time is. And I think that’s what keeps AMPON alive because we just have fun in what we do (not in a cheesy way, hahaha). And we don’t make music to try to impress anyone; we just do it ‘cause we feel it. Plazma: The artistic mind is what makes AMPON work well as a group. We might have different opinions and perspectives about things but it’s the creativity of it that keeps us together. Six the Northstar: Like I said, we are all a bunch of funny people—well, at least most of us (laughs). It’s a collective of learned men with no intellectual arrogance whatsoever, which actually helps with some of our experimentations in music. The group dynamic of a certain collective, in my opinion, is great when you get to hang around with them until you trust them. Marlowe: We are a tightly-knitted consortium. The bond established in AMPON goes beyond hip-hop. Abnormalities: You have to be optimistic and have a strong belief in what you are doing. We don’t really have requirements. We are open to anything. We don’t follow the corporate system. Chec: All the wild, weird, funny, unique ideas that come out our heads and making something out of it. We all pitch into something we believe might work best in our interest and do all we can to make it work well. Ago: We all share the same qualities and we live in a sub-culture of our own which makes it easier for us to bond together, but harder for others to understand us… Is there a designated leader? How do operations work? Beetlejuice: We all move at our own pace. We bring up matters together in meetings. We have an overlooking president who takes care of business. Flexx: We are a democracy and move as we please but if we have to make decisions for the group then everyone would have to meet and so we could share thoughts and tell what is best. Anygma: We have a president, but everyone just listens to each other and does what they are capable of doing. sKarm: We operate like a mob. Each individual in AMPON has a say. This label was founded so there could be no strings attached in song-making and financial decisions. Everyone’s comment is said then we talk about what is best for AMPON in the long term. MIC: We work with democracy. Everyone says what they think and whatever benefits the most of us, or whatever we all agree upon, is what we execute. Plazma: We have officers in AMPON: President, VP, and Business heads. But authority is not based solely on them. Like I said, AMPON is more of a family, everyone has to move and have their own responsibility. Marlowe: In AMPON, we act like a mini-democracy. Everything is decided by a majority vote. Six the Northstar: Well I tried to grab the power! (laughs) Nah, but I believe NothingElse is in charge over all on both the art and business side of AMPON. NothingElse: I’m the president. But I still take into consideration everyone’s opinions before arriving at a decision. We hold meetings, with as much members who could make it, before every gig, before any major decisions. It’s parliamentary in a way but there are times when I have to put my foot down. Why are the tracks recorded in different places? Is it like a DIY collective? Plazma: Because it’s straight underground brotha haha!!! NothingElse: Some live in Pasig, some in QC, one in Parañaque. It also depends on the time. Yes, do-it-yourself ‘cos no one else will. Flexx: Tracks nowadays are usually recorded at my place, Mic’s and Chec’s. It all actually depends on whose beat it is since as producers we all have different techniques when it comes to adding the effects and the equalizers and we also want this and that done our way. sKarm’s my brother but when it comes to the finishing touches of the tracks, that song is usually furnished by whoever produced it. Chec: It’s somewhat DIY but when it comes to recording, we all find our comfortable time and place as to where and when to record our materials. Anygma: Because we feel like it despite there being minor differences in recording styles and vibes. Abnormalities: We share the labor and also to vary our sound. sKarm: We are heavily advanced in our home studios because we believe that is all you really need. Everything is connected to one computer—the mixer, the mic, and the turntable. These studios of ours are stationed in different places because we all wanted to work in the place where you’re from. What place could be better than your home? MIC: The main idea was to just keep making and recording tracks wherever we could, and in the end get it all mastered in one studio before releasing the album. It’s easier that way ‘cause not all of us live close to each other. Six the Northstar: Since we are not with a major label, we don’t pressure anybody to create a song within a certain time line. We try to give artistic freedom to each and every member of AMPON. It’s easier to have some of them done in different places since some of them have different vibes too. Marlowe: It was really a matter of convenience. On my part, it was a matter of proximity of the pseudo-studio from my place. I recorded my solo track titled “Sanctuario” in Mic’s residence where his pseudo-studio is set up for the simple fact that it is walking distance from where I live. Ago: It’s convenient. Yes, magugulat na lang yung iba na may bagong kanta na nagawa. What are AMPON’s upcoming projects? NothingElse: I am workin on my solo EP: NothingElse – Is Out There; to be released on the net once our website is finished by Mic, hopefully by July. Beetlejuice: Another compilation. This time produced by Miguel (flexx) and Phillip Pacheco (sKarm). That should be fun and different. The group has a vast perspective of things. So projects may mean music, videos, graffiti, murals and art. Whatever we feel like doing. Anygma: Concept albums and several solo albums that are still in the works. Flexx: Me and sKarm are supposed to release an album composed of AMPON emcees and some other cats, basically the theme is that it’s our production. sKarm: We’ll have emcees from AMPON together with other artists such as Liquid from Audible and Kleph Note. MIC: Basically we haven’t stopped making songs even after Dekoding Rhythm came out and our plan is to keep creating songs and select the best from them to put in the new album, which I’m not sure when it will come out. Some of us are also planning on doing solo albums or albums that’ll feature only some of us, kinda like side projects. Plazma: There have been talks of doing a second Dekoding Rhythm. Mic, sKarm and Six are working on their solo albums. NothingElse is working on an online EP. sKarm and Flexx are doing an album too. Also in the works is the Exorcist Scrolls EP. As far as I’m concerned, I’m working on a solo album entitled Music 4 the Damned. But as of now, we just continue making tracks, collaborations, solos etc. Six the Northstar: I’m actually in the process of recording my album, Nullverse, which will hopefully be done this year. Marlowe: Some members are working on their solo EPs. The Pacheco brothers are also working on another compilation album that may feature artists outside AMPON. Former Archonz Akeen members (Six the Northstar, D-Cal, Chec, Plazma, Gabby, and yours truly) are on the conceptualization process for The Exorcist Scrolls EP, the subject matter of which is the seven deadly sins. What are your goals, individually and as a group? NothingElse: I just wanna make music my whole life. I have given up on tryin’ to change the façade of Pinoy rap. As far as AMPON goes, I want to bring our music to other countries like Japan, New york (underground), places where a hip-hop scene DOES exist. Beetlejuice: What I know is that we will keep pushing AMPON productions whether it be music or art. We are all aware of the group’s potential. So we capitalize on that special STRENGTH we have. Just keep making music. Flexx: Main goal is to get our music out to the world because sometimes I feel that a lot of homosapiens down here prefer the usual. Anygma: Continue working, working and thinking. sKarm: Personally my goal is to keep living this life. It is a plus for me to make my music reach other people’s ears. My music will continue to function from me, from what I think and what I believe needs to be done. As a group, just to continue dropping our beats, lyrics, until there is nothing left to say (which is far away from anytime soon). MIC: I’m planning to release a solo album that will contain my beats, lyrics, me doing live drums, probably some guests, and an overall mixture of hip-hop, rock, triphop and funk. I’m also currently looking for live bands I could play drums for. Plazma: Simple… to be heard, without really giving a damn what the public will say. We just would like to show everyone the other side of Pinoy hip-hop. Six the Northstar: We just try to do great music. I just want to push the envelope and try to have different approaches with my art and it wouldn’t hurt also for people to feel our music. I just want to do great music, no gimmicks, no stunts, just pure great music. AMPON is all about progress. Marlowe: To release an album that will definitely change the landscape of hip-hop in the Philippines. Chec: As of the present, I want to pursue my solo electronica project if I can pull it off by mid-June, and maybe have a band if luck comes my way. With AMPON, maybe continuous development and progress will be the best for now. Ago: As a member of AMPON, influence the scene. Individual goal, get my doctorate. Other non-AMPON projects that you wish to pursue, music-related or otherwise? Beetlejuice: Personally, I want to make more films and make videos for AMPON artists. Not many people know about this but the lifestyle of AMPON is narrated and shown in a short movie I directed three years ago and was an official entry to the Cinemalaya film festival in 2003. The film was called “Benny, The Life of a Street Poet.” It featured street ciphers, graffiti and beat making. Check it out. Flexx: I want to have a free band, I haven’t started on this and so for now it’s just a sandcastle dream. sKarm: Whatever’s whatever, come what fucking may. MIC: I’m planning to expand the “QuickSmack LowBudget Studio” and really make some money off of it so I could buy better equipment. I also want to focus more on my drumming and playing with live bands rather than writing lyrics. Plazma: It’s been a long time dream for me to do a track with a metal band, a punishing rap-metal track that will annihilate the gap between hip-hop and metal. Right now I’m writing a book called “The Demented Mind of Naldo Umalab” and I hope to finish it soon. Marlowe: Release a spoken word poetry album. Publish a book. Organize an open mic event at the university where I study. Six the Northstar: I’ve been playing around with musical scoring for some small films right now, trying to get more knowledge here and there. I have a group in Bacolod called Intstruementals which experiments with some stuff outside Hip-hop and I’ve been trying to do some music with the local bands here and promote the scene. I also want to hit the gym and excercise. I haven’t exercised for two years! (laughs) Artwork provided by AMPON. What, you were expecting your typical promo photos? “We opted for the non-portrait approach to represent our visuals for the article. Here you go,” said Caliph8 of AMPON.

May 15th, 2007

JENNIFER LOPEZ

• By : paochec

Hey, check it, J.Lo can sing. Seriously. Here’s an A-list celebrity who’s starred in dramas, thrillers, and some of the funniest romantic comedies ever (and the one inevitable flop), is famous for her visually stimulating music videos and notorious for her erratic civil status. With everyone focused on her dancing and her relationships, her singing would seem like a minor item. Which is why it surprised everyone when Jennifer Lopez came on American Idol to coach the AI hopefuls on Latin night. I know, isn’t it weird to see J.Lo as a coach on a singing contest? But she was actually an asset to that show, giving substantial comments and tips to the contestants that they actually listened to and which actually enhanced their singing. Case in point: Sanjaya’s much improved turn that week, singing “Besame Mucho.” Obviously one who took her own advice beforehand, Lopez sounds dreamy on her latest album, Como Ama Una Mujer. Como Ama Una Mujer is, supposedly, the album Lopez has always wanted to record. Yes, she’s always wanted to record a Spanish-language album, but it’s not just a matter of language, the music is what constitutes the real departure here. The old “Jenny from the block, yo” feel is a thing of the past; instead of dancing along automatically, we are made to sit and listen for a change. This is what happens when you marry the King of Salsa. I don’t understand what she’s singing about, but I do notice that she seems to experience what she’s singing more. There’s a wealth of feeling in this album, more than in all her previous albums put together. It makes sense; she is singing in her original language, after all. (Then again, I could just be imagining all that; romantic foreign languages will sound emotional anyway.) I like her most on the romantic ballads—she actually has two kinds of ballads, first the anguished kind that you might hear in Mexican telenovelas or Robert Rodriguez films, and secondly the tender loving kind that aren’t as intense but which you get to appreciate more. No, I can’t say for sure that tender love is the topic in songs like “Tu” and the title track, but I do feel the sincerity and emotion. I’m guessing old fans might not like this album as much either because they won’t understand it or they can’t really dance to it (although you can bust some moves to “Que Hiciste” and “Te Voy a Querer”), or both. That would be such a shame, though. When our idols grow, we ought to grow with them. When they finally find themselves, we ought to celebrate. In whatever language we desire.

May 11th, 2007

rockstar as commodity

• By : paochec

So, let’s pretend that I were rich enough to get drunk in the Greenbelt area every night and I was into rock n’ roll, let’s pretend that I’m too upscale that I can’t be bothered to go all the way to Mayric’s or Conspiracy or (insert non-Makati, non-Eastwood bar here) to watch my favorite rock band, let’s pretend that I’m young enough to buy into all that rockstar stuff and willing to pay P300 bucks to watch my favorite rock band play 5 songs in a more upscale, more posh environment. What? I would not exist, you say? But let’s pretend…

May 10th, 2007

SUMMER ROCKIN’: THE 1st SUMMER MYX FEST

• By : paochec

Say what you want about Boracay being ruined by too many tourists and too much marketing—it’s still a damn fine beach, the air there is still much less poisonous than it is in Manila, and it’s a great place to catch some live musical acts. While the small dark beer-soaked bars we usually go to in the city have their own charms, watching a band you like perform underneath a sky full of stars while you’re sitting on powdery white sand is a wonderful thing. Last April 20, we attended an event staged in Boracay by popular music channel MYX, at Club Paraw and Cocomangas Bar—the first-ever Summer MYX Fest, which featured the MYX VJs as hosts, games galore, and performances by five bands from Manila: Wake Up Your Seatmate, Imago, Sponge Cola, 6cyclemind, and Sandwich. First up was the all-female group Wake Up Your Seatmate—a last-minute addition to the lineup and a welcome surprise, especially for the guys in the audience who enjoyed seeing vocalist/rhythm guitarist Mia Tengco, lead guitarist Celine Pineda, bassist Patty Peralta, and drummer Atchoo Ilagan in beach wear. They kicked off with an obligatory nod to one of the major sponsors by performing an iced tea jingle, then launched into their set proper with the defiant-sounding “Episodes” from their debut album, followed by “Tigerlili” (which vocalist Mia dubbed “our summer song”). They also played one of their singles, “Charm Me”—appropriate for the occasion, considering its light, cheerful feel and lines like “It’s like summer every day when I’m with you.” Now, every Wake Up Your Seatmate gig I’ve ever been to, there’s always some guy in the audience screaming the drummer’s name. “Atchoo! I love you Atchoo!!“—or words to that effect. This Boracay event proved that this phenomenon was not confined to Metro Manila. What I’m wondering is if it’s always the same guy, or if Atchoo’s presence just generates a rabid admirer at every venue they play. Imago took the stage next, and delivered a tight, entertaining and crowd-pleasing set, marked by their unique combination of pop lilt and rock bite. When vocalist Aia de Leon said, “Ang sarap ng may ka-ganito sa Boracay,” we knew that the band was going to start up one of their most well-loved hits, “Akap”—and sure enough, they did, to a roar of approval from the audience. “Sundo” from their most recent album was next; it seems to me that it’s one of those songs that sounds good to begin with, and then grows on you even more with repeated listens. A very playful, vaguely Kalapana-influenced rendition of the Apo Hiking Society’s “Ewan” followed, and then Aia called a Very Special Guest onstage: Raimund Marasigan, who then proceeded to jam with them on riotous versions of “Anino” and “Taralets” while people waved their inflatable freebies in the air. “It’s the season to be tanned!” Aia said during one of her spiels—and sure enough, she, along with bassist Myrene Academia and drummer Zach Lucero, were sporting golden-brown skin hues, after having been in Boracay for three days by that point (guitarist Tim Cacho, meanwhile, explained earlier that “I don’t tan, I redden.”) “Sunog na sunog na ako!” Sponge Cola performed a strong set under the purple and green spotlights: they did a mix of songs from their two hit albums, as well as several covers—the Eraserheads’ “Pare Ko,” Soul Asylum’s “Runaway Train,” and Rey Valera’s “Maging Sino Ka Man.” Small wonder that Sponge Cola was in the lineup: they were the big winners of the MYX Music Awards last March, as they took home awards for Favorite Song, Favorite Artist, Favorite Rock Music Video (for the song “Bitiw”), and Favorite Group, despite competition from other major bands like Parokya ni Edgar, Kamikazee, Sandwich and Hale. The crowd’s enthusiasm for Sponge Cola’s originals was apparent, as they greeted tracks from the new album like “Tuliro” and “Bitiw” with cheers, and went wild for older songs like “Jeepney.” Vocalist Yael Yuzon struck a sort of power stance as he sung, flanked by bassist Gosh Dilay and guitarist Erwin “Armo” Armovit, who bobbed and swayed as they played, while drummer Chris Cantada behind them pounded away, his head down as if weathering a storm. “Feel free to join,” Yael said, plugging their mailing list. “We’re very nice people.” 6cyclemind was the second to the last band—they played soon after vocalist Ney Dimaculangan and drummer Tutti Caringal hosted one of the MYX games, a mix-your-own-summer-drink challenge, with energy and wit. They kicked off their set with “Bonggahan,” followed it up with “Trip,” and then performed their most recent radio hit, a cover of Two Minds Crack’s “Upside Down”—a song many a child of the 80s remembers with fondness. “Para sa mga in love,” Ney said. 6cyclemind proved themselves to be consummate performers, never letting the crowd’s energy level drop—even during a brief power outage—and serving up lively, slightly reggae-fied summer versions of hits like “Sige.” Appropriately enough, ex-Eraserhead Raimund guested on their cover of “Alapaap,” and drummer Mike Dizon guested on their version of a song he originally wrote for Teeth, “Prinsesa.” People were on their feet, jumping and singing along, by the time 6cyclemind performed “Sandalan.” And the people stayed on their feet for the last set of the event, by Sandwich. Starting things off with a freestyle rap, irrepressible frontman Raimund Marasigan whipped up the crowd into a sort of joyous froth, as the band tore into “DVDX.” Sandwich took sidetrips through Violent Femmes and Ramones territory on their way to a wild jam session on “Sugod” involving members of all the previous bands (and more), including Aia of Imago, Yael of Sponge Cola, Ney of 6cyclemind and Mich Dulce. Raimund leaped headfirst into the crowd near song’s end, as if possessed. It was a fitting, frenzied finale to a fun, much-appreciated event. The only downside is, of course, that for the rest of this summer, we’re going to be working in the city while daydreaming about the beach. Ah well. There’s always next year. Photos by Kidlat de Guia. (See more here.) Special thanks to Ruel Ferrer and Camille Labayen, who took very good care of us.

May 8th, 2007

SINO SIKAT? BEGS THE QUESTION

• By : Joelle Jacinto

So take one kickass vocalist who’s got everything—looks, vocal power, stage presence—who was sick of showbandiness. Give her a band that would let her sing the kind of songs she likes, give her the best musicians in the scene, give her smooth and sexy songs that tread that thin line between jazz and rock, and are several notches above the no-brainers you hear on the radio today. Sounds like the stuff legends are made of. Read more…

May 4th, 2007

LIKE WE NEED A REASON?: THE MILAGROS DANCEHALL COLLECTIVE PRE-LAUNCH PARTY

• By : paochec

It was supposed to be the launch of Milagros Dancehall Collective’s long-anticipated first album. It promised to be the kind of celebration that people would be talking about for months after. Unfortunately, mastering the album took too long, and it was ready for pressing only on April 19, 2007, the supposed date of the album launch at SaGuijo. But would that crucial fact cancel the high spirits of the evening? Did you think MDC would let it? Re-dubbed as a “Pre-Album Launch,” the gig went on as scheduled, sans albums. What they did have was a video (filmed live also from a previous gig at Saguijo) that could be downloaded onto your mobiles via bluetooth. This caused a little confusion from that night’s master of ceremonies, Playground’s Madz Abubakr, who referred to the gig as a Pre-Video Launch. Hmm. Still, he proved to be a more than adequate host, especially during Drip’s quite elaborate setting up, cracking jokes that were a hit with the audience. I’m thinking nobody expects this is why, with him being conceived previously as the strong, silent type manning the electronica component that backed Nyko Maca’s sound. Aside from Drip and Nyko Maca + Playground, the one other group to party with MDC was Libido, the new post-Narda band of Ryan Villena and Tani Santos, with Jason Caballa, Conrad Javier, and vocalist Angelo Estrella. Their heavy brand of new wave may have diverged from the night’s lineup, but they were still a welcome addition since we’ve been waiting for them to play since Ryan uttered the words, “new wave band with Jason and Conrad.” Their music’s tight and powerful, though their singer could use more loosening up. Then again, it’s just one of their first few gigs, I bet he’ll get more relaxed in time. Strangely enough, this was my first time to see Drip with Caliph8. I’ve seen Caliph8 on his own and jamming with other people, but the other times I’ve seen Drip were pre-Caliph8 and during the turntablist’s sick leave. I must say that, though I’ve always enjoyed Drip’s unique, otherworldly sound, it totally broadens when they’re a quartet. I guess this is because everyone can then fully concentrate on what they do best instead of making up for the hole in the sound wall. Of course, they had to announce that they were also finishing their album, and I’ve put it high on my list of Most Anticipated Albums of 2007. Also up on the top of the list is the one that Nyko Maca + Playground are still, at the moment, recording. Playground was missing Alvin Cornista that night, no explanations except for Nyko Maca’s tongue-in-cheek, “He got grounded.” Despite the absent sax, the energy level from Nyko was quite infectious—people started standing up and dancing by this point. The only reason why they don’t start dancing wildly is they all want to watch Nyko dance herself, and that’s an integral part of the experience, as well as it being always fun. Nyko Maca later jammed with Milagros Dancehall Collective during their set, on three songs actually, ending with “Do It,” which they collaborated on—which album this song will appear on remains to be seen. But even before Nyko joined them, Rob Martinez a.k.a. Robbie Ranks and Sappy Saplala a.k.a. General Sappy had all of Saguijo on their feet and the party was in full swing. Milagros Dancehall Collective really do deliver when they refer to themselves as Metro Manila’s Dancehall Authority (playing with the acronym MMDA), and this is not just me saying that, it’s my friend beside me who laughed aloud nonstop at the two frontmen’s stage antics, it’s all the people dancing up a storm. I’m hoping that they somehow figure out a way to press that live vibe into the CD, it would be phenomenal if they do. The album’s actual release is now slated for some time in May, and while we wait with mounting anticipation, we can watch their video, and Drip’s too, on our cellphones. Got bluetooth? Come on over, mon. Photo by Brendan Goco. Brendan can be reached at brendangoco@gmail.com