Squid 9 creates “soundtrack” for ramen

Squid 9 creates “soundtrack” for ramen

By Rick Olivares

Electronic band Squid 9 is pushing the envelope once more. This time by creating a soundtrack for each of the different dishes at Crazy Ramen.

Crazy Ramen is owned by Shinji Tanaka who is also behind the popular Crazy Katsu and who also performs with Gaijin and Squid 9 and is a top sound engineer. Frequent collaborator and Squid 9 bandmate Raymund Marasigan. Needless to say, Tanaka is an excellent cook who is also the genius behind the menu of both his restaurants.

“We realized we didn’t have music,” noted Marasigan during the “launch” of the “soundtrack” last Thursday, January 9 at Crazy Ramen along Lila Street in Marikina. “We didn’t want to just play music on Spotify. No pop tunes. We thought about making our own.”

The band set out to create freestyle ambient music. “Sounds of the city,” as Marasigan described it. 

“Basta yung music hindi dapat istorbohin ka habang kumakain,” added Tanaka. 

The result is “The Rambient Tapes” -- eight instrumentals each named after one of the eight ramen dishes at Crazy Ramen. It’s not elevator muzak. Think Blade Runner with its subtle background music. However, The Rambient Tapes are 15-minute long subtle ambient tones designed to make you eat your Miso Butter Ramen, Tonkotsu Ramen, or Chashumen in blissful peace. 

The Rambient Tapes follows Squid 9‘s 2018 cassette release, Circuit Shorts, that was Japanese themed. That was a more personal nature to Tanaka because it contained snippets of conversation from Japanese radio as well as a conversation with his father before he passed away.

Is this all part of the gastronomic experience?

“Maybe,” wondered Marasigan. “The food was there before; we just really wanted to add to the relaxing atmosphere.”

The Rambient Tapes though will not be available commercially. “That might be missing the point,” said Marasigan. 

Most recently, Crazy Ramen – named as one of the Best 50 restaurants in Manila for 2019 by spot.ph -- saw the debut of its first video done by Marasigan’s daughter, Atari, that can be viewed in the restaurant’s Facebook page. 

“You can say that good food deserves good music,” summed up Marasigan.

Crazy Ramen is located at 88 Lilac Street, Marikina City.