lazy dog

Got a bit lazy as well as preoccupied with a few matters the past week or so and haven’t really posted anything. I’m just going to shoot off a bunch of stuff that happened during downtime….

1.Had a blast with Pepi and my father at the PBA games last Sunday. Came in not really rooting for anyone but for some reason we all went with Talk & Text. Pepi ‘s first time to watch a professional basketball game at the Big Dome and first time to try Coca -Cola. Have not been to a PBA game in years. Last time was around 2002 when i brought Zion I to experience local ball. Just realized how much of an ideal activity it is and really had a good time. Thanks to Kathy G. for the complimentary tickets!

2.Deep Fried 5 at Route 196 was both a sleeper and fun. Lesser people than the last one in Saguijo but dancing the whole night(10pm-3am) and i had a great time mixing.  I’m not gonna complain. Some people came from a commercial club in Makati and we’re told there were about 20 people there so Deep Fried attendance was ok in comparison. Next one is in March,(Friday the 13th) at Sagujio.

3.Swissy bagging BEST ARTIST at the online polls for Junk Magazine Malaysia. CONGRATULATIONS!

4.Up Dharma Down had a successful video launch for “Taya” without much effort. Good video and thanks to Nic Reyes and Isaw Sa Kanto team.

5. Most of the Terno nights over at Saguijo,Route 196 etc have been quite good and well attended like a smaller scale version of the early Terno Au Go Go  series.

6. Paddy turned  2

Pepi Basketball Association

Musical O- YOU magazine shoot

Sleepwalk Circus-YOU magazine shoot

Paddy stylin' at 2

underground resistance

DEEP FRIED 4 post-mortem.

B & W photos courtesy of Ian Magbanua

The 4th overall. The 3rd at Saguijo. Definitely an improvement from the first 2 Saguijo gigs and even better than the last one at Route 196, so i guess i can say that the experiment is proving to be on the right track. As more and more people get to experience the music and the vibe, they enjoy themselves and come back for more. They also bring friends and that definitely speeds things up.

Come to think of it, i shouldn’t really be so concerned. After all ,it has only been the fourth Deep Fried night and it’s improved immensely. More people and to be more specific, more people DANCING and taking in the music.

early birds

From observation, the  eye opener to last Saturday’s Deep Fried is that until the time that more people discover or hear about it through the grapevine and the space gets jampacked, we really have to contend with people still having to go out and staying outside to chit chat. Don’t get me wrong, they do and did go back to the floor at intervals and throughout my set and Cyril’s(smokin’ hot set btw)  but it just baffles me why other people go to a “Dance” night but don’t dance and will just talk. As much as i know that not everyone who goes to such things are hardcore dancing types nor ravers, i think it’s already spelled out that it’s an activity that pertains to dancing or even just nodding your head to modern electronic dance music…INSIDE.

f*ck art let's dance

I appreciate the gesture of support by showing up but in all honesty i’d much rather not have this because i don’t want you to waste your time. What’s needed right now is support in terms of really being INSIDE the venue…even if you don’t dance. We Pinoys have this thing about needing to see the place wall to wall with people and leave when there’s elbow room. So next time, for those people who are to shy to dance or have no plans of dancing but go for whatever reason, do stay inside then  so at least the  “walk ins” or curious people would probably end up staying themselves and you people contribute to making the night a success. It’s about dancing and electronic dance music folks , not a class reunion nor is it an afternoon barbeque.

cyril

Obviously, everyone needs to take a breather every now and then but you know what i’m talking about. Maybe it’s just me but when i used to go to the raves or went clubbing, we sure stayed inside and danced or at the very least watched people during downtime but not pay$20-$30 bucks to talk outside. Why am i even surprised?  Here, being on the guestlist and a P150 peso door charge aren’t much to think about. Nothing to lose. But really, why waste your time? Might as well just stay in or go to a Starbucks and talk the night away.  It’s not an afternoon tea party nor a convention. You don’t go to the cinema to watch a movie and just stay outside most of the time to talk, do you?

caliph

pasta groove

Every Deep Fried night, we set the gear up early on then I would dance to the guest djs and dj myself for 2-3 hours then dance again to the next dj, not just because i’m diggin’ the music and they’re making me dance but also to show real SUPPORT so when i’m given excuses by people that they’re tired or don’t really feel well, it’s hard for me to fathom because at my age and physical state, i should be the one saying those things.  Bottom line is, i’m more offended that one would go just for the sake of going or because they felt obliged.  I’m just doing my part to share the experience and provide options but i certainly wouldn’t want to twist people’s arms about it.  I want people to go check it out , have a good time dancing and embracing the music that we’re pushing but i don’t want people to go if they’re just forced to for some reason.

bea

colored pics courtesy of Cyril

I know i sound pissed when i should be happy with the turnout and outcome of the night but it’s just a glaring observation. Overall, I truly am SATISFIED with the way things are working out as far as the experiment going in the right direction, the  way i envisioned it to be as far as creating a new following from the ground up. It’s a struggle but seems to be well on its way to paying off and last Saturday was very good! Pasta Groove and Caliph8 provided a good starting point for the night. I had a good time, playing a more housey set at the start, Cyril got Derrick Carter-ish and the people dancing inside provided the right vibe and energy. It’s been awhile since i last dropped Giorgio Moroder’s The Chase followed by Donna Summer’s “I feel Love” into Derrick May’s “Strings of Life”(which seemed to have gotten the best response yet with people clapping and shouting) and it was quite rewarding.

caliph

We wouldn’t be able to do it without the support of friends, you know who you are, but more specifically the regular punters like Swissy, Jaime,Dara, Arthur, Ed and his friends etc whom we get our strength and energy from. Big thanks  to Pasta Groove and Caliph 8 for the great funky sets and for groovin’ to our (Cyril and I) beats… thanks as well as everyone else like Doy S., JC, Bea, Erin, Kevin G., Mark L, Sherwin, Mica, Mayee and Co. Ean,  Mario C and Trisha, Abe & Co. Ian M(thanks for the pics) for movin’on the floor.  Also to Angelo and the great staff of Saguijo.

Special thanks to Mario Benipayo of Forerunner Technologies for the RCF sub,full range, strobe and fog machine. Yes, it’s deliberately minimal and dark just like the way we want it.  Should any of you be inspired to be a DJ, producer or a promoter, Mario and Forerunner Technologies, distributor of many fine brands like KRK, Numark, Ableton, Protools etc  will hook you up with just about everything. Contact num: (632) 928 2821

See you on Feb 7 for the next Deep Fried at Route 196!

los angeles

First, a little comedy from DustFilms and the related story after.

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more about “Under The Bridge: Literal Video Versi…“, posted with vodpod

We lived in Los Angeles for a good part of the 80s to the early 90s and I’ve heard it all before, “L.A. is provincial”, “no personality”, “can’t hold a candle to NY” and so forth and so on.  The majority of my relatives seem to think so too (L.A.’s zzzzz) and recently, even Lourd of RSP cited the same thing to me and being that i know what he meant to a degree, i nodded in agreement though in hindsight, i shouldn’t have because i actually don’t think so.

Yes, i do agree and know how places like NY and London are two of the most, bustling cosmopolitan places in the world but to me, L.A ain’t bad at all, especially if you’re into “vintage” be it furniture, clothing, cars, toys…  y’know the whole lifestyle for members of the secret and not so secret club of liking something that’s unique and rare and unless you’ve lived in L.A. you really won’t know what an interesting, quirky playground it really is.

In fact, it’s THE hotbed if you ask me. Obviously they have thrift and vintage stores in NY etc but L.A. seems to be where its at when it comes to discovering interesting haunts and finds in my book. I did become a zombie the few times i went to Chicago for such adventures and it had its own vintage loving community and stores  but you have to understand, L.A. is HUGE and i’m not even referring to the neighboring counties yet but just Hollywood, Downtown, the Valley at that…

Places like Santa Monica,  Silverlake, old Pasadena etc. ,there’s just loads and loads of amazing places to go for odd treasures, good food, art deco buildings, mid century furniture, stores that sell vintage,vintage,vintage, swap meets, flea markets. Again, i know every place in the world may have their own community or sections but in L.A., vintage finds are amazingly still in ABUNDANCE. It’s hard to explain but you can be in Long Beach or Riverside or Altadena or Burbank and anywhere you go you’re bound to come across great second hand treasures, vintage artifacts and that’s part of the image and personality of L.A. that appeals to me.

It’s like i died and went to vintage heaven.

It also amusing when, say, you’re at the Rose Bowl or the Pasadena (PCC) Flea Market and you’re side by side with Diane Keaton or you’re at Canter’s and your table’s next to Rodney Bingenheimer or maybe lining up at Pink’s behind Harrison Ford.  I remember one afternoon after school, driving home down Sunset Blvd at a stoplight , looking at my rearview mirror, i find Richard Simmons in his car singing at the top of his lungs!  Another time i went crate digging around Topanga Canyon, Adam Sandler was just there on the sidewalk cafe next to the store i was in watching cars go by.  Well, it is the film capital obviously but when you experience it on a daily basis  It’s surreal and amazing all at once. That’s L.A. for you.

Fast forward to just a few days ago, i picked up this excellent book on Los Angeles entitled Vintage LA by Jennifer Brandt Taylor and it all came back to me, the sights,the sounds,the smells…and for someone who lived there for less than 10 years i must say, i’ve really gone around the City Of Angels as i know 90% of  the places, people, things and what’s in the book but nevertheless it’s a great book and im glad i bought it. The author’s 12 years younger than i am but lived all her life in L.A. and is definitely a kindred spirit.

If you’re into it(vintage and thrifting) as much as i am you’ll love it and if you think L.A.’s a boring place, it’s probably because you just go or were taken by your relatives to the Beverly Center, the Glendale Galleria or the dime a dozen mini mall complexes in your neck of the woods. That’s not what L.A. is all about and you don’t know what you’re missing.

I miss L.A.

my favorite year

2008, the year that was. My favorite, not quite. In fact, not at all. It was a year that  started off really well but went kinda downhill in terms of projects, financials etc. but there were some bright moments of course. I’m not going to do a recap or name what they were but you can guess on your own. If you follow the artists on Terno Recordings and the recently revived goings-on with Groove Nation you’ll come up with your own answers.

All i know is that the last Terno Inferno gig  at Saguijo for the year, ended with a BANG and as for DJing and the continuous push of quality House and Techno it also ended with a good  DEEP FRIED gig at Route 196 which  turned out to be  really promising.

Cyril and i also did a gig for new promoters in town called Frequency a few days ago and it turned out ok. I’d like to think we did our job in getting the dancefloor packed without having to compromise our sound(i forgot ,we never compromise) and yes , originally, it was to be “minimal” re: the theme and sound but c’mon i don’t think the kiddies would understand and appreciate Minimal house/techno the whole night which the promoters realized after a meeting or two and an open House and Techno music policy was agreed upon. I did stumble upon a blog that said that the night was good, though not the usual “hard”(most likely prog and trance that most local kiddie “clubbers” are weaned on)  dance music they’re used to. Imagine how it would’ve been if we really went “minimal” in the strictest sense!

Thanks to Cyril who did a great job prepping and setting me up for my set which was more up than usual.  I mean, i normally like starting a set no matter what part of the night rather low and moody but this time it was extra strength tech-house 125BPM  right off the bat with the emphasis on funk as the main direction. Bulk of the set was that but i obviously got bored with it and went more house-y at the end.

the Frequency main guys followed us at 245am much to the delight of the remaining  young uns’ who wanted the  “hard” stuff. I wonder how they’ll react if we actually threw them bangin techno material from 6-8 yrs ago from  the likes of Ben Sims, Jeff Mills, Adam Beyer, Marco Carola,  etc. Would those be hard enough for them?

Just as well, it worked out well though i’m not quite sure it made sense as far as the techno awareness they originally wanted being that they played more “proggy” but good mixing on the 2 X 4 and like i said, the kids lapped it up. Congratulations to Frequency boys and thanks for having us.

Still on electronic dance music, a good friend of mine from Chicago, Robert M. arrived for the holidays with around 60 or so records, old and new, a healthy mix of techno/tech-house and deep and dubby house releases and wanted me to record a mix, which i did, squeezing in an hour or so in between Xmas last minute shopping and family obligations. The flow of the mix is not exactly that great but what can you expect with random picks and first time previews.

So goodbye 2008, and hello to 2009 which i hope will be way better despite  the projected  and predicted ugly economic aftershocks.

I leave you with the 320 bitrate post X’Mas Mix that pretty much covers the diversity in Robert’s stash. Starts of deep and moody, even a dash of glitchy-ness and a somewhat uplifting ending ,all in its glorious outcome, mistakes and all. thanks Robert.

DOWNLOAD the 1 hour plus MIX right HERE.

dig deep down

The 3rd Deep Fried post mortem.

I must say this one by far, was such an improvement from the first two. By 11pm people were actually dancing inside Route 196. All sorts of people got down. It was dark. Sound system augmentation wasn’t as loud as i wanted it to be but we had to make do with the last minute small system replacement but it still rocked. Can’t get any more underground than this.

Could it be a geography issue? Are QC people more open and game to having a good time without hangups? Or is it slowly picking up? We shall see at the next Deep Fried night in Saguijo on Jan 17. All i know is that Route 196 management also made a lot of effort inviting people and that really helped in getting a good cross section of people on the dance floor so i thank them for that.

Much appreciation too for the regulars (you know who you are) with special mention of Swissy who effortlessly managed to get other people including strangers to loosen up and get them on the floor. Good set by Cyril, not so good set by yours truly as it was so dark i couldn’t find the records i wanted to play and spent more time worrying where the flashlight was, the flow got erratic.! A little oversight that can easily be corrected next time.

picture: Jim P and Arthur DM on the decks and efx.

Overall, though t’was good and  people seem to have had fun and were all smiles that night. Good vibes indeed and hopefully the new faces i saw last Saturday will be at the next one January. Thanks as well to Arthur DM and Jim P for opening. Encouraging night. January 17 here we go.

photos courtesy of Cyril Y.

r.e.s.p.e.c.t

Hats off to the ultimate record collector. If i had $3 Million i’d buy his collection in a heartbeat.

The records in that warehouse are worth more than what he’s asking for. They’re priceless. I can’t even imagine how he must feel having to let go of all those vinyl.

Those out there who want to throw out their old records gathering dust, i’d be more than happy to be your garbage can.

boing boom tschak

After  30+ long years, finally i’ve seen the masters live and even without the original Karl Bartos, (co-founder) Florian Schneider and Wolfgang Flur, last Friday’s Kraftwerk gig in HK was truly an experience. The present line up of Henning Schmitz, Fritz Hilpert, Stefan Pfaffe and original member, co-founder  and vocalist Ralf Hutter performed extremely well, as expected. It’s amazing too how they showed so much charisma without uttering a single spiel in between songs.  Now, i can’t really say i’m their number one fan but i am definitely a huge fan of Kraftwerk and electronic music in general and i’m glad i can finally tick off “watch Kraftwerk” on my wishlist.

Initially, as much as i already knew they would blow me away, i prepared myself to be a little jaded being that i pretty much know how their concert set up was from acquiring their most recent live DVD a couple of years ago, the larger than life visuals, the ultra clean sound(much like listening through an audiophile’s tube gear), the stage gear etc.  I was wrong and despite what i knew, it’s definitely different seeing and hearing Kraftwerk LIVE. My only complaint was that it wasn’t loud as i expected it to be. Kinda expected the bass to rattle people’s rib cages. It would’ve been good as the venue was packed to the gills( the size of two halls of our local World Trade combined) with young Hong Kong hipsters and music geeks, foreigners from everywhere and Germany of course plus us, the few “delegates” from the Philippines.

I went with Mario S. and Dino A. to be joined at the gig itself  by Ean of Up dharma Down, his brother in law Chi and our very own original visual graphics guy and good friend Koro Fujiwara. Some of our other friends/djs within the Groove Nation circle couldnt make it due to schedule conflicts but i really was expecting “electronic” musicians and ahem, DJs from Manila to be there being that this is one of those once in a lifetime deals from an act that’s highly influential and deemed as one of the main progenitors of electronic music and a direct influence, especially to techno, electro and even hip hop. Before you can say,we were able to go because we had the funds to throw away, i’m sorry but that’s not the case, no, not at all. It’s something we had to work for and worked around on just to make it last weekend. It’s just simply too important to pass up. It really validates my observation that majority of the local electronic producers and superstar djs are merely in it more on the surface and have no foundation nor sense of history.

It’s Kraftwerk for crying out loud, the very group who influenced the likes of Derrick May, Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Carl Craig , Richie Hawtin etc.!

Oh yeah, i forgot, in this country majority equate electronic music to Tiesto and Armin Van Buren. Talkin’bout “provincial disco”.

Totally related story HERE.

methods of dance

Deep Fried 2nd installment post mortem.

Ok. It wasn’t an improvement from the first, looking back in September, the first was way better than last night. Most people on the guest list did show up but unfortunately it doesn’t work when it’s in spurts. Some came early as suggested and some came at certain points but not in full force which leads me to assess that currently in order for this to work, spread and influence, the inner circle of friends and supporters should really make an effort to show up en masse and park on the dancefloor.

Now why is it that some of the original GN crew don’t really show up anymore? I would attribute it to age, different priorities, change of lifestyle etc much like the followers from as far back as 1995. It’s been more than 10 years ago and obviously people have changed and some have moved on.

Unlike the old days when it was new and really exciting, when you say 10pm, by the time you get there at 10pm, the place would already be half full of guys and gals with backpacks, surgical masks and dancing like hell. Of course those were the “rave” days and that’s toned down but it doesnt mean it can’t happen again in a more intimate setting which is really how it is now abroad…come to think of it… for quite some time now.

Now ,some have suggested that maybe  Saguijo isn’t really as inviting to “party” people who are into “dance music”. I think they’re MISSING the POINT of the experiment. If i wanted the party people or the “Tugs” as the rock people lovingly call them, i would’ve insisted on doing it in, say, Warehouse 135 or another club venue but as it is, most party people here in this city are either clueless of the music they’re dancing to or couldn’t care less because it’s the “party”  that they are there for and the people that that end up dancing or even tuning in to what’s being played are merely secondary, unless, they hear the anthems of course. Now that’s not to say they shouldn’t go but for the most part Deep Fried is about opening the ears and minds of people who have certain misconceptions about dance music and dancing in the local setting.

It’s also for the local minority of clued up people though i find it amusing that despite the usual complaints and rants that there are no places in the city to really go to in terms of underground dance music, something that’s already handed down to them in a silver platter, they don’t take advantage of.

Someone mentioned that another reason could be because of the Trance party last night but that has nothing to do with Deep Fried for the very fact that 1. we DO NOT play trance(never have,never will). 2. The  average ,clueless trendy kids and the party crowd that i’m referring to obviously would definitely go there while we on the other hand, are targetting the more hip and discerning ones, the adventuous kids and the main target of the experiment , the local rock crowd scenesters and movers who might just PICK UP on the CONNECTION of rock and electronic music the way most have accepted it outside.

So to insinuate that the Trance Alliance event was competition is completely off and a stab a creating intrigues. Sorry but i won’t bite into that. I’m very vocal about disliking trance but nothing personal. In fact, if you ask me, i’m glad as it should be helpful in weeding out party people who do not appreciate quality dance music and just want commercial dance anthems because that’s NOT the crowd we want .

One factor was obviously the long weekend, hence friends and people you count on in helping the cause have gone out of the city etc  along with the other reasons mentioned at the beginning of this post. Another could be that being bi-monthly, momentum’s lost but that’s about to change because of an alternating venue so it’s a monthly night from now on.

I do personally feel though that for the next ones, the core group should really support and be there. While i cannot force people to do so, some extra solid support would be much appreciated as it is such a daunting task to IMPROVE the state of things in this country, be it the arts, living standards, politics, you name it. I’m doing what i can to make it a little better and not just addressing the problems but doing something about it. Why do you think i’m called the man with the messianic complex?

There are several people who i have to THANK for their continuous, unconditional support like Jaime T. Swissy, Arthur, Ed C. and Jac V., UDD, Johnny B and wife, the staff of Saguijo and Angelo C., Mario Benipayo of Forerunner Technologies Inc. THanks as well to the people who were there last night and shook their butts like Marco, Bubu, JC, AJ,PG,Kevin and partner, Paul P and JIm P. Also to Ryan, Garovs,Marie and Sunshine who should really get over their shyness and dance by the way.

It’s just no.2 so far. It’s definitely not gonna happen overnight for sure. Some people probably feel we old fogeys should let go and pack up but i’m not one to give up that easily. See you on the 13th of December for the FIRST Deep Fried at Route 196.

gig-a-bytes pt.deux

It’s 12:25 AM and i just got back from an outdoor gig but before that had a pleasant Thai dinner alone at  Jatujak. Great food and fast service. Had a hard time choosing  but settled on Tom Kha Gai and Pad Thai. Excellent.  Normally, the pictures would be the food in it’s complete uneaten state but i was so hungry i ate without taking pictures first so here’s the aftermath instead.

Wipeout!. Great Thai Food. Fast. Excellent service.

Now for a plethora of pics from the Lee Rocks Manila gig.

Peavey. Guitarist of  Sleepwalk Circus Fran- guitarist and lead vocals of Sleepwalk Circus.

Mica-bassist of Sleepwalk Circus

Marco-lead guitarist and vocalist of Musical O.

Chino Soliman-bassist of Musical O.

Mario Consunji-rhythm guitarist of Musical O.

Peavey, Fran and Mica of Sleepwalk Circus.

Sleepwalk Circus-watch out for these kids. Amazing band.

Musical O-another fantastic band to watch out for. These kids play music way well beyond their years and have great material to boot.

Marco,Miggy and half of Mario of Musical O.

Ria of Paramita consistently wow-ing the crowd

Unfortunately, most of the Paramita pics were blurry as i just used my phone’s low unmega pixel camera so here’s another shot of Ria at the start of their set.

Ean, Paul and Carlos of Up Dharma Down.

Armi of Up Dharma Down

Aue and Bing of Juan Pablo Dream

get your kicks on route 196

For the longest time Terno has been mostly associated with Saguijo, 70% of the Au Go Go series were in  Saguijo. In fact, Up Dharma Down built their audience from those Terno Au Go Go’s in Saguijo. They don’t seem to recall that now but their early best gigs were from those nights wherein the audience literally surrounded them(we’re talking a foot between audience and performer) as well as the other Terno artists. There were no tables during Au Go Go, a practice Saguijo started doing with their anniversaries but early on Terno Au Go Go had the place wall to wall with people.

For the past year or so though, i’ve put up nights in other establishments and one of those is Route 196. It ‘s been steady so far. There are good nights and there are bad ones but overall it’s been a nice second home for that part of town. The really good thing about Route 196 though is that one of the owners, JP, really promotes on his own and doesn’t just rely on the bands to do so or depend on the strength of the line up for the night. That i can appreciate as it is unfair to rely solely on the bands to do the promoting. Aside from that their Pizza’s incredible.

Starting December, 13 to be exact, DEEP FRIED will also be held at Route 196 alternating with Saguijo which makes the electronic dance night ‘Monthly” as opposed to being “Bi-monthly” and that’s a good thing. Special thanks to JP for being open to the idea much like Angelo of Saguijo was. Kudos to these bar owners.

Speaking of Route 196, tonight is Terno Night…

and tonight we have Menaya as guest band along with the Terno staples. Thanks again to FRan of Sleepwalk who’s taking over eflyer chores temporarily. See ya.