Jonas Bjerre isn’t quite sure where he’s headed today. He’s in a cab, somewhere in Tokyo, and if he’s correct, he’s on his way to a radio show to talk about Mew‘s seventh full-length album Visuals. In the 20 years the Danish experimental rock act has been making music together, Visuals takes them to different heights, starting off with the fact that they switched up their traditional process by executing the visual aspect of the record first before seeing how these images translate into music. They even broke through their 3-4 year habit of holing themselves away in the studio, delivering Visuals in just two years, after serving 2015‘s + –. “We just felt like, if we do it the normal way, it’s gonna be another three or four years before we get to do it again’,” Bjerre says. “If you keep doing it like that, ultimately you make a handful of albums and then you’re ready for retirement.” Before reaching his destination, Bjerre spoke with BillboardPH about Visuals and everything it takes to pursue one’s passions. Tell us about the visual aspect of Visuals. The album art is extraordinary, and I’d like to know a little more about the meaning […] Continue Reading
If we’re talking about selecting difficulty, let’s just say Periphery went all out and clicked Chaos just before kicking off with their Southeast Asia tour. Everything was going well for them in Australia. They ran five successful shows and fans still can’t stop talking about their performances to this day. But when they were scheduled to fly to Singapore, they found themselves stuck in the Land Down Under. Due to unforeseen circumstances that made them miss three flights, the progressive metal act had some tough decisions to make: cancel the rest of the tour and go home, or carry on broke but as heroes to fans who’ve been waiting to see them live since the release of “Icarus Lives!” and “Jetpacks was Yes!” The Sumerian Records act chose the latter and soldiered on despite the fact they’d reach Millian in St. James Power Station a lot later than expected. Doors were expected to open at 6PM, but the massive queue of metal fans snaking around the venue waited for another hour and a half before settling inside. By the time local opening act Forests were ready to hit the stage, Periphery finally made it to the Lion City for the first time, and rushed to […] Continue Reading
Five years ago, Filipino rock/metal fans had to choose which act to see on Feb. 18–Bryan Adams or Lamb Of God. These few fans, flabbergasted as they were, were given an easier choice when word spread that the “Heaven” singer-songwriter had canceled what would’ve been his third visit to Manila, leading them straight to the World Trade Center to chant along with vocalist Randy Blythe to “Walk With Me In Hell” instead. At the end of the night, a pact was brought forth that once Adams set a new date for his Manila show, they would be right at the front lines. On Wednesday (Jan. 18), these metalheads stayed true to their promise and blended right in with an intergenerational audience, ready to sing (and cry) their hearts out with the master of power ballads, whose cover art for his latest record Get Up watched over the SMART Araneta Coliseum. Adams’s eyes would move from left to right, surprising a few members of the audience staring at the screen. At one point, the overhead music was interrupted by a ringtone, making a few guffaw as Adams’s image on screen suddenly raised an iPhone to silence the call. Donning matching black suits, […] Continue Reading
Up Dharma Down‘s music has evolved since their debut with Fragmented over a decade ago, cutting through genres, to their latest release “Sigurado” from their forthcoming eponymous record. It becomes a bit of a thinker to consider what bands mirror them, sonically or lyrically. Whether it’s their ability to marry electronic and organic sounds or create hooks that get stuck in your head for days on end, UDD have this unique perspective no other band can seem to muster. Behind each song is an honest writer, letting the world see their vulnerability and their thought process, exposing their inner selves for the art. And although he often lingers along the shadows of the stage and barely says a word for most of their performance, bassist Paul Yap has a lot to say in the songs he writes. With the three full-length offerings UDD have released, Yap has written eleven tracks, including “Lazy Daisy,” “Sugarcoats and Hearbeats,” and “Luna,” and will likely add more to his catalog on their fourth studio album. Here are the 11 songs Yap wrote on every Up Dharma Down album. From their 2006 debut album Fragmented: From Up Dharma Down’s 2008 sophomore album Bipolar: From Capacities, Up Dharma Down’s […] Continue Reading
When the words You Me At Six appeared on the screens at PULP Summer Slam 14 as one of the headlining acts for Bazooka Rocks 3, there was a surprising roar of excitement rising from the sea of 30,000 metalheads. As the months rolled in to the end of August for the second day of the punk-rock festival at the SMX Convention Center, those cries got louder and louder until the British band finally took its first steps upon a Philippine stage. They were the most awaited act and they’d been given the closing slot at the 14-hr festival, but fans made their welcome loud and powerful, proving that moshing to nine bands prior was just a warm up to dancing the night away with You Me At Six. You Me At Six’s fifth studio record Night People features a whole new kind of sound; the lead single/title track packs a solid groove that steers away from anything heard on their previous offering Cavalier Youth, which the “Lived A Lie” band had been promoting when they headlined Bazooka Rocks 3 with The Used and Taking Back Sunday. Night People is set for release on January 6th, just a few months before You Me […] Continue Reading
Reese Lansangan is a true multihyphenate, who has proven to older folk that Millennials’ dire need to do every single possible thing simultaneously is what keep 20-somethings alive and running. She has done basically everything a young creative wishes to do: release a full-length album, publish a book, model for fashion brands, guest on TV and online shows, perform at music festivals, do art/design full-time, and most importantly, inspire other Millennials to just do “The Thing.” And she’s done most of these things in the span of one year — this year, in fact. So all these excuses to not do “The Thing” (e.g. “I have no time,” “it’s too difficult,” “I’m not ready,” “my parents don’t think it’s a good idea) can’t be excuses anymore. If Reese can do it, so could you. Here are 10 reasons why 2016 was such a huge year for Reese (or her accolades to inspire you to finally do “The Thing” and own 2017 your way). 1) 2016 was the Year of “Exploration No. 5” This is how things start: write a relatable song with a massive hook, record it, and release it into the wild. “Exploration No. 5” has gone far and wide with […] Continue Reading
December Avenue is not your typical band. After releasing their eponymous debut album in February, they completely went left field and kept things hush for a good eight months — an unusual move for a band that spent almost a decade working on a record. But in October, fans were surprised to see the band’s request to save Dec. 8th on their calendars, breaking their silence at last, for their first major concert. Within days, tickets to the show were sold out, so a second night opened for Dec. 12th. And it also sold out. The night has finally come and December Avenue devotees are trickling into Teatrino, Greenhills, passing a projection of the band’s visual of “Forever,” just outside the doors of the venue. Beyond the merch booth and through the velvet curtain, they find that the band’s setup has been placed on the floor beneath a display of paper airplanes, and that VIP ticket holders are treated to watching from bleachers placed onstage. Shortly past 8:40 PM, house lights are shut off, allowing the band to make their silent entrance. Guitarist Jem Manuel electrifies the audience, taking the lead as his bandmates join in to dive into their opening song “I’ll Be […] Continue Reading
Jay Eigenmann has his head buried in the mixing console, twisting knobs and raising channel faders, as toe guitarist Hirokazu Yamazaki gives instructions in broken English onstage. Eigenmann levels his mix to a specific rawness that guitarist Takaaki Mino — who is also an audio engineer — prefers for the stage and house, filling the hall with their signature blend of electronic and organic tones. This is the Japanese post-rock band’s third time in Manila, and Eigenmann’s first time to work the board for them in the country, opening their 2016 Asian tour on a Sunday evening. Having worked with toe as their FOH engineer outside Japan for over a year now, Eigenmann is confident and psyched to finally be home again. He’s been all smiles since he arrived from an excruciatingly long flight from New York, and his welcoming committee seems to get larger and larger as members of the crew spot him at the tech booth at the far end of the hall. Before working for toe and becoming Director of Production at Le Poisson Rouge, a club in New York, Eigenmann was all over the place. Like a true Millennial, he searched for his calling, hopping from school […] Continue Reading
Last Sunday (Nov. 27), the day began with a silent calmness as toe fans appeared at the doors of Samsung Hall in SM Aura as early as noon, hoping to score tickets to see the Japanese post-rock act for their third time in Manila. Unfortunately for those who didn’t make the effort to buy their tickets earlier, organizers had to turn down the number of hopefuls at the door. “Sorry, it’s sold out,” security had to tell fans. Some decided to stay behind to at least get a glimpse of the instrumental quartet through the glass doors, and the persistent ones were able to steal a few photos of the band just as they entered the hall for sound check that afternoon. Behind the mixing board was Jay Eigenmann, who was beyond ecstatic to be back in Manila. Now based in New York, Eigenmann has been working with toe over the past year as their touring FOH engineer outside Japan. “It’s not really very often that you get to work with people you look up to,” he says. “They’re the sweetest guys. They’re such talented musicians. It really makes my job easy. They’re really amazing to be on the road with and they […] Continue Reading
Whatever you create—whether it be a visual piece, a dance, or a limerick—a little bit of your soul becomes a part of it. You dedicate hours of effort to your piece, loving it more and more as you go. And when it’s complete, you reach a point where many aspiring artists take a sudden halt. This is the first test any artist must face—hiding away to watch your stars fade or baring your true self to the world. This is where Moonwlk singer Gabbi Buencamino took a leap for the latter through her music and now with her debut poetry book When Words Fall. When Words Fall is a collection of poems Buencamino once kept to herself for half a decade, featuring illustrations by artists who interpreted her work into their pieces. Released into the wild through self-publishing, When Words Fall will definitely have something all readers could relate to. While traveling Europe, Gabbi Buencamino spoke with BillboardPH about her first book, the struggles of being a self-published author, and her future plans. Who are your favorite authors and how have they influenced you as a writer? I have more favorite stories than authors, but the writers I come back to include […] Continue Reading
