Anthony Dio

Mid-March 2010 Random Thoughts

First of all... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!  Yesterday (11 March) was the birthday of my sister Monica Dio-Grau & my niece Nikki D. Navarro.  Yes, they share the same birthdate.  Nikki, the only child (so far) of my sister Binky & husband Dr. Louie Navarro, turned one yesterday.  In celebration of her first birthday, I am posting my favorite photo of Nikki.  She was around 7 months when this pic was taken.  Here's Nikki, enjoying a book.  This photo never fails to make me smile...

The family will be celebrating this Sunday afternoon, and I look forward to that.

***

Recently, one Sunday, the praise and worship team had a lunch meeting with the pastor, after the church service.  The pastor shared his wonderful idea.  Since the Bread Of Life Ministry's theme as of late conveys Filipino pride, spirit, and nationalism, the pastor strongly urged the band to start using Filipino ethnic musical instruments.  A good start can be through experimentation with our Tagalog songs.  Later on, maybe it can be incorporated in our performances on a normal basis.

It's possible for us to sample these indigenous sounds through the use of samplers (courtesy of my church bandmates who happen to be full-time musical arrangers).  But it would be cooler and more visually appealing to use the actual ethnic instruments.  And the best part is the ministry is willing to invest on these instruments.  Last Sunday, a full-octave kulintang was set up during the service.  And one recent service, the praise and worship team from Davao was in town, and they have instrumentalists who played the kulintang and several other ethnic Filipino instruments.  Based on recent events, the ministry is serious in promoting Filipino music with the help of our indigenous musical instruments.

This would benefit me greatly, for I've been thinking about exploring and learning about our native musical instruments.  Since I'm a drummer, I do not have any knowledge with musical notes and scales, and I do not have a sense of musical pitch, I prefer to focus more on ethnic percussion instruments.  The idea I have in mind is I should look for authentic Filipino percussion which I can incorporate in my drumkit setup and be able to play it with sticks.  I'm thinking of something like what jazz fusion superstars Dave Weckl and Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez did with their drum set-ups.  Hand drums such as bongos and djembes are positioned on the left side of Mr. Weckl's kit, and he plays these with sticks.  Meanwhile, El Negro has cowbells and blocks mounted around his set-up.  He even plays some of these with his foot, courtesy of a percussion bracket attached to a foot pedal.  Instead of using Western and Latin/Afro-Cuban percussion, i would use our homegrown ethnic percussion.

Another inspiration I have in mind is legendary Filipino drummer Jun Regalado.  I remember his famous piece where he mounted three kulintangs (placed over three cymbals) in his drum set-up, and played these in a contemporary arrangement of Sitsiritsit, a Filipino folk song.  Here's a video...

Admittedly, I am unfamiliar with our Filipino indigenous musical instruments, so this is new and uncharted territory for me.  Not only am I interested in learning about these instruments, but I also want to learn about traditional Filipino rhythms used by our native tribes and ancestors.  Not only will all these benefit me as a Filipino drummer and musician.  I can also possibly apply all these in the future, with my band's music or with other possible projects.  And I think it will be good for the Filipino drummer.

Now I need some aid on research (books, websites, etc.) and sources of authentic Filipino ethnic percussion.  If you have any links or leads, please let me know.

***


I recently got hooked with formspring.me.  It's quite a new website, which somehow works like Twitter, but it's in a Q&A format.  It says on the front page, "Ask questions, give answers and learn more about your friends."  So, it's as simple as that.  I had it incorporated in my website through a widget (on the left-side bar).  It's also a simpler and more useful alternative to my Q&A Page.

It's funny how I keep on receiving these personal questions from anonymous people.  Though most of the questions aren't so bad, some questions are funny, and some are uncalled for and too personal that I decided not to answer those.  I was hoping to receive sensible questions about the things I am into, such as music and drumming.  Instead, I receive these personal inquiries.  I'm not complaining, and I appreciate the fact that my formspring account is active in that manner.  Maybe it just hasn't sunk in me yet that I'm in a band that has a fair share of admirers and followers.  And I'm just the kind of artist who values musical integrity more than image.  But it's still a blessing, because I've seen other people's formspring pages, and the Q&As there are way more hilarious.  Some even treated theirs like a chatroom.  Others end up arguing, especially with the asker having the option not to reveal his/her identity, it's quite easy to start an online word war. 

My advice to fellow formspring account holders:  Be extra careful with what we post and with the info we're giving away (and that goes with other social networking sites as well), and we have the option not to answer every question asked.  If the question's too personal or if it's crossing the line, or if it's not a question at all but a bait for some online hating, don't entertain it.  Discard all those nonsense.

***


It's summer season here in the Philippines.  It's very hot, and weather experts say that it's only the beginning of summer and it will just get hotter (!) in the coming weeks.  Many people are affected by this heatwave.  In fact, one bandmate was recently treated for heatstroke (he's doing better now).  Our Civic has this small crack on the windshield, which was caused by a flying pebble when my Dad was driving along the Star Highway in Batangas.  The tiny crack's been there for over a year, until recently (and finally), the crack began growing bigger just a couple of weeks ago.  A horizontal crack is growing right in the middle of our windshield, and it's getting bigger, no thanks to the heat wave.  That's why we've been parking the Civic under the shade.  We'll have that glass replaced soon.

While many people are getting dramatic over this heat wave, I am wondering why I am not so greatly affected with it yet.  My friends would say that we live on a hill and it's windy in our area.  But no, my folks are feeling the heat.  I drink plenty of good liquid (water, juice, non-fat milk), which is always helpful.  I also eat less bad food (those rich in fat & cholesterol), which could be helpful too.  And I think it helps that I don't move so much.  By being economical or efficient with my movements, I won't "overheat".  It must be psychological too.  I don't let the heat wave affect my performance.

I am also fortunate that after all these years, I finally have reliable airconditioning in my own room.  I think it was a conscious effort by my parents not to make us accustomed to airconditioning on a daily basis when we were growing up.  I think it's a good move, even if I'm asthmatic and at times I badly need all the fresh air I can get.  I still don't use my airconditioner on a daily basis.  I only use it when it's really hot.  But lately I've been using it more frequently, and I'm glad the newer models are more energy-efficient (I have the LG split-type airconditioner in my studio room).  Plus, I always use the timer.  I don't want it running round-the-clock.  I'll will let it run for a few hours, then it will turn off.  When it's hot again, then I'll just turn it on again.

***


A few more random thoughts...

We from K24/7 will be introducing our new bass player soon.

Mid-March 2010 marks my sixth year with K24/7.  Wow, six years...

I just cancelled my Multiply, Friendster, and MySpace accounts.  My accounts from these sites have become frequently idle, and in order to simplify my online activities, I finally decided to let go of these.  Now I can concentrate more on the quality sites.  Thank you to these sites for being great hosts and great social venues over the years, especially to Multiply, where my blogging life began.

I remember Francis M.  It's been a year since his passing.  Here's my humble little tribute blog for him, which I wrote last year.  Long live Francis M!

John Mayer will be performing in Manila this May!  Now that's huge.  I'm a big fan of his music, and I would love to watch his show.  I hope he'll bring with him his Trio bandmates Pino Palladino and groove master Steve Jordan.

Earthquakes are happening all over the world.  In fact, when we had this recent gig at a hotel in Makati, some of my bandmates and I can feel some earthshaking.  We cannot stop Mother Nature, so the least that we can do is pray and be vigilant.  Let's be prepared, in case a big one hits us on this side of the world (knock on wood).

New Era Drum Tracks

I want to look back at my recording sessions, and share some of my thoughts about my drum tracks in our New Era album.

I played drums on four tracks in our album - Sweetest Thing, Don't Ever Let Go, Your Smile, and Pangako.


Sweetest Thing

"My bandmates and I were in the studio, working on "Sweetest Thing", which is the last song we finished for our upcoming album.  This is an original song written for us by our dear friend Mike Luis of Freestyle.  Mike is a genius when it comes to songwriting, and the song is sooo good that it gave my bandmate Paolo quite a headache while he was working on it in his computer haha, figuring out some of the notes Mike used (because Mighty Mike wasn't able to chart the notes, I think).  It's a groovy, bouncy, and catchy tune.  Anyway, the vocal parts were recorded on Wednesday night.  Earlier that day, we had a last-minute decision to have my drum parts recorded live.  At first, we thought of programming the drum parts.  But I thought that I should play the drum parts live.  I like the song, I like Paolo's drum ideas for it, and I was determined to put my mark in that song.  And so, we booked a recording date at Blue Door Studio in Quezon City (the same studio where I recorded my drum parts for 'Pangako').  I was scheduled the next evening."

"In the studio, I set up a small kit which I felt would fit the song just right.  My drumming inspiration for this song is Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, drummer and producer of Philadelphia-based hip-hop band The Roots.  I went for the less-is-more approach.  For this track, I want my drums to sound crisp and tight, almost like a toy, but still "realistic" enough for listeners to say, 'Hey, those are live drums!'  I used three drums - an 18"x 20" kick and a 14" tom, which are both from my Tama Superstar kit, and my 5.5"x10" Black Panther Premium Maple, my choice snare drum for this track.  I set up a few Zildjian cymbals - a pair of 12" A Special Recording Hi-Hats and a 16" K Dark Thin Crash (the said cymbals belong to my drummer friend Marco Katigbak), and my 20" K Custom Medium Ride.  I thought of using my 8" A Custom Splash, but I find it too bright-sounding for the song, so I decided to remove it on my studio set-up.  Paolo thought of using flammed cross-sticks for the backbeats on some of the verses, which is why I had my 13" Tama Artwood Maple snare drum on standby for that purpose (since I won't be able to play cross-sticks on a 10" snare).  But later on during the session, we decided not to play cross-sticks anymore.  And so, it was the 10" Black Panther all the way."

--- excerpts from my October 29, 2008 blog


I am pretty much happy with the outcome of this track, as I was somehow able to estimate the sound and feel I envisioned for the song.  We got the tight, snappy, toy-like sound out of the drums, plus the bouncy & playful feel.  The 10" Black Panther snare was the star of the drum set-up I used in that track.  I remember feeling quite loose during this session, so it enabled me to become more playful behind the kit.  Yet, I was having that "?uestlove-ish", less-is-more vibe, and I was making sure that my parts would still serve the music right.  The tricky part in this track is the bridge part, where the groove shifts to a tight 16th note feel, against the shuffle grooves played through the verses and choruses.

This is one fun song to play, and drummers who'll play to this song can go loose.  I look forward to playing this tune live.


Don't Ever Let Go

"I just recorded some of my drum tracks this week at SoundsRite Recording Studio in Makati, which is operated by drummer Boyet Aquino (who is best-known for his work with Francis M's band Hardware Syndrome).  The studio has a good reputation for its high-end equipment and facility & quality recording results, and its clients include a good number of big names in the music biz.  Though Boyet has an impressive collection of high-end drums, I still chose to use my Tama Superstar kit."

"On the Monday night session, I recorded Don't Ever Let Go, which was written by Paolo.  This is quite a difficult track for me because of the crafty drum parts Paolo envisioned for the song.  This was the old song which we recorded at Blue Door Studio  a couple of years ago, but had some bad luck.  I'm already through with that unfortunate experience, and I'm glad that I'm able to perform better in the studio this time, without any technical problems."

"I can't remember what I ate that time, or if the stars were aligned during those nights.  But for some reason, I feel good with recording my drum tracks at SoundsRite."

"In the studio, I brought with me my Tama Superstar kit, which has birch shells (birch drums are tried and tested in recording/studio situations).  My toms are fitted with clear Evans G2 batters.  My 18"x20" kick drum is fitted with an Evans EMAD batter and an Evans EQ3 Resonant black front head (with 5" offset hole).  Though my drums are pretty much set up for live situations, I was eager to hear how it performs in the recording studio.  At first, the drums sounded big and boomy.  After some tweaking, we were able to get decent tom sounds which responded well in the mix and complimented the songs.  I should try coated batter heads next time for the toms, for a warmer sound.  The kick drum's heads needed to be loosened and Boyet placed some cloth inside in order to kill some of the overtones (because of the EMAD head, I don't have any muffling inside my kick drum).  We were able to get a decent, thuddy, low-end sound from the kick."

"Opting to play simpler drum parts in the recording compared to what I would normally play on a gig, I only used the 10" and 14" toms, though I had the 12" tom set aside, in case it's needed.  I was also able to use my 5"x13" Tama Artwood Maple and 5.5"x10" Black Panther Maple snare drums.  I tried my Old Faithful 5.5"x14" Tama Starclassic Maple, but the Magic Drum and the Cat sounded more fitting for the songs.  I was also able to use my two broken Zildjian K Custom Dark crash cymbals.  Even if they had those cracks and were de-modified, they still retain that K Custom magic in their sound.  It still has that complex, trashy & sophisticated character, while the damages dried up its decay.  I kept these old cymbals because I felt that they'll work well in the studio.  And gladly, they did."

--- excerpts from my April 26, 2008 blog


Don't Ever Let Go has become a favorite among most of our loyal friends and following.  The story behind the making of this song is interesting.  First of all, Paolo wrote this love song based on one bandmate's past relationship experience (guess who).  Second, during the first couple of drum recording sessions for this song back in '07, the computer at Blue Door Studio crashed - twice!  And during that time, never did that incident happened in that studio, which pretty much has a decent track record.  And it's so funny and coincidental that the two gear crashes happened during the sessions for this one song.  There's really something about this song.

Finally, we were able to record the drum parts at SoundsRite studio in the summer of '08.  I think the delays on the drum recordings in '07 were destined to happen.  Because during the SoundsRite sessions, I was more confident, I was more prepared, and I had my then-brand new Tama Superstar kit prepared for recording. 

I think I finished the recording in a couple of hours, which surprised me because I never thought I'll finish that soon, considering the sensitivity of the song and some of the more specific drum parts Paolo wanted.  Those drum fills during the bridge and the last chorus?  I can't remember the number of times I did retakes!  I would have played the drum parts differently in this track.  But this was Paolo's composition, so with him being the composer and producer, I have to respect that. 

I said this to most of our friends, and I'll say it again... Don't Ever Let Go is the most challenging song that I've recorded in our album.  And it's even more challenging to play it live.  Believe me, it's not as easy as it sounds.

In this song, my main snare drum is my workhorse "Magic Drum" 5"x13" Tama Artwood Maple.  Plus, I have once again proven my theory on broken K Customs in this recording session.  Despite the defects, they sounded lovely in the studio.


Your Smile

"I recorded Your Smile, which was a bit easier for me because of its groovier, more straight-ahead nature; yet we need to make sure that my parts feel and sound right for the songs."

--- excerpt from my April 26, 2008 blog

Many listeners would think that the drum parts in Your Smile are programmed.  But no, the whole thing is 100% live recording.  It might not sound obvious during the first half of the song, which is mostly straight-ahead cross-stick grooves.  But once the snare drum comes in at the last chorus after the bridge, that would hint the use of real drums played by a real drummer.  Listen to the dynamics of the snare drum backbeat.  I was in my "drum machine" mode during this song's recording session, yet I still want it to feel like it's human.  And I have to say, this is one of my favorite tracks in our album.

Two snare drums were set up for this track.  The main snare is my "Old Faithful" 14" Tama Starclassic Maple.  It has the die-cast hoops, so I played the cross-sticks on that drum.  On the left side of the kit is the 10" Black Panther Maple, where I played the backbeats of the last chorus.  In case you're wondering about the splash cymbal model I used for this track, it's a 12" Zildjian Extra Thin Splash, which my good friend Rommell Garcia lent to me.


Pangako

"Recording began at around 12am.  I did a couple of practice takes then made adjustments such as fine tuning the drums, making sure that the drum sounds will fit nicely with the song.  (Studio Assistant) Ian double-checked the microphone set-up and prepared a click track for me.  Then we went on with the actual recording.  I'm not aiming to finish quickly or become a one-take wonder.  The most important thing for me is to serve the music by playing drum tracks which will compliment the song.  But still, we need to be efficient and productive with our studio time."

"On my first take, I wasn't quite warmed up yet, and I was still absorbing the feel of the song, the drumkit, and the studio room.  But I felt confident that I'll be able to do better takes as we progress.  I think it was on my third or fourth take when I finally got in the zone.  I was fully warmed up and my focus was on a high level at that point.  I thought I made a couple of good takes.  But we know the drum parts can still get better."

"Recording resumed at around 3am.  I lost a bit of momentum, and my hands got cold because of the strong air conditioning.  But good thing I regained focus, and I was able to do my best takes of the night.  In order for me not to repeat the whole take, we just went back to the parts which needed refinement, such as cymbal crescendos and embellishments, some fill-ins, and some hits which will lock in with the bass guitar parts."

"My drumkit for this session is a Premier Artist Birch kit, which belongs to my good friend Ernest Ramos.  I used two toms - an 8"x10" rack tom and a 14"x14" floor tom.  Both toms are fitted with Evans G1 Coated batter heads.  The kick is a 16"x18".  Don't let its small size fool you.  It's the biggest-sounding 18" bass drum that I've ever heard.  It has a solid low-end thump, which often surprises those who hear it.  The kick is fitted with an Aquarian Super Kick I Clear batter head, which contributes to that huge sound.  The front head doesn't have a hole for the mic.  I don't want to make a hole because the kit isn't mine and I don't want to ruin the nice white Aquarian coated front head.  So we removed the front head and put a pillow in it (Ernest didn't put any muffling on his kick).  The snare drum I used is my Old Faithful 5.5"x14" Tama Starclassic Maple, which is fitted with an Evans G1 Coated batter head and an Evans Snare Side 300 resonant head."

"I used my Zildjian cymbals.  My hi-hats are a pair of 14" K Custom Dark Hats and my ride is a 20" K Custom Medium Ride.  The two crash cymbals used are my semi-retired damaged cymbals, which I both acquired from my friend Bennii Obana sometime last year.  On my left side was my freshly-cracked 17" K Custom Dark Crash, which I recently retired from gigging.  On my right side was my de-modified 18" K Custom Dark Crash which had so many hairline cracks when I acquired it, I had it cut after I wounded my finger.  Even if these crashes are damaged, they still have that spirit in their sound.  I thought that I'd just save these cymbals for studio work, where I think they'll sound well.  And they did sound exceptional in the studio."

--- excerpts from my November 16, 2007 blog


My drumming inspiration on Pangako is Jeff Porcaro.  This is a love song with a pop arrangement and mass appeal, and I can't think of any other musical inspiration better than Jeff Porcaro, who was not only a groovy pop rock drummer with a solid foundation.  He was a master of great feel and sensitivity.  He had the knack for playing drum parts which fits best for the music, in relation to its theme and emotions.  What mattered to Jeff the most is how the listeners feel the music.  I recorded my drum parts for Pangako with Jeff Porcaro in mind.  In fact, I think some of the drum fills I used reflected his huge influence on me.  May this be my humble tribute to one of my favorite drummers.  May God bless Jeff Porcaro's soul.

To fellow drummers who are curious about the accent cymbal I used during the bridge/guitar solo part, that was the broken 18" Zildjian K Custom Dark Crash on the right side of the set-up, which was trimmed down because of multiple hairline cracks.  It sounded like a trashy china/crash hybrid, and it sounded great on recording.  So, before disposing those broken cast cymbals, think about it first.  You'll never know how they'll sound like in the studio.  You'll never know if it's magic.

***


Final thoughts...

The music on Dry Your Eyes and Pangarap Ko'y Ikaw were arranged, programmed, and recorded by Jay Durias of South Border.  So, if the songs are coming from a musical master, I wouldn't dare touch it!  But if Jay would ask me to record the drum parts, I would have done it.

That Side Of Me and Prelude To Ecstasy might have been more slamming if we were able to record live drums for it.  But it's alright, because it turned out just fine.  Playing it live during our gigs would be a different story...

Come Back... It's the most perfect drum recording...  Because there are no drums on it! ;)

I'm planning to play more live drums on our next album, and I would love to do something more refreshing and out of the box.  I'm looking forward to that.

The Neil Peart Influence, Part 2: The Drum Solo That Changed My Drumming Life

Happy Birthday, Sir Jun Regalado!

Happy Holidays, folks!

Today, December 31, is the birthday of Jun Regalado, the Godfather of Philippine drumming and one of the finest Filipino musicians ever.  Happy Birthday Sir Jun!

Thanks to his son, ace session drummer Junjun Regalado (who is a fellow DLSU Pops Orchestra alumnus), I was able to meet the legend.  Even if I never had any formal lessons with Sir Jun (though I would love to have the time and opportunity to take formal lessons from him someday), I've learned a lot from him, mostly from his drum clinics and sharing sessions.  I have tremendous respect and admiration for Sir Jun, and I look up to him as a mentor and inspiration.

Another great thing about Sir Jun is he is a class act and a very kind and caring man.  I remember that drum clinic he had years ago at the Monk's Dream jazz bar in Powerplant Mall, Rockwell, Makati.  As always, Sir Jun conducted an effective and informative drum clinic.  After the clinic, while waiting for his crew to finish packing up his drum gear, Sir Jun went to our table, sat with us, then had some more drum and music talk.  He's one of the nicest senyors I've ever met.

A couple of weeks ago, I was thrilled that Sir Jun is on Facebook, and he added me on his friend's list, then sent me a message.  Here are excerpts of his message, sent to me last December 13.  The message is not only for me, but for all Pinoy drummers out there...

*****

"Hi Anthony! Jun Regalado here, belated happy birthday last Dec 5. It's been 2 years that I haven't received messages in my email from Pinoydrums. Please do me favor to remind all Pinoy drummers to play their drums on the eve of Dec.31, which happens to be my birthday.  But that's not the point; it's one way to welcome the New Year. For us drummers it's the only time of the year when we can freely play and express our drum playing in our houses that we don't feel disturbing the neighborhood. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!"

"Kindly share my messages and reminders to all Pinoydrummers!  Let's enjoy life as a musician and be friends of all musicians around us."

*****

Thank you very much, Sir Jun!  Happy Happy Birthday!  I wish you good health, more happiness & more music & drumming.

K24/7 - New Era: A Dream Come True

December 18, 2009...  This is a date that I will remember.  It was a Friday night, and my band K24/7 is scheduled for our usual weekend gig at Off The Grill.  It was pretty much routine... Until our manager Alona David gave us the most pleasant surprise.  My bandmates and I were each handed a couple of CDs, with Ate Alona greeting us a sweet Merry Christmas...

It was our new album.  K24/7: New Era.

Earlier this week, Ate Alona, road manager Jason Reyes, and I met up to check the final CD design and listen to the final audio mix, before the production of the first batch of CDs.  It was all good, and it's a go.  We were expecting the manufacturing to be finished sometime next week.  It went ahead of schedule.   And so, management gave us the surprise last night. 

For me, it's a dream come true.  It's definitely a long time coming.  I am now on my 12th year as a professional musician, and I've been with K24/7 since early 2004.  One of my career dreams is to become a recording artist and to make albums.  Finally, this dream came true.  This is my first album/recording credit as a professional artist, and this wasn't handed to us in a silver platter.  New Era is approximately 5 years in the making; a product created from blood, sweat, and tears.

When I held my copy of New Era for the first time, I took a moment, holding the album with both hands, and I just stared at it.  I had this mini flashback of the last 5 years I had with the band, and that moment when my bandmates began making the first demos.  In those 5 years, K24/7 has faced adversities along the way.  We went through the tough times, from studio and gig mishaps to bandmember changes, from songwriting hardships to production concerns... We went through various challenges, whether musical, personal, financial, or whatever imaginable obstacle.  And just as we thought that things seem to be on track, something would come up.  Wow, those 5 tough years...  What a journey it has been!  Unbelievable.

It was a huge sigh of relief.  I felt like all the stress in my mind and body was took off of me.  Suddenly, I broke a smile and there was peace of mind, like a big monkey was mightily taken off my back.  And it felt really good.  While writing this blog, I have our album playing in the background.  I may have listened to our songs thousands of times.  This time, it sounds and feels way much sweeter.

At times, we were on the verge of losing hope, going through depressive stages, and the like.  But we just hung on to our dreams, and we never gave up and called it quits.  I like what our dear friend Jean Ramiro told us one time...  She described K24/7 as a very resilient group.  Now, I see New Era as a testimony to K24/7's strength, persistence, and determination.

I always believe that God has His reasons, and in life, there are reasons why things happen.  Looking back at what happened in the last 5 years...  Yeah, we know the album is waaaaay overdue.  But the wait seems well worth it.  I am grateful to the Lord for all the blessings, and as well as for the adversities and the lessons learned.

Our acknowledgements are well-documented in our album sleeve, and I would like to thank all the wonderful people who love, support, and believe in K24/7.  Personally, I sincerely thank you all from the bottom of my heart.  Thank you so much for hanging on with us; for the patience in waiting for our album to come out.  I would also like to offer my deepest gratitude to the unsung heroes...  To our management - Alona David, producer Alvin Llanderal, and Jason Reyes; and to everybody involved with the production of New Era...  Thank you very much for helping make my dream & K24/7's dream come true.

Now that our album is finally out, this is just the beginning of a new chapter in K24/7's history.

Let me know what you think or feel about New Era.  I'll most likely write more blogs about our album in the near future.

*****

K24/7: NEW ERA is currently available at our gigs.  Drop by at any of our gigs, and go grab your copy!  Php250 only.  For info, sked, and updates, just visit K24/7's Facebook Page.

November 2009 Random Thoughts

It's been a month and a half since my last Random Thoughts blog.  Let me go through this episode with a review of my recent tweets, in chronological order...

"lucky that i was already at Onstage when the Greenbelt 5 shootout took place... was strolling around the area minutes before it happened..." - 6:06 PM Oct 18th

I was in Greenbelt that Sunday morning for the church service, when the robbery at the Rolex shop in Greenbelt 5 happened.  The second Sunday service of Bread Of Life in Onstage Greenbelt 1 begins around 10am.  After the opening praise and worship performance, my bandmates and I have the habit of strolling around the mall.  Shops begin to open by that time, then we return to Onstage a few minutes before the closing prayer, for the closing songs.  Luckily, I was already on standby at the Onstage lobby when the incident happened.  I was just sitted on one corner, tinkering on my iPod, when I heard three loud bangs.  At first, I thought those were just the sounds of shutter doors of nearby stores.  But it was louder than normal.  Then a series of loud bangs followed.  And when I noticed people entering the Onstage lobby, running in for safety, it was clear that something bad was happening outside.

The original Greenbelt 1 and the new Greenbelt 5 malls are connected, and Onstage (2nd floor, GB1) isn't so far away from the fine watches & jewelry shops at the ground level of GB5.  News reports said that the exchange of gunshots lasted around 3-5 minutes.  Being there, it was way longer, around 15 minutes.  That moment, we had no idea yet of what's exactly going on.  My church bandmates, who were still strolling around the mall when it happened, ran to Onstage for their safety.  Our bandmate who came in last was really lucky because he was so close to the crime scene.  He actually saw the armed men and ducked for his dear life when crooks began exchanging gunshots with authorities.  Thankfully he escaped the mayhem despite becoming deaf for a moment because of the loud gunshots (his hearing is okay now). 

We are usually done with the services at around 12-1230pm.  But everybody in Onstage was requested to stay put inside the theater due to safety and security reasons.  At around 2pm, we were allowed to leave Greenbelt by groups, using the fire exits.  My bandmates and I were among the last to leave.  We thought the parking will be closed by investigators and we might be forced to leave our cars overnight.  But good thing the authorities allowed motorists to leave the carpark, as long as we show our driver's licenses and registrations. 

It's funny that my church bandmates and I were in a sticky situation once again, a few weeks after our Ondoy experience.  We're still pretty much lucky.  Despite tighter security and some interior redecorating at the crime scene, life was back to normal around the Greenbelt area the following day.  I wonder what has happened with the Rolex robbery case?

"i'm saying goodbye to double bass for now... i'm going back to single bass. i'll be blogging about that soon..." - 9:10 PM Oct 20th

You can backread that blog.  But right now, I really miss having a double pedal.  I'll write a Gearhead Thoughts blog soon in relation to that.  Though I'm getting the hang of playing single bass, I realized that there's so much stuff that I can't do with a single pedal.  I guess my feet are already wired for double bass.  But every gig has become a challenge.  I'm still in search for a nice single bass pedal for my personal use.  But I'm planning to get a new double pedal next year.  Perhaps as a reward for this challenge, I want to get the best double bass pedal I can afford.  Still thinking about it...

"the vacuum cleaner is my favorite household 'chore' appliance... makes life easier... God bless the soul of the person who invented it..." - 5:36 PM Oct 23rd

And I really mean it.  For someone like me, who is asthmatic and sensitive to dust, I'm really glad that there's such a wonderful invention called the vacuum cleaner.  I've been doing a lot of vacuuming in our new house in the last few weeks.  For me, house cleaning is impossible without it.

"i watched THIS IS IT last night... got teary-eyed at certain parts... so inspiring... MJ is THE GREATEST. :)" - 1:58 PM Nov 2nd

I'm totally inspired by this documentary, and I'm glad producers decided to release it.  This Is It is another testimony to the greatness, professionalism, sense of perfection, megalomaniacal tendencies, and pure spirit of Michael Jackson.  Though I always thought of his Dangerous years as his prime, I'm so amazed by how great he still was, even if he's already 50!  Though not as vigorous as his younger years, MJ still had the same artistic drive and passion.  He never ceases to amaze people with his performance, as evident from how the young dancers were reacting to his solo rehearsals.  So enthusiastic, they were like little kids again when they see their hero MJ do his thing.

I would love to compare 50-year old MJ to another great MJ - NBA legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.   During Jordan's earlier years, he was on fire with all his high-flying dunks, acrobatic shots, and amazing plays.  But when Jordan matured, particularly during their championship years, he was still a model of greatness, though he doesn't need to be flying all over the place anymore.  I kinda see Michael Jackson that way in This Is It.  For me, the new concert is like an updated or modernized version of his record-breaking tours during the 80's and early 90's, catered for the new millenium, for a new generation of audience, and for MJ's more fragile physique.  Plus, I love the care, thoughtfulness, and attention to detail MJ showed during the production, from the notes and pieces played by his band to the dance rehearsals; from the new mini-movies to the stage props.  MJ was really on top of his game.

Geez, it could have been an awesome show!  I'll surely get a DVD copy once it's out in the market.

"had fun at the benefit show for Raffa. it's always great hanging out with fellow musicians. best wishes to bro Wendell, Jaja & baby Raffa.:)" - 4:47 AM Nov 6th

K24/7 was invited to perform for a fundraiser event for Raffa, the baby of Wendell Garcia, drummer of Pupil & among the best all-around session drummers in the Pinoy music scene.

Here's some info about Raffa's rare disease, copied from the event's promotional material:

"Raffa (Son of Jaja Borja and Wendell Garcia) is suffering from a rare connective tissue disorder in which the skin becomes inelastic and hangs loosely in folds called Cutis Laxa. His been in and out of the Hospital for over a year and spent about a month in ICU.

Cutis Laxa is characterized by skin that is loose, hanging, wrinkled, and lacking in elasticity. The loose skin is often most noticeable on the face, resulting in a prematurely aged appearance. The affected areas of skin may be thickened and dark. In addition, the joints are loose (hypermobility) because of lax ligaments and tendons. When cutis laxa is severe, it can also affect the internal organs. The lungs, heart, intestines, or arteries may be affected with a variety of severe impairments. In some cases, hernias and outpouching of the bladder can be observed."

The fundraiser, which was held at Taboo, was highlighted by performances from several bands and artists, ranging from rock to jazz to R&B.  It was one of the most fun gigs I ever had this 2009.  Though bands played short sets, nothing beats hanging out with fellow musicians and appreciating great music together.  But most important, we were able to help out Raffa.

Cutix Laxa Update For Raffa

 
"happy birthday to Paolo Banaga, my K24/7 bandmate and brother in music... :)" - 4:49 AM Nov 6th

It's birthday season for majority of the K24/7 family.  So, advanced and belated Happy Birthday to all the celebrants...

Paolo (06 Nov), producer Alvin (13 Nov), manager Ate Alona (15 Nov), Ryan (27 Nov), Kiko (29 Nov), yours truly (05 Dec), Ian (07 Dec)

"lots of tech probs last night at our gig, but it's ok... realized that many modern musicians are so dependent on gadgets nowadays..."  - 11:34 AM Oct 24th

"tough gig @ OTG last night... had to once more deal with tech probs which are beyond my control... hate it when it happens... spoils my fun." - 4:45 AM Nov 7th

"but i still tried my best to groove better and forget about the technical issues... though stressful, i think it was still a nice gig..."  - 4:48 AM Nov 7th

The things that have been frustrating me on gigs in the last month or so are technical issues which are beyond our control, namely the electronic devices and set-ups which run the play-along sequenced tracks we use on some songs.  My bandmates and I have been pretty much "hardware-challenged" lately since Teddy decided to leave the band.  In our band, almost by default, the main keyboardist is usually the guy running the sequenced tracks.  When Teddy left, so did his gear, mainly his laptop and/or iPod, where he operates the tracks.  Ian is still in the process of setting up his gear for that purpose, while Paolo's laptop's been having some tech issues.  So, we've been making compromises with our gear.  My iPod was heavily used during Ian's first few weeks with us.  Classic iPods can be quite tricky to operate during live situations, until we figured out that we can plug it on Ate Alona's Macbook then play the songs through iTunes.   Currently, the services of my iPod are no longer needed, because my bandmates have already copied the tracks on the laptops.  Though this simplified the tech issue, Paolo had a few instances when multi-tasking became quite a chore, at times forgetting the cues on when to stop certain tracks.

Though stressful and challenging, we're getting the hang of all these tech concerns.  But whenever the sequenced tracks go nuts, it's us drummers who get screwed up the most, since we're the guys who have to nail it down and obliged to play along with it.  And when the drummer goes nuts, so will the rest of the band.  That's why it's so much of a burden for me whenever something goes wrong with the play-alongs.  I would accept it if I make mistakes during gigs.  But these technical glitches are something which my bandmates and I do not cause.  It's like there's no Plan B or we cannot escape from it.   

Being a true-blue musician, I sometimes wish just to play pure music.  I mean, as much as possible, I want to be organic and I don't want to become too dependent on machines, which I think is a trait I noticed from most modern musicians.  It's not that I don't want to play along a sequenced track or work with a computer, which are great for certain applications, and can help certain songs, melodies, and tempos sound more consistent.  Technology is awesome, and it can assist us musicians in a myriad of ways.  But sometimes, it just gets too techy, and it makes me yearn to play pure, unadulterated, natural, straight-from-the-heart-and-soul music.  No electronics, no gadgets and gizmos, no gimmicks... just me and my instruments.

"watching This Is Spinal Tap... every conscientious musician should see this flick hahaha! :)" - 1:13 AM Nov 12th

Enough said.  Just watch it.  Trust me...

"though nobody has won anything yet, thanks to those who greeted us for the Wave 89.1 Urban Music Awards nomination... :)" - 6:46 PM Nov 14th

K24/7 is nominated in the Best Urban Band category at Wave 89.1's first-ever Urban Music Awards.  For more info, click here.

Honestly, at first, when I received the news about our nomination, I had mixed emotions.  I thought it's cool that we are nominated.  Like how Paolo puts it, prior to this, we never experienced getting nominated for any award, so it's an honor and a privilege to be recognized in that light.  But, when I learned that fans determine who will win through SMS votes, I thought that it's just another popularity contest.  If I were the person running the tally, I would work it like it's a government election - it should absolutely be a one-time vote, so that means voters should be firm with their choice.  With the SMS votes, fans and listeners can vote as many times as they want.  Hence, this is more of a "hatak" thing.  Though it's good for marketing and publicity, I can't see how text votes can raise our value and musical integrity as professional artists.

But we got word that the Urban Music Awards will have both a sort-of People's Choice Awards (where there will be winners determined through SMS votes), and a panel of judges from the Wave camp who will choose the deserving awardees.  So, upon learning that, I guess that's fair enough.  We'll have these details verified.

It's also a blessing that we are nominated, considering that we are a band that has been around for quite some time already, and has yet to release its latest album.  We owe it to our friends and followers.  Thank you very much for the tremendous love, support, and the great patience (for waiting for our new album to come out).

To vote for K24/7 via SMS, text "WAVE 891 UMA K24/7", then send to 2968.  (Note: It's okay to use small letters; it isn't strictly all-caps.  Just make sure that the format & "K24/7" are typed correctly.)

"reviewing my recent tweets... preparing to write another Random Thoughts episode... it's been awhile since my last "real" blog..." - 9:34 PM Nov 23rd

Task finally completed.  'Til the next blog.!

PS > My twenties days are numbered...

"Chain Of Fools" by Jazee

Thomas Pridgen with The Mars Volta

This video features their TV guesting on The Late Show with David Letterman, where they performed "Wax Simulacra", from their 2008 album The Bedlam in Goliath.  Oh my God, that speed, that power, all that aggression and gusto... Those killer single strokes and heel-breaking kick drum patterns!  Plus the whole band is playing all out like there's no tomorrow.  Pridgen is a monster!!  And this monster is inspiring me a lot nowadays.

October '09 Random Thoughts

Wow... My so-called year of transition has not only affected me personally.  This year has brought about changes to millions of people all around the world.  We just entered the fourth quarter of 2009, and boy, what a year this has been!  This year alone, a good number of famous & inspirational people, local and foreign, have passed away.  In the middle of the year, the world faced a swine flu scare.  And not so long ago, several nations, including our beloved motherland, suffered from different kinds of natural disasters.  Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng have brought unimaginable damages, and have tested the Filipino people's resiliency once more.

So, I was doing some reflections about all these.  It's in line with several issues such as environmental matters, global warming, culture, politics...  Why are these things happening?  What is God trying to tell us?  I know God has a purpose for all these.

*****


This month, K24/7 and several bands will be busy, with calendars now loaded with benefit shows for the victims of the recent typhoons and flood.  As of this writing, my band's playing on four benefit shows.  We just had our first one last Sunday night, which was the Musikapatiran event, organized by Tiendesitas.  It was a fun gig loaded with a diverse line-up of bands, which included South Border, The Jerks, Rivermaya, Sino Sikat?, Xanctuary, and many more.  Special thanks to my dear friend Dohndi Santos of Tiendesitas, who called us to join this cause.  By the way, Dohndi is also the bass player of Xanctuary, and their playlist was kick-ass, so kudos to them as well!

After our early evening set at the Musikapatiran, we proceeded to our usual Sunday night gig at Mugen in Metrowalk Ortigas, which was really fun because some of our friends showed up and jammed with us.  Special thanks to Benjie Mendez and Mhacky Ricafort of South Border, and to our brother Kenjhons and some of his crew from the Philippine Allstars.  Our Mugen gigs are always a blast because we'll never know who's gonna show up and jam with us.

*****


I would also like to announce that K24/7 has a new keyboard player.  We welcome Ian Fajarito to the K24/7 band and family!  We are delighted to have this fine musician in our group.  For those who are not familiar... Ian Fajarito, a Davao City native, has worked with several notable bands and artists, including his former group Natural High.  He also happens to be an accomplished musical arranger and composer. 

The question in most people's minds right now is, "Where's Teddy?"  Teddy Katigbak decided to leave the band, in order to concentrate with his work as a musical arranger for Hit Productions.  We thank Teddy for being a part of K24/7, and for his significant contributions in our upcoming album New Era.  Personally, Teddy is a great guy to work and hang out with, and his personality and humor, particularly his dancing skills, will be missed.  It would have been nice to see Teddy grow with K24/7 in the coming years, but we respect his decision.  We wish him all the best.

*****

K24/7 will be performing here tonight, so please drop by if you can.  Click the photo for more info...

*****


Postscripts...

Please let me know if any of you have contacts to suppliers of engine computer boxes for a 2004 Toyota Vios 1.3 M/T.  I'm trying to help look for one for my sister Karen's car, which was a flood victim two weekends ago.

Our new house is almost finished.  My folks and I already began moving stuff early last week.  When water and other utilities are already okay, then we'll be moving in.  Just sharing this one reason why I'm looking forward to better times ahead...

Stay positive!  Because positive attracts positive. 

A Short But Meaningful Chat with Kenjhons

Artists inspiring one another is always a beautiful thing.

My First Taste of My New Studio Room

Late this afternoon, I went to check out my studio, which is already structurally complete, but still an empty room.  I brought with me my Cat (5.5"x10" Black Panther Premium Maple snare drum), my Tama Iron Cobra hat stand (which has an L-arm mount attached to it, for mounting the Cat), and my sticks.  I was curious with the acoustics of my room.

I have two goals for my studio room's acoustics: isolate the room in order not to disturb people around me, and make it a really good-sounding room.

I set-up my Cat on one side of the room, and played some marches and rudiments.  My parents were outside, and they said they can still hear me play, but it wasn't so annoying nor disturbing.  It was like lowering the volume notches down.  My first goal was met, and I'm so glad because this is my biggest priority.  I don't want people around me going nuts because of my drumkit's natural volume.

Regarding my second goal...  The room is still bare, so understandably there's plenty of reverb.  And it was loud inside!  But once we have some furniture in, such as the built-in cabinets, shelves, and table on one side of the room, plus my sofa bed, a big rug for the drumkit, and some furnishings and appliances, that would greatly help with the sound absorption.  I also plan to experiment on mounting diffusers/baffles/acoustic panels, which can help make my room sound and feel better.

My new studio room should be ready sometime next month.

*Thanks to my Mom for the photo above...

Drum Day at Lyric

Lyric, the local distributor of Drum Workshop drums, pedals and hardware, and Meinl cymbals and percussion, had a Drum Day last weekend, at their Head Office and Showroom in Horseshoe Village, Quezon City.  The Saturday afternoon event featured some of today's top Filipino drummers and percussionists.  Performers include drummers Benjie Mendez, Franklin Benitez, and Otep Conception, and percussionists Maki Estrella (Roots of Nature), Francis Gaspar, and Paul Zialcita.

A couple of side notes before going through my blog...  First, I wasn't supposed to attend the event because I needed to stay home and look after our house construction.  But thanks to a text message from my buddy Michael Ong (guitarist of progressive rock band Fuseboxx), he urged me to drop by, and so I did.  And second, I only witnessed the performances of the drumset drummers.  Though I stayed for awhile after the drumset performances, I didn't really watch the percussion performances.  So, my apologies to Mssrs. Estrella, Gaspar, and Zialcita.  I had to leave early too (but I did hear some cool live performances before I left, when I was still there elsewhere in the venue).

Anyway, when I arrived at the Lyric office and showroom, the first things I noticed are the several drum and percussion gear on display and on sale.  That day, Lyric was offering their drum and percussion products at huge discounts (and because of the success of this event, Lyric just announced that they extended their sale for one more week).  There are plenty of quality, drool-worthy, GAS-inducing (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) equipment, mostly from Vic Firth, Meinl, DW, and PDP (Pacific Drums & Percussion, a subsidiary of DW).  Several accessories and instructional books and videos are also available.

Plenty of friends from the drumming and music community were present for the event, and it's always a blast whenever we are on drumming events like this.  It's also great to see three great Pinoy drumming phenoms together in one drumming event.  When I arrived, Franklin, Otep, and Bagets were warming up and preparing for their respective sets.  Most of my attention was also focused on the three beautiful drumkits set up for the three masters.  Franklin used a 5-piece, gold-plated DW kit with a simple cymbal setup similar to Steve Gadd's setup (one ride, two crashes, and a pair of hats).  Otep was on a rack-mounted, 5-piece PDP drumkit loaded with effects cymbals and a second pair of hats on the right side, which was mounted on a DW remote hat, its pedal positioned on the left side of the bass drum pedal (!).  Bagets was all out on a black, 7-piece DW set-up, which included a 10" auxiliary snare drum and a 14" brass snare drum.  All cymbals are Meinl, mostly from the Byzance series.

First performer was Franklin Benitez, best known for his work with Barbie Almalbis.  Franklin played along to a Latin-style track for his first number, where the veteran drummer highlighted his Latin-style drumming skills.  During Q&A, he entertained questions regarding his experiences performing with black musicians in the US.  Franklin emphasized the importance of discipline, and how black American musicians are so particular with groove.  One observation of Franklin is the playfulness of most Filipino drummers on timekeeping (ride/bell syncopations, for example), while most black drummers really mark the quarter notes on their grooves.  Another observation he noticed is how dedicated several American drummers are.  The great American musicians are really good, and they're really focused, pushing themselves to become the best they can be.  He also cited how frank Americans are compared to Filipinos.  While we Pinoys tend to be tactful and careful with our suggestions and criticisms to our bandmates, Americans would get to the point and work out things fast!  I agree with Franklin's insights, and I'm glad he opened up those insights in regards to attitude.  Later, Franklin shared some hand/foot combination exercises, and played a couple of drum solos, the last one accompanied by Otep and Bagets playing time on the PDP kit.

Otep Conception is a technically-gifted Pinoy drummer, and he showed us why during his set.  He improvised on several odd meters and groupings, while being guided by a click on his earphones.  What I admire about Otep's drumming is his articulation and his speed, most especially his right foot.  This is one drummer who does not need a double bass pedal to play fast kick notes.  But if he one day decides to play double bass, now that's a scary thought!  I once told Otep that I wish I can have his lightning-quick right foot.  Otep also highlighted some Gospelchops-inspired licks, which he shared to everyone.  When a drummer asked Otep what he was thinking during his improvisational number, the latter said that he was thinking a lot about Bagets.  Otep concluded his set with another impromptu performance, together with the next performer...

Benjie Mendez is the main event, and the most anticipated among the drumset performances.  Bagets is a legend in the Philippine drumming and music scene, known for being a musical prodigy eversince his childhood days.  His first big break was becoming the drummer of Side A at age 15, replacing original drummer Mar Dizon, another Pinoy drumming great.  Mar is credited for giving Benjie the nickname "Bagets" because of the latter already being a phenomenom at such a young age.  Bagets has played and recorded with several local and foreign artists, and he is currently with top Filipino band South Border.

Bagets is my mentor, one of my biggest drumming and musical inspirations, and not to mention, a dear friend.  I've known Bagets for a number of years, and how much he would "hide" from drum-sharing events.  But this time around, he was really eager to spread his message.  He started his set by casually talking to the crowd and sharing some of his thoughts and emotions about drumming and the current state of local music.  He stressed on the idea that music should not be a competition.  Instead, we should do music to share the love and to glorify God, because without Him, we wouldn't have the gift of talent to make music.  Bagets also became open, sharing stories about his life, his personal experiences, and his thoughts about the artists and drummers who have inspired and influenced him over the years.  The talk given by Bagets was a revelation of what the man is all about.  He is a natural artist, and I've known him as an eccentric and unpredictably moody guy.  But last weekend, Bagets was at his element.  The infectious enthusiasm he's known for was clear that day.  To those who were present last weekend, especially the young drummers who came to see and hear Bagets preach and play for the first time, consider yourselves lucky.

Whenever Bagets is at the top of his game and playing with all his heart and soul, I can't help but be inspired by the power of his drumming.  When I say power, it's not necessarily physical; it's what I feel whenever I witness this prodigy do his thing on the drumkit.  There's magic in Bagets' drumming.  His drumming is a melting pot of his major musical influences, from Vinnie Colaiuta to Jeff Porcaro, from Allan Holdsworth to Michael Jackson... Plus he puts his personality into it.  For me, that's one huge factor among great musicians which I admire the most - personality.  And there's so much personality in Bagets' drumming.  It's so inspiring to watch and listen to artists who have that.

Bagets' first performance was an improvised 6/8 solo, based on his live performance on South Border's hit song Ikaw Nga, from the Mulawin soundtrack.  Then, after an inquiry from a fellow drummer about shuffles, Bagets played several shuffle grooves such as Jeff Porcaro's Rosanna (Toto) and Bernard Purdie's Babylon Sisters (Steely Dan) grooves.  Bagets ended his set in grand fashion, by inviting Franklin and Otep to jam and play triple drums.  Watch the videos on Lyric's YouTube Channel.

I'm really glad that I showed up at Drum Day.  I got several doses of inspiration, thanks to that.  Great job, Lyric!  Thanks for Drum Day!

* All photos by Anthony Dio, captured from his mobile phone.