Fil-Am band Hafner’s EP Long in the Tooth: A love for Fugazi, Aliens, and punk rock baseball.

Fil-Am band Hafner’s EP Long in the Tooth: A love for Fugazi, Aliens, and punk rock baseball.

by rick olivares

San Francisco, California-based Filipino-American band Hafner released their third album just the other week, Long in the Tooth, under Bay Area label, Aklasan Records.

The album cover gives away the band’s Filipino roots as the image is that of a traditional barong tagalog. The music is anything but Filipino as Hafner’s music is a mix of 1990s alternative music that is slow, noise-driven with a propulsive bass that harkens back to Fugazi, the Melvins, Flipper, the Pixies, and Nirvana. 

Hafner’s albums feature songs that are paeans to esoteric baseball players (the band takes their name from former Cleveland Indians first baseman Travis Hafner) and high-flying skateboarding heroes like Tony Hawk, sci-fi horror films (every album has one song with a film reference and for Long in the Tooth it is the fifth track “LV-426” is named after the planet in the first Aliens film), and the frailties of life.

And Long in the Tooth is all that and more. In fact, it feels like hitting the open road to clear the cobwebs in your mind or blowing off steam after a tough week at work and that pint looks mighty appealing. 

In many ways, the album is like a labor of love as it took three years to release.

Exclaimed Burd, “Three years for six damn songs!” 

The production of Long in the Tooth saw members exit and enter and guitar parts re-worked all the while with the band fussing over artwork, mastering, and where the vinyl should be pressed (“money concerns” is how Quines puts it).

Ultimately, Burd and the band (drummer Brian Davy and bassist Ronny Kerr) pronounced themselves pleased with Long in the Tooth. “This is the first time we’ve collectively put out something,” shared Quines. “Am glad that we took the time because we don’t expect anything less than quality. Quality control, man. Quality control.”

Quines emphasized that and Long in the Tooth is everything you love about 1980s hardcore and 1990s alt music with a sarcastic sense of humor.

Hafner didn’t set out to record songs that would be sports anthems. The love for baseball and the Oakland As (the band hails from the Bay Area after all) is natural rather than contrived. “I think musicians take themselves too seriously,” fessed up Burd. “And they can be stuck up too. What better way to annoy the artistic elite than by singing about sports?”

“Seeing the Oakland As win games during the 2012-13 seasons was inspiring,” elucidated Quines. “What I thought was inspiring was they were maximizing what little money they had to field a good team. I compare that to DIY punk. I thought about how (1980s California punk band) the Minutemen recorded their albums using used tape and recording at the cheapest studio time that was 2am. The whole idea of ‘jamming econo’ as a way to be crafty and maximizing their dollar to present a good piece of art is inspiring.”

Regarding the barong tagalog on the cover, Burd waxed poetic about an influential album from his youth, Fugazi’s sixth and final album, The Argument. 

In that album, Fugazi’s vocalist and guitarist Guy Piccioto (who later was with Rites of Spring) said the album was an anti-war manifesto. In the booklet that accompanied the compact disc of The Argument was a picture of a plaque memorializing Kent State shooting victim Sandra Lee Scheuer. When Piccioto was asked by Scott Thrill in underground culture site morphizm.com about using this image, he answered, “It’s like a chemical. You put it out there and the reaction that it creates is what art is.”

It is the same for Burd. “I am more interested in what other people say about this. My brother, Mark, took that picture. It was an art project that he worked on in college and he spent long hours on it until he was totally exhausted. He turned it in for his final and passed out on the classroom floor. That barong belonged to my Uncle Pepe who was a real funny and clever guy. One time, he drew a picture of me crapping in the toilet and he laughed about it all night. He passed away a few years ago because of smoking. It was really difficult to see him on a walker when all my life I saw him with no problems at all. I told you what it meant for me. The image (of the barong) isn’t a defining one. It just invokes a bunch of connections and memories that I associate with seeing this picture.” 

Seeing the picture myself, it did remind me of some things from a past time and the good memories that come along with it. And maybe that is why Hafner’s music brings back memories when alt music was king and it swept the world. 

Long in the Tooth is more than a time capsule. It is good music that pays homage yet pushes the ideas and music forward into this dangerous new world we live it. 

---- 

Hafner’s Long in the Tooth is available in the Philippines through Mutilated Noise Records in Makati (check out their Facebook page) or through Aklasan records (also on FB).

Cat Scratch Fever: Barbie Almalbis-Honasan on her new EP, Tigre.

Cat Scratch Fever: Barbie Almalbis-Honasan on her new EP, Tigre.

by rick olivares

Barbie Almalbis-Honasan is sitting outside the doorstep of her home in Marikina watching her pet cat (named Vernie after singer Vernie Varga) romp around. The feline, now immortalized in her song, “Tigre”, her new single and extended play release of the same name, is in the midst of its 15-minutes of fame as a photographer looks for a proper shot with an uncooperative subject. 

Barbie smiles. There’s a hint of rain, but it is all good. “All the more to banish the scorching heat,” she says.

Almalbis-Honasan always tries to look for the good or even the lighter side of things. Rain for motorists brings flash floods and more traffic. “True, but it also washes away the heat and dirt that has accumulated around the city,” she gently ripostes.

Spoken like a true artist.

She settles in the chair of the dining area of her home with husband, visual artist, and now musical cohort, Martin Honasan, where we talk about her new extended play release, Tigre, and well… the past 20 years.

Twenty years ago, Barbie released the self-titled debut of Barbie’s Cradle at Farmer’s Plaza in Cubao where she performed what would go on to be some classics, “The Dance”, “Tabing Ilog”, and “Goodnyt”. Along with songs such as “Healing”, the music saw Almalbis-Honasan release her inner Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones, and Suzanne Vega that was a tad different from the pop-ish songs penned with Hungry Young Poets.

That’s right,” she coos when told of the 20^thanniversary of that seminal album. “I am bad with milestones. I keep forgetting.”

Back then, her music was influenced by the aforementioned ladies and bands like the Smiths that subconsciously worked their way into her songs. Today, she professes to love bands like Brooklyn jazz ensemble Snarky Puppy and local folk band Munimuni among others. 

“I have always been a music fan and discovering new artists. I started out with Depeche Mode and Bon Jovi. In college, I discovered the singer-guitarist folk genre. Through my bandmates, I discovered the Smiths. My son and I would go on NPR to discover new music from Japanese house music to local bands. Lahat ng yun pumapasok sa subconscious ko and they become a part of any songwriting process.”

“I write from life experiences. If you look at the songs I write, it is about heartbreak and finding yourself and later, my faith. Kami ni Martin have started writing together. He wants to help me and we enjoy the process. One of the songs born out of that is ‘Tigre’.

Vernie is her first pet animal and it is a curious and vexing experience and relationship. “She was moody at first, she even tried to scratch me,” relates the singer. “But once we got to know her and understand her more, it has been better.”

During a second shoot for this article, Vernie saunters over and holds her pose for exactly one second. Everyone laughs. The cat seems unamused and unaware about her sudden and unlikely celebrity status. 

“I don’t think it will ever go to her head,” chimes in Martin of their cat.

Ah, relationships.

The second song on the EP, ‘Cover’, was written by both Barbie and her friend, Michelle about her then fiancée and now husband. “He was totally surprised by that,” laughs Barbie. 

The third song, “Ghost” is about the singer’s faith and journey. 

That’s two out of three, I point out.

She raises a puzzled eyebrow.

The usual topics of your songs – at least then – included heartbreak, finding yourself, and faith.

“Oh yeah,” she realizes. “Not much on the heartbreak. I am happy and in a happier place.”

One other perhaps not so subtle change is how Tigre will be released. It will be digital. It represents a first. Every album she has released thus far has been on compact disc. 

“Like I said, I am bad at these things,” she admits. “But this is us adapting to the times. I know that vinyl is back as are compact discs and cassettes. My plan right now is to release a series of digital EPs and singles in bite-sized amounts then compile it. My whole mindset when doing this is a whole album. If it is on compact disc or vinyl, we’ll think about that when the time comes because it is expensive. But who knows? It sounds nice though.”

Growing up in Roxas City, there wasn’t much of a music scene. Although she did come from a family of musicians, it was usually performing and singing in church. “I didn’t really have these bucket list dreams,” clarified Almalbis-Honasan. “Mine were simple. Write songs and perform on stage. The biggest dream I had was wanting to do a music video after watching Guns ‘n’ Roses videos. Hearing my songs on the radio or people writing about them and liking them are immensely gratifying.”

“And it is cool about singing about my cat.”

Watched legendary New York Hardcore band Sheer Terror in Manila

Caught legendary New York Hardcore band, Sheer Terror at their June 26 show at Mow's. Only vocalist Paul Bearer is the only original member of the band left today. He arrived in Manila with a migraine that was aggravated by the four-hour traffic. He did recover after some rest and medicine but it was obvious the long trip in exhausted him. 

Paul found his sense of humor during the show and it was all right. I am sure than had the band been well rested they would have super kicked ass. But it wasn't so bad.  Wish I got a photo with Paul Bearer though.

Picked up their latest release -- a flexi disc of new Life. Not bad! 

Got my tickets to Immolation's show in Manila!

Versus NYC records

Secret Swingers. Two Cents Plus Tax. Hurrah. Ex-Nihilo.

Got my U2 tickets to their Singapore concert this coming November

The Insektlife Cycle’s Temple of the Soul album is improvisational brilliance

The Insektlife Cycle’s Temple of the Soul album is improvisational brilliance

by rick olivares

Filipino psychedelic post-rock band The Insektlife Cycle dropped their new album, Temple of the Soul (released by English-based independent label, Gardener’s Delight) just this past week.

The album follows the critically-acclaimed debut, Vivid Dreams Parade that came out in 2017 on compact disc and also released by British indie label Mega Dodo. 

Temple of the Soul is an improvisational recording done all in one take during a two-hour jam session on a four-track cassette recorder by the band (drummer Nal Vivo, guitarists Nel Vivo and Jay Jumawan, and bassist Joy Legason) at the Sound Carpentry Studios in Pateros. “Others try to capture the perfect sound during recording sessions,” noted The Insektlife Cycle drummer Nal Vivo. “Kami? We tried to capture the perfect moment.”

The result was two hours of music that they cut into four songs with no overdubs. “If it didn’t come out well… that was it,” admitted Vivo of the gambit. “Thankfully, it did. But we are struggling to try and re-capture everything when we rehearse the new songs so we can perform them live? How the heck did we do this?”

“It was fun though,” thought Legason, “Besides talking about how to begin and end each song, there was pretty much no talking. Just two hours of pure sonic immersion and aural traveling through closed eyes and open ears and the untethered soul flying.”

Elucidated Jumawan: “Creating Temple of the Soul was both unnerving and exhilarating. The preparation was basically a very short conversation, ‘Here’s the chord pattern. Okay. Got it?’ Record!’”

The result as Jumawan put it, “is a work of art without the benefit of post-production magic to correct the flaws and hide the imperfections.”

“Phil Phio of Gardener’s Delight contacted us and was interested in releasing the album in limited numbers,” related Vivo. “We said, ‘why not?’”

It took roughly three weeks to master the music for vinyl, to press the record, as well as to ship it to the Philippines.

“It was that fast,” said a pleased Vivo. 

And it sold out even faster.

The four-track album that saw an initial press of 108 copies immediately sell out internationally with about 20 records made available for local fans. “I think a lot of people were surprised how well it did that Phil is looking at a second press of another 54 copies,” added Vivo.

The lathe cut record (the process is each record is pressed one at a time and cut manually) comes in clear or black vinyl with two tracks on each side. Each track is 10 minutes and one second in length. The compact disc (produced by Cebu-based Pawn Records) and the cassette (released by Sound Carpentry Recordings) feature the full-length versions of each track that runs up to a whopping 14 minutes each! 

The previous two vinyl releases by The Insektlife Cycle are on 7-inch (Switzerland Meets the Philippines” that is a split single with Swiss band The Cats Never Sleep) and 10-inch (also with Swiss band, Cold Bath) that today fetch for at the very least 85 Euros in the back market.

The improvisational nature of Temple of the Soul is a testament to The Insektlife Cycle’s skill. 

“Unmentioned Motions” kicks off the jam (Side A is the one with the feet on the label) and is like a jalopy ride to a stoned soul picnic. “Sonic Sermons” has the feel of waking up with a bad hangover and life is kicking you in the nuts.

“Temple of Our Soul” leads off Side B is like a lost, shimmering Mars Volta demo minus the banshee wails. It’s like finding one’s self in a purple haze and into that path you need to take.

“Manilament” is the last track and has a shoegaze bent; one that has a pensive feel and makes you reach deep into the recesses of your soul.

After Vivid Dreams Parade, I wondered how The Insektlife Cycle would top that masterpiece of psychedelic post-rock. With Temple of the Soul, in some ways, they just did.

I am so stoked for next.

Watch for the album launch of The Insektlife Cycle’s Temple of the Soul on their Facebook page.

5 Things of Interest in Raymund Marasigan’s home studio

5 Things of Interest in Raymund Marasigan’s home studio

by rick olivares

The first time I went inside Raymund Marasigan’s home studio/work place/man cave, it was a feast for the eyes. No, it wasn’t a mess. The magazines and books were neatly filed, the keyboards all in one area, the toys displayed on one shelf, and so on.

Surprisingly, there are no compact discs, vinyl records, cassettes, album awards or other similar audio paraphernalia. I thought it was more of musician’s playground with a pop culture and curio vibe.

During a visit last weekend to continue a project we’ve been working on for a few months now, I asked him to name five things of interest and tell the stories behind them. Here they are.

The Voltes V statue holding up a political slogan

Rayms happens to be a Voltes V fan as is his former bandmates in the Eraserheads (hence, the homage in the title of their debut album, Ultraelectromagneticpop).

Toym Imao is the offspring of brilliant national artists is a good friend. Our daughters went to the same elementary school and are very close friends. Last year, he gave me this Voltes V figure – that was a part of a big exhibit in UP -- for Christmas. It is funny and rebellious. Toym is a brilliant artist who is funny, smart, and very political.

The Bat Wings

I met this guy at one party at Shinji Tanaka’s. We were both in a drunken state and this industrial engineer told me he wanted to make me something; anything. And I was drunk and I said, “Make me bat wings that can move.”

I totally forgot it. And two weeks later, he called me and said, “I have your bat wings!” He actually made them for me.

It isn’t a Batman thing but more of a manananggal thing. During a Halloween MTV Awards Show (where Sandwich’s ‘Sugod’ won), I wore this. If you jump up and down, the wings move and flap! Just like a bat! 

That industrial engineer is amazing!

The custom-made acoustic guitar

The acoustic guitar is based on my brother’s guitar. He never took it up and I took it with me to college and since those days, I used it to write many songs. To this day, in fact. The original guitar had nylon strings; this one makes use of steel strings. I designed the headstock and a few other things. I wanted it to be cheap and playable for many kids to pick it up. I actually gig with it during acoustic sets. It is well-made by the D&D people.

The Fernando drum Kit with the Fruitcake Star

The drum kit is my signature drum kit from the JB people. 

My first ever kit I bought off Rogie Callejo of After Image. That kit was used in many of the shows of the Heads. I gave it to Mike (Dizon of Sandwich and Pedicab) and he eventually converted it to a table that now sits in Soupstar’s (the management group behind some of Rayms’ bands Sandwich and Pedicab) office.

The JB people made me this custom four-piece kit that is absolutely cool.

It is a four-piece kit and I started playing a four-piece kit because Marcus (Adoro) said that you have to take out the other tom because it more cool. 

That “starfish” is the Fruitcake Star. Cynthia Arre’s original design was had a guitar but this Fruitcake star has (drum) sticks on it.

The keyboard collection

A little known fact is I have a lot of keyboards because that is my first instrument. I have about at least 11 keyboards. I have more keyboards than guitars. One of them is the keytar. Juan Miguel Salvador of Rage used to play on. I was conscious about playing one before but not anymore. I use it a lot for Pedicab.

Lost in Translation: The vinyl, cd, and DVD.

One of my favorite films and soundtracks.

Playing The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

The Bloomfields blow away Historia crowd during their A Drop Into the Blue album launch

The Bloomfields blow away Historia crowd during their A Drop Into the Blue album launch

by rick olivares

The Bloomfields blew away the overflow crowd at Historia during A Drop Into the Blue album launch last Saturday, June 15. 

The quartet has made a name for itself for their sweet melodies of 1960-inspired pop rock and livewire performances. But on this night, The Bloomfields – drummer and vocalist Rocky Collado, guitarist and vocalists Lakan Hila and Dino Pascual, and bassist and vocalist Louie Poco -- were truly incandescent. 

I will even venture to say this this was the best live performance of any local bandthat I have seen this calendar year of 2019 (and I go to a lot of gigs). I kid you not. 

The new album— their fourth and first in five years after their Christmas album of 2014 -- still drips with its Anglo influences but they have markedly moved from the Sixties jingle jangle to 1970s Cream psychedelia and 90s snarl reminiscent of Liam Gallagher. “Bubblier” is the exception as it has this Beach Boys vibe circa Pet Sounds. They still throw in Beatles riffs here, there, and everywhere. So thank God for consistency in the universe. 

For an old time music fan like me, I thought to myself in the midst of the show – how lucky can I be? In the span of a three weeks, British band The Sleeves and Filipino-American band, Hafner, have dropped new albums with plenty of 70s-80s-90s influences distilled into a modern sound. 

All three releases have been solid. With regards to The Bloomfields – this is the band’s best yet, and should go down in the year’s best lists. 

The Bloomfields have always had a knack for harmony and the clever pop hook. After the grind of touring and the ups and down of a career that is into its second decade, their musicianship has really grown by leaps and bounds. However, the manner in which they translated the entire A Drop Into the Blue album to the Historia crowd that didn’t know the songs was incredible. They ratcheted up the intensity and the sheer power of their performance had the crowd engrossed and noticing they were witnessing something special. 

You cannot say they are merely a retro band. They have always been far from that. And you cannot dismiss them as flimsy. Oh, they aren’t afraid of dropping a few bombs. “Ilaw” has that socio-politico commentary admonitions you not to be blinded by the light. It leaves you to interpret that in the manner you see fit.

They even have something for dog owners in “Where Are You Going” that will have you thinking of your pet back home.

For A Drop Into the Blue, The Bloomfields have brought the funk and inject a lot of passion and soul. Furthermore, they also take great care in ensuring they wrap these 10 pop gems (and four bonus tracks) that comprise A Drop Into the Blue into a beautiful package that features terrific art by Tej Tan. 

And if you missed that album launch, then you owe it to yourself to taking the plunge with The Bloomfields’ A Drop Into the Blue.

Prepare to twist and shout.

That Sugar Hiccup Finale at Route 196

That Sugar Hiccup Finale at Route 196

by rick olivares

Sugar Hiccup paid tribute to its small club origins by closing its much-lauded, eventful, and storied run with their final gig and third vinyl launch of their last album, Closure, at Route 196.

It seems fitting perhaps that it ended at Route 196. At least for me. 

It was there where Sugar Hiccup guitarist Czandro Pollack made me hear a sneak preview of an early mix of “Saturnine Nevermore” (along with Japs Sergio) in early 2017 and that evening as soon as I got home, I posted my thoughts and excitement about it on social media. 

And I am glad that fittingly as well, instead of performing a lot of tracks from Closure, they ran across songs from their entire catalogue. 

How cool was it that they kicked off with “Barn” that is one of their first ever recordings that came out in the Alpha Numeric Sampler 502 (along with “Someday” and “Trust”) that was released in 1995 along with bands like Siakol, Keltscross, Inquisition, Tame the Tikbalang, Poppyfield, Feet Like Fins, and Children of Cathode Ray.

How cool was it that they performed “Who Tease?” from their second album, Womb, that is my favorite of all four Sugar Hiccup albums?

How cool was it that they performed “Awa” (from 1896 Ang Pagsilang that celebrated the nationwide uprising against our Spanish colonizers)?

How cool was it that they ended their 13-song set with “Moden De” which they performed during the first ever NU Rock Awards in 1996?

And like their very first gig at the old Club Dredd in EDSA where they opened with the Sundays’ “Here’s Where the Story Ends”, they covered two songs – the Care’s “Whatever Possessed You” and the Velvet Underground’s “Femme Fatale” with the band putting their signature dream pop sound on these classics. 

That last show at Route 196 saw the small club packed that they had to leave the doors open lest everyone suffocate. There were old fans and new ones; a few who weren’t even born when the Sugar Hiccup’s scene-bending debut, Oracle, was released in 1996. 

There were only two of the original line-up left – guitarists and vocalists Melody Del Mundo and Pollack. Drummer Mervin Panganiban was unable to make it as he figured in a vehicular accident and while all right, left him unable to perform. In his place, was Curt Floresca who gave a good account of himself even without the benefit of a jam session (he was given the set list and had to listen to learn all the songs). 

Playing percussion was Royce Baronia who is from world beat band, Dayaw.

And lastly, there was Iman Leonardo, an old college from Goth rock band Dominion, that came up with Sugar Hiccup during those days, played bass on Closure and all performances since the band reunited in 2016. 

Throughout the hour-plus performance -- the band never made mention that this was their last show although they did say that privately to friends – they peppered their performance by thanking friends who came over to watch and buy copies of the album (that was released last December 30, 2017 at 12 Monkeys). 

As they wrapped up the show with “Saturnine Nevermore”, “Awa”, and “Moden De”, I thought of that of line that William Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar: “This same day must end that work the Ides of March begun. And whether we shall meet again, I know not. Therefore, our everlasting farewell take. Forever and forever, farewell. If we do meet again, why, we shall smile. If not, why then this parting, was well made.”

Maybe it is goodbye for this beloved and lauded band, but then again, I heard that goodbye after Womb, after Of Tongues and Thoughts, and now.

Whatever. This show was about a darn good band racing through darn good songs in a darn good career. And that’s a lot of good memories to leave me and all their fans by.

My project with Rayms Marasigan is back on track

Continued our project. And what's even more cool is we have another going...

Playing Soundgarden's awesome Superunknown

Like many others, this album was my entry point to Soundgarden. Became a fan from thereon.

Miss ya, Chris.

The Steve Lillywhite magic propels Ben&Ben’s Limasawa Street album to levels of magnificence

The Steve Lillywhite magic propels Ben&Ben’s Limasawa Street album to levels of magnificence

by rick olivares

It is those unexpected pairings in music that can produce magic. To name but a few, there was “Mr. Wall of Sound” himself, Phil Spector working with the granddaddy of punk, the Ramones on their End of the Century album.

Rancid front man Tim Armstrong producing reggae star Jimmy Cliff’s comeback album, Rebirth to a retro sound and universal acclaim. And there’s Robert John “Mutt” Lange’s work on AC/DC’s Back in Black that changed the sound of muscular hard rock and heavy metal forever. 

Filipino neo-folk pop band, Ben&Ben had some of that stardust sprinkled on them when they got to work with noted English producer Steve Lillywhite -- who famously worked with U2 and the Dave Matthews Band to name very select number of acclaimed artists – on their new album, Limasawa Street.

Although Lillywhite worked on only one song on the album, the title track, its influence was felt throughout the recording of Limasawa Street.

We spoke with Paolo Guico, one half of the Guico twin who are the face of this much-lauded and beloved band on how this collaboration came about and it is quite a story.

“We had the pleasure of meeting Steve Lillywhite in a music camp last year,” related Guico. “Working with him though was something we never thought would be possible. On the first night of the recording, we were doing ‘Limasawa Street’ -- an otherwise rock-influenced track -- I dared Migs (his brother) to message Steve and ask if he would be open to putting his genius on the track.”

Paolo held his breath. 

And much to his surprise, the Englishman agreed. 

“We were floored when he responded positively to our invite. And what happened afterwards was magical.”

The title track has that feel of a live track with all the instruments given a sheen and energy; and the guitars a chiming and shimmering sound like U2’s the Edge.

“We never imagined our music would ever receive the classic Steve Lillywhite sound,” gushed Guico. “He has a signature way of mixing such that the bass guitar carpets the whole sound spectrum, but the drums and electric guitars deliver a sonic punch. But he still kept our signature textures of acoustic guitars, violins, and world percussion. All of that combined into a powerful energy in the track that reminded us of his work with U2 and the Dave Matthews Band. It is such a blessing to work with a living legend.”

Guico admitted that though only one track, the Lillywhite-produced track influenced the production and mixing of the albums other tracks. “Our team definitely learned a lot from the genius that Steve put into the track.”

As a result, Limasawa Street, the album, and all 13 tracks, are pop gems. The album itself is a shining example of Philippine pop and should go on to dominate any Philippine end-of-the-year music list

“I’d say that rather than taking an entirely new direction, Limasawa Street branches out into different evolutions of our home sound. The album is an exploration of how the thick and organic Ben&Ben textures would fare pout when combined with Motown and Soul (on ‘Hummingbird’ and ‘Roots’), rock (“Limasawa Street’, ‘Lucena’, and ‘Talaarawan’) and a diaspora of new influences. We’re very happy with what we’ve accomplished and we’re glad that people have embraced the album.”

Playing Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory

Sugar Hiccup finds Closure with vinyl release of last album

Sugar Hiccup finds Closure with vinyl release of last album

by rick olivares

Dream Pop band Sugar Hiccup released the vinyl version of their fourth and last album Closure, last Saturday, June 1, at 70s Bistro in Quezon City.

Closure was released on December 30, 2017, at 12 Monkeys in Pasig City, supposedly, the last show ever by Sugar Hiccup. The sales from the compact disc as well as the merchandise funded the production of the vinyl version that was pressed in Ohio, United States of America.

So the quartet – guitarist and vocalist Melody Del Mundo, guitarist and vocalist Czandro Pollack, bassist Iman Leonardo, and drummer Mervin Panganiban – have returned for their last set of shows before – this time – it is official finished.

“It’s not only a bucket list thing for us to release Closure on vinyl,” explained Pollack. “We realize how weird it sounds, we released album on the second to the last day of 2017 then disappeared. The sales of the album that day aside, it isn’t the best way to go out.”

“This is the best way,” he added. “With a series of shows (at 70s Bistro, Route 196, and in Cebu) with the vinyl, compact disc, and merchandise for the fans. And the album sounds really great on vinyl with all our music really coming more alive – or so Iman tells me.”

It seems that the stop-starts have been a part of the band’s history.

Sugar Hiccup released two best-selling and critically-acclaimed albums in the 1990s – Oracle in 1995 and Womb in 1998. Then the band seemed to end at the height of its popularity when Del Mundo went to the United States.

Eight years later, in 2006, the band returned with their third album, and a new lead singer in Bea Alcala, for Tongues and Thoughts. Not soon after the album was released, the band went through another implosion with some internal issues and the album, like the music they play, floated into the ether.

Then came the reunion with Del Mundo and new bassist Leonardo and Closure.

“This is really it though,” pointed out Pollack with a smile. Whether the tone is with finality is anyone’s guess. After all, just when we thought we had seen the last of Sugar Hiccup, they returned. 

“But I am working with Melody on some new things.”

Pollack says the music they are making is similar to Sugar Hiccup, but it is different. 

Saturday night at 70s Bistro, the vinyl flew off the tables with fans packing the venerable old rock club along Anonas Street. Remarked Leonardo, “I think dito pa lang, bawi na kami.”

“Three hundred records were pressed and we hope that we have enough for the remainder of our shows,” said Del Mundo.

Playing the record, it does sound great. It was mastered well and sounds good. 

One new fan, Reddy Galang, who literally lives a stone’s throw away from 70s Bistro, went home to listen to the record and returned to have the band sign the album jacket. Beaming, Galang gave it a quick review, “I went there to buy the record for my brother who couldn’t attend. I can hear some ticks and pops and medyo mahina yung volume. Other than that, I like what I hear. Bass is tight especially on ‘Brushed Away.’ Vocals are at the center of the mix and all instruments are balanced. Overall, a very good pressing and I can say, ‘tunog plaka’ siya. I decided to get one myself.”

When told of the fan’s reaction, Pollack smiled back. “Then this is a really good way to say goodbye.”