New OPM releases to listen to

By Mark Bonifacio
Inquirer

DOMESTIC music still proves to be very much alive with the release of the new albums of two noteworthy OPM acts — Miguel Escueta and Moonstar 88.

Miguel Escueta recently launched his debut album “I Am M.E.,” bannered by the single “Falling Away.” His name may not ring a bell yet for some, but he has established a name for himself when he emerged as first runner-up in the “Acoustic Break” competition in 2003 and nominee for Best New Male Recording Artist in the 2005 Awit Awards. But his momentum was broken when he decided to finish his studies at the Ateneo de Manila University. With his love for music, he decided to try again and eventually got signed by MCA Music.

Moonstar 88 is not exactly new to the music scene, having released two albums and spawning the hits “Torete,” “Sulat” and “Sa Langit” with then Acel Bisa as their lead vocalist. Now connected with a new record label (Sony BMG), with a new vocalist, Maychelle Baay, and a new drummer, Bon Sundiang, joining its original members — Herbert Hernandez (guitars) Paolo Bernaldo (bass) — the band is back with “Todo Combo.”

The album includes the carrier single, “Tadhana,” as well as the band’s covers of the APO original, “Panalangin,” (from the “Kami nAPO Muna” album) and the Yano hit, “Senti.”

Miguel and Moonstar 88 talk to Inquirer 2bU! about their music and their latest albums:

How would you describe your album? Your music?

MIGUEL ESCUETA (ME): I would describe my debut album to be a symbol of all the uncertainty, hardship and struggle that I had to go through to be able to actually sign with a major label and come out with a record. It is the fruit of having a dream and pursuing it no matter what obstacles may have come your way. I will always be grateful to MCA Music for giving me this chance of being able to fulfill this dream of mine. I believe that if you put your heart into accomplishing something, good things will always come out of it. I’d like to brand my music as modern alternative-rock, so I guess that would be the general sound of my album.

HERBERT OF MOONSTAR 88: The sweet sounding vocals and very melodic tunes which are dominant in the previous albums can still be heard in “Todo Combo.” The songs are a delicate balance between the more driving tunes and the more sentimental ones. The sound is heavily influenced by local ’90s band like Eraserheads and Yano.

For Moonstar 88, how different is “Todo Combo” from your previous albums?

PAOLO OF MOONSTAR 88: Todo Combo is more dynamic and upbeat. Lutong-luto na siya because it took us three years to complete the album, it’s been an on-and-off process so we get to hear the songs that we’re making from different perspectives.

What can listeners expect from your album?

ME: Listeners can expect a mix of fast songs and slow songs, as well as heavy and mellow ones. They can also expect a collection of heartfelt songs that every other guy or girl can relate to. I believe the songs on my album will be very involving for the listener, and in that way, I hope that my songs would mean something to them.

MAYCHELLE OF MOONSTAR 88: It’s a very solid album. Perfect balance between the more upbeat tracks and the more sentimental songs. We’re sure that people would be able to find at least one song they could relate to.

How did you come up with the songs to be included in this album?

ME: Choosing the songs for the album was a collaboration between George Mercado, Juni Devecais, MCA Music’s Ricky Ilacad and Wilson Cruz and myself. Upon signing with MCA, I gave all of my material. But even after that, I continued to write more songs. We picked what we thought to be nine of my strongest compositions. So the album is a combination of old songs that I already had before signing, and some others that I wrote after.

BON OF MOONSTAR 88: We jam the songs over and over again, fix the arrangement and then we would just know if a song is already the way we wanted it. And then from there, if we’re happy enough with how it turned out, we include it in the album. Making songs has always been an easy process for the band. I guess ganun talaga pag enjoy ka sa ginagawa mo.

Can you tell us more about the tracks on this album?

ME: All the tracks on this album were written and composed by me. More often than not, I find myself writing about turning points in life: because it is in those times that you either go through a lot of difficulty or a lot of bliss. And it is in those times that I get inspired to write the most. There are also a couple of “anthem-themed” songs on the album (”Pull Through” and “Live It”) that speak of making it through tough times and living your dreams, as well as some that reflect relationships from a particular point of view — such as my first single, “Falling Away.” I wouldn’t be surprised if people find themselves to be in deep thought and reflection as they listen to some of my songs.

HERBERT: We start off with the very upbeat “Tadhana,” because we just want to dance. We have tracks like “Migraine,” our personal favorite in the album, it’s a driving tune but sentimental at the same time. We also have a track titled “Late Ka Na Naman,” where Jay Contreras of Kamikazee did some vocal parts. There’s also a rework of the Yano classic “Senti” and the Apo hit “Panalangin.”

For Moonstar 88, why did you choose to cover Yano’s “Senti”?

PAOLO: We grew up listening to the music of Yano and we have lots of respect for them in terms of song writing.

Were your songs culled from personal experiences?

ME: Yes. The inspiration of my lyrics usually comes from personal experiences, whether it be my own or that of my friends and others close to me. There are also times when I theoretically put myself to be in a situation, I try to imagine how that would actually feel, and use that feeling to write lyrics. If you listen well to my songs, I believe that you would somehow get to know me to some extent. I also believe that my lyrics and the music that come off it somehow reflect that main type of music that I listen to and artists that have influenced me through the years.

HERBERT: From our own and from the people around us. We even have a song, titled “Dot Song,” that was inspired by one of our listeners whose name is Dot.

How much has Moonstar 88 matured musically?

PAOLO: We’re much tighter during live performances. And in terms of song writing, it’s been a smoother process than ever. Komportable na kasi working with each other. We’re also pretty much confident now as a band. No more worries or pressures, we just want to enjoy our music and play it to people.

E-mail the author at bedan_rainmaker@hotmail.com

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