ELECTRONICA, the foundation of today’s electro funk and rock, is staging a comeback.
A vaguely remembered musical genre once bannered by Electronica Manila (Silverfilter, Wolfmann, Brian Cua) in the mid-2000s thereabouts, its revival today as “Filectronica” is a cherished vision of a rising OPM foursome who collectively goes by the name of Beat Per Machine or BPM.
And, with good reason: BPM main man and point-person Owen Formento tells SoundStrip that the digitalization of just about everything—including making music—is providing the push for a fresh reboot of Pinoy electronica.
Formento argues, “Since a lot of things are going digital nowadays, we tapped [into] the full advantage of digital platforms. When we started recording our songs, I passed along my initial samples through email. Then the other members of the band added their own guitar and synth parts using software and emailed their outputs to the rest of us. It’s a fast way to put a song together, especially since we live far apart from one another.”
BPM (not to be confused with beats per minute), is composed of Formento on synths and vocals, drummer/percussionist Mark Manago, synths man Marion Claudio and lead guitarist Layne Harrison. All of them are adept in the use of samplers to give their music a distinct flavor.
A sort of serendipity brought the band together. Formento was the original one-man electronica act with the handle BPM. He met Manago at an OPMLives gig in Saguijo and invited the latter to collaborate on a music project. Claudio, who used to be a DJ in the US, is a friend of Manago from Antipolo. They finally met Harrison (of indie outfits The Lane Band & Massacre Party) in a party inside BF Homes, Parañaque City to complete the now-expanded BPM line-up.
The mix of talents equates to a diversity of influences ranging from LCD Soundsystem and Daft Punk to Radiohead, Depeche Mode and Lamb. Bits and pieces of those influences shine through in BPM’s recently released EP, Better Than Machine.
Electronica streaming
DESPITE the ease of putting together new music, Manago is quick to point out that their songs can’t be easily pigeonholed into the usual OPM slots. He elaborates, “We think we’re one of the first OPM groups to make music by collaborating and putting a structure to every song via email, then sees how the final track comes out.”
“Most songwriters have a pattern: verse, chorus, bridge. We have notes for our compositions, but we tap opportunity to use samplers to make our music sound better and unique from the rest.”
Their EP is now out on Spotify and other digital music platforms. Music aficionados can look forward to a different treat from the usual concept of run-of-the-mill electronica.
Its carrier single “Isang Umaga” is, on first impression, a buoyant soundtrack for new beginnings. Synth man and Fil-Am expat Claudio says, “It’s actually the last song on the album, but it springs an array of upbeat rhythms with signature vocals and style, [with] whimsical lyrics that tell a different story; a story about longing for a home.”
On the other hand, “Manhid,” right smack in the middle of the five-entity EP, comes from a separate zone altogether.
“It’s a well-placed track designed to put one in a trance and place him in another dimension,” explains Harrison. ”It’s also the longest track that establishes the overall ambiance of the album. Its seamless ambient music will make you focus on the rhythm of the track itself.”
There’s no denying the strong appeal of BPM’s original songs. They have been promoted on Spotify’s new music Friday feature to widen their exposure to a rainbow of listeners. They’ve also been signed to the Ditto music platform where they rub musical and physical shoulders with the likes of Sandwich and Silent Sanctuary.
Digital constructs
DURING the interview with BPM, a slew of techie terms wound up in the conversation. Things like digital platforms, engineering and sampling technology create the impression of music elaborately produced in the studio. It’s difficult to imagine how BPM’s digital constructs translate in a live setting.
Formento recognizes the challenges. He relates, “Actually, it takes quite some time for us to set up our bulky gears to make sure they’re in sync, and that’s the first challenge. We have acquired more compact, precise devices to deal with that.”
He continues, “We really think a lot about how best to perform our songs live. We do playback in the studio to get a better feel of the mood we want to impart to our audience. Also, the drums and guitars are played live. All of that add up to what one of our friends describes as an almost theatrical presentation of our music.”
BPM is headed toward the future of OPM and it would be cool to have many music fans and advocates along for this fantastic ride.
Can we count you in?
Image credits: Symonne Torres