Music's been with me since I was young, just like any other Filipino kid. With my mom literally singing us to sleep with her version of 'Sa'yo Lamang' and 'Tanging Yaman'. Seeing photos of my dad playing behind the kit in his side project 18K Band in the Middle East in the 80s and 90s made me want to hit the skins. I picked up the guitar during the summer holidays as I transitioned from Grade 6 to high school, learned a bunch of songs and became part of a band as a bassist (since nobody wanted to play bass).
We've been listening to records through various media such as cassette, CD, mp3, and MTV all our lives. But radio has a special place in my heart because, like MTV, the thrill and excitement of waiting for your favourite song to be played on-air hurls a unique feeling different with, say, showing someone your collection of mp3s located in drive D. Yes, I dreamt of having tons of records but only managed to hoard mp3s instead (there was a time when I had a 250GB hard drive full of music and video files and just trying to play them all in WinAmp). I was doing that because it's also been a dream to play records on the radio as a DJ, because I thought that's the way to become an expert in all things music. And given that we only had one radio station in Aparri (which only started operating in the late 90s, though there were about 3 FM stations in Tuguegarao that had strong enough frequency to reach us) and cable channels (to watch MTV and MYX) are only for well-off households, there's a great room for imagination when it comes to playing your desired music to the public.
But I never got the chance to do it until 30 years later, and unexpectedly in Australia. The great thing now is that almost all music that I want to play could easily be accessed and heard. Moreover, there's more music to enjoy now. The greatest thing about what I do this time though is the freedom I have on the kind of music I want to play, without regard to commercial and listener demands. Who doesn't like that? But to properly start the pilot episode of TunogLokal, I have to tell my story through music and as before, this viewpoint also serves as a spot for me to review the songs I play on air.
Mo'Ju (formerly known as Mojo Juju) (NSW): Native Tongue
Harmonised humming and a subtle snare rattle as an intro before the chorus slowly comes in saying "I don't speak my father's native tongue/I was born under the Southern sun/I don't know where I belong". That is just one of the most unruffled but unsettling opening of a song I heard for a while. It is calm because of its ethereal tune but at the same time makes waves because of its strong message.
Mo'Ju (formerly known as Mojo Juju), is a Filipino-Australian artist, with a Filipino (her father is from Bacolod City) and European and Australian Aboriginal (Wiradjuri, First Nations group in New South Wales) ancestry from her mother's side. Mo'Ju's experiences as a migrant and queer continue to shape her music. Mojo had a band called Mojo Juju and the Snake Oil Merchants before going solo in 2012. The blues is embedded in her songs with a fresh and powerful approach to bring about her brand of pop tunes as reflected in her latest album Native Tongue.
The first track, which has the same title as the album, Native Tongue, is deep and powerful in terms of lyrics, tune and message. It tells a story of being lost and trying to reclaim an identity by knowing and going back to her roots. But more than that, Mo'ju is trying to address racism, and even sexism, by saying "But I'm the one you ain't the one/Been living in this skin", then going to a counterattack and redemption: "So if you want to call me something/Call it to my face/But I will not apologise/For taking up this space".
The music video even adds another layer of meaning and artistry. Dancing around Mo'Ju are the members of Djuki Mala, a group of First Nations dancers and storytellers from Elcho Island, Northeast Arnhem Land, home to the Yolngu people. By integrating the dance, dancers, their orange jumpsuit, the landscape, glitching, and the final scene where the dancers paint their faces before fading out, the video makes the song even stronger and enables it to convey the message of identity, representation, belongingness and the importance of going back to our roots.
Every time I hear this song, it’s one of those moments that I become proud of hearing a Filipino artist singing about heritage, identity, and memory. For a while, forget about the usual Filipino pride you've known through XFactor, Australian Idol and The Voice, here's a Filipino artist right here. A fantastic one, no less. It's just sad though that not many Filipinos know about Mo'Ju and her songs.
I started with Native Tongue because I'd like to remind listeners how we sometimes forget to think about where we come from. By letting Filipinos hear about Mo'Ju and Native Tongue, I also wanted to show the listeners that there are artists that we don't know because we don't open our ears to listen to them, much like independent artists and musicians from the Philippines. I wanted to show that there is a way for Filipino and First Nations people to be able to enter the music industry in Australia. And this song is one of my inspirations why I embarked on doing this program – to recognise our own culture and identity and let people know who and what we are, through music.
Headset (Baguio City): Ngayong Gabi
In 2003, I relocated from Cagayan to Baguio City to study and eventually stayed and worked there for about 10 years. I was in various bands playing different musical styles and one of the outfits to whom I had the privilege to be part of was Headset, with Clempson (Vocals/Guitar), Brian (Guitar), RJ (Bass), Jed (drums) [Two other members who joined the band as session players were Mick (guitar) and Bryan (drums)] with me on guitar. Headset plays music influenced by diverse styles and artists such as Sugarfree, Radiohead, Coheed and Cambria, Eraserheads, and At The Drive-In, to name a few. Between 2005 to 2009, the band recorded a demo containing 5 songs, which included 'Ngayong Gabi'.
The opening riff of 'Ngayong Gabi' (Tonight) comes in with a scratchier Russell Lissack then blows into an exciting rhythm section before bridging the intro and stanza with an unpredictable fill at the end. The lyrics seem interesting but the song could benefit further with clearer vocal quality and more balanced mixing and mastering. Nonetheless, this might have been the case of a demo quality coarseness than an overall song character. Still, the dynamics of the song complements the lyrics especially in the bridge when Clempson sings "Alab ng ala-ala/malamon ng buwan/mahagap ng bituwin/Ang araw sa gabi" (ardour of memory/devoured by the moon/conjectured by the starts/the sun at night). With such poetic lyrics and instrumentation (written by the band's friend, Mayo), Ngayong Gabi might not be picked up as pop hit but the dynamics and originality of the song surely make it stand out to indie rock and post-hardcore listeners.
Zoom Zoom Lunacy (La Union/Baguio City): Acetone
The music scene in Baguio City during the early 2000s was so health because there were a lot of bands playing different genres and many were joining national band competitions. One of the most prominent names in such arena was Zoom Zoom Lunacy, a five-piece band from La Union and Baguio City composed of Ramde (vocals and guitar), Edz (bass), Jobert (guitar), and Kelly (drums).
The band was formed in 2002 and they subsequently released an EP ('What’s with the Elephant') in the same year. They recorded an LP ('Arko Iris') a year after but did not release it, hence is not considered as an officially-released album. 'Acetone' is a song from that LP, which was then re-mixed, re-mastered and re-released for their first full-length album 'Takilya'.
Acetone is a tuneful pop-rock that certainly deserves recognition. The lyrics appear like a more serious and heavier take on Parokya ni Edgar's 'Halaga' as it resembles the narrative when Zoom Zoom Lunacy sings 'Hiwalayan mo na yang boyfriend mong tanga/na wala nang ginawa kundi lokohin ka' (turn away from your stupid boyfriend/who ain't doing anything but to fool you). It's interesting how they changed 'hiwalayan' (to turn away or to part ways) to 'patayin' (kill) in the end, which gives the song another level of potency. The bridge seems odd when you first hear it, as it uses a different metre, but it grows in you as it slowly builds up towards the instrumental (which could have also shown a more fiery guitar solo than just repeating the main chorus melody). Nonetheless, the band made a good decision to use the riff with heavy chugs at the end, which was similar to the intro as it ties the song together tastefully. Fans of Eraserheads, Sandwich and Join the Club will certainly enjoy Acetone and ZZL's albums.
The Pickle Relish (Baguio City): Masaya
Experiencing the music scene in Baguio City is not complete without listening to reggae bands. I was fortunate to have been involved in some known reggae outfits in the city, including The Pickle Relish. With its current line up - Pier (sax), Joseph (sax), Kevein (trombone), Ken (bass), John (guitar), Sherwin (guitar), Ian (drums), Joyce (percs), and Imson (vocals) - the band has been offering roots, reggae and ska music not only in Baguio but even in festivals around the Philippines. Although members have been in and out, the band is still staying strong and was even able to record a seven-song EP in 2018.
'Masaya' is the band's first single showing their versatility both in reggae, ska and rock. The band's ability to rock is demonstrated in the whole song starting with the intro manifesting a tight rhythm and brass sections. However, I felt that the overdriven guitar was a bit compressed and could use some amplification to blend with the edgy tone of the vocalist.
The song's high energy completes the message on the importance of 'something' (or someone if you'd like to see it that way) that makes a person happy "Kung wala ka, wala ring saya/kulang ang kasama," as it morphs into a burst of joy as they sing "Masaya, masaya/lagi akong masaya". The way it divides the chorus into a fast beat and one drop was a good way to take a rest after rocking it out the whole time. This is also a clever way to launch their hook line 'Basta meron kang dala' (as long as you have brought something [read: ganja]). The song brings to mind acts like Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake and Jeepney Joyride, though The Pickle Relish's vocal style (especially if effectively reinforced with consistent control) sets the band apart with the other acts out there.
The Radical (Tagbilaran City, Bohol): Self-Betrayed
When I started looking for artists to feature in TunogLokal, the first person I had in mind was Ren, a musician I met in Bohol during one of my leisure trips in 2017. We met Ren in a bar, which we just happened to have found through Google Maps cos I guess we just wanted a place to hang out for the night and it just happened that Xanu (unfortunately, now closed) was just right at the corner of the street where we were staying. So some years later, I got in touch with Ren if he'd like his newly-released song to be featured in the program. Of course, he consented and even better, he helped me spread the word about TunogLokal to other artists in his area.
'Self-Betrayed' is the first recorded full track of The Radical, an alternative rock/post-grunge from Tagbilaran City, Bohol. As the band mentions in a PR, "This song is about depression. It's about arguing and battling with your own self-destruction. Pulling yourself out from your faithless and hopeless thoughts." The song is as honest and powerful as it gets, probably because it comes from Ren's experiences in battling with his worst and most destructive moments. But this is a story of hope and recovery. More importantly, it is an acknowledgment of the negative thoughts leading him to regain the desire to bounce back from being self-betrayed. As his gritty voice exclaims, "I will bury/I'm carried away/bury those dark days".
The depth of the lyrics is not drowned in the mix as the instrumental is compelling and tight supporting the song's message. The vocals exude an edgy grit reminiscent of the Neon Ballroom-era Silverchair (Ren's obvious influence) or the Gold Coast indie outfit Moustache on Fire. Self-betrayed's dynamics take you through the singer's emotional downs and ups as well as the tune's tension and deliverance - from the acoustic opening to an explosion of well-shaped guitar and bass tones then going back to a calm but dissonant chord towards the end.
And this is TUNOGLOKAL, the sound of our town. Listen to the songs and tell us what you think. The independent artists would really appreciate your reviews and support. Subscribe to their channels and pages:
Mo'Ju - @mojumusic - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/08kSC3EyOASw4LU1BmBG6g?si=db37qlURSpiVyBbsOl-oOw Amazon: https://amzn.to/2PVC3dz
*CAGAYAN ROOTS - @cagayanrootsofficial Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjahZdpCRe45WhdWQstt0Jg
HEADSET - @headsetbandabandahan Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/headsetbanda
ZOOM ZOOM LUNACY - @zoomzoomlunacy
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3g1VjAN
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/09gPEvXo2BJ9o2NKtAktAU?si=7O4t6NHSTDSXWPqeUPR5Iw
THE RADICAL - @Thebandradical Amazon: https://amzn.to/3293re3 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4jVmQGESv5SEnhdZcSDt4v?si=6B7I6VV7Tx2SupdnC89n7g
THE PICKLE RELISH - @the-pickle-relish Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ5YohnLJbsUwbfZsdxjmig
TUNOGLOKAL RADIO AU - @tunoglokalradioau
Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk8W8swEl50bBh3tgn1ppq4sMNCeQCx5O
Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0alvtCyFnuGrl7Yl1lHzVC?si=sm2VAXdTRaewTywnKHjXFw
*'Island Groovin'' by Cagayan Roots was also played in this episode, but the review was written for the introductory TunogLokal Lite episode, which can be found here.
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