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.