By Clarence Yu
Contributor

I have to admit before going on that I am not a gamer. I know absolutely nothing about PlayStations, PSP’s, Xbox’s, and other gaming brands and consoles that are out there.

The last time I seriously played a game was when Atari, Apple II, Commodore, Space Invaders and Pac Man ruled the gaming universe. I checked out of the gaming world once the games became too complicated for my simple tastes. I am a guitarist as well, and will admit that I have tried the past Guitar Hero games in the hopes of blowing away the punks who know nothing about “real” guitar playing. News flash for me: I couldn’t even complete a game in mid-song.

Generally speaking, here is how the game works: by using a guitar-shaped controller, you play along to rock songs by pressing the correct colored button on the neck at the right time; the notes that correspond to the correct buttons to push are displayed on the screen as the game is under way, and if you play well, the virtual crowd cheers you on, but if you hit miss notes and you get booed offstage. By progressing through levels of difficulty of the game, players are able to “unlock” new songs.

Similar guitar based games can be found at your neighborhood game arcades, Time Zone and Power Station being the most prominent in Manila, though these are generic in nature.

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By Erika Tapalla
INQUIRER.net

Although video has certainly been under the limelight in recent times with the advent of new media with the Internet, radio remains alive.

In this video interview, young DJs for Underground Radio 105.9 discussed how radio remains relevant for rock bands in the Philippines.

Brought to the Philippines by the Americans, the first radio station established in Manila was called KZKZ, and was set up in 1922 by Henry Mann. A few years later, more stations were put up in different provinces and used primarily for entertainment. It was not until after World War II that other radio formats emerged.

In 1986, radio played an important role during the People Power I revolution. I was still months old (from conception, that is) and safely curled in my mother’s womb so it would be difficult and impossible to recount the details that led to end of a dictatorship. I would like to bring forth a detail that my dad told me.

He said Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Sin called on the Filipinos over a Catholic radio station Radio Veritas to support then General Fidel Ramos and former Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile. This call triggered millions of Filipinos to leave their homes and make their way to EDSA where they called for Marcos’ ouster.

At that time, radio was used as a crucial medium to unite Filipinos.

To this day, radio continues to be a source — in some areas in the Philippines, the only source — of information and entertainment. On the other hand, the local music industry thrives on this medium as their ticket to the ears of the Filipinos.

Radio is not dead, that’s for sure. Perhaps it’s the content, the real star that was killed.

Watch my video interview with DJs Niki Flojo and DJ Kris Isaac (known as DJ Memphis on air) about station Underground Radio 105.9 talking about the current state of FM radio in the Philippines.

By Clarence Yu
Contributor

I’ve been very lucky to have a sixth sense when it comes to getting a hold of good music.

In these days of downloading music, I rarely buy CD’s, and if I do, they are from bands that in my mind deserve a slot in my CD case drawer.

Journey is one of those bands. When a friend advised me of his impending trip to Manila I immediately requested him to find me a copy of their latest release, Revelation, which is available only at Wal-Mart Stores in North America. Much of my interest stemmed from news that their new lead singer was Arnel Pineda of the Philippines.

I am one of the lucky ones to have possession of it at this time, and would like share my thoughts on the band in general and a personal review on the new album.
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MAKATI City — When the moon decides to show its face and signals the awakening of night clubs, the streets are filled with anything but economical vehicles parked in single file, all shiny and newly polished.

The car door is opened by their haggard sleepless bodyguards, the loud pumping beats then exposed to everyone within the vicinity. All eyes now magnetized to the pairs of legs that extend to hit the curb, topped with either overpriced limited edition sneakers or spotless five-inch dangerously sharp stilettos as footwear. Low-waist baggy jeans sweeping across the floor, skintight skirts, loose shirts, cleavage-bearing tops, baseball caps, not to mention the overtly lavish bling-blings — these are common signs of the classier hip-hop culture in the Philippines.

But there is also the so-called “ghetto” group of hip-hoppers, or the gangsters. The ones we tend to look away from when we’re walking down a dark alley in fear of our lives. They are the ones with large holes in their ears and hidden scars that tell a story of pride and skewed courage.

Classy or ghetto, rich or poor, the hip-hop culture remains to be a huge part of the Filipino culture.

In the video below, hip-hop artists Gino Ferraren a.k.a Nimbus9ine, Matt Panginiban a.k.a Godswill, and Mark Navarro a.k.a Marquiss, respectively explain hip-hop culture in the Philippines and how it changed their lives.

There are many elements to the birth of hip-hop in the Philippines but perhaps the most influential factor would be the heavy influx of American musical styles brought to the country by the Americans during the late 1970s when cassette tapes, videos, books and magazines were passed around in the towns and barrios surrounding the American military bases, such as Clark Air Base in Angeles City and Subic naval base in Olongapo, City.

According to hip-hop artists Gino Ferraren, also known as “Nimbus9ine,” the 1990s proved to be the golden age for Filipino hip-hop, as local artists Francis Magalona and Andrew E. (E for Espiritu) pioneered this music genre in the country. Since then, rap artists emerged and even dominated music hit charts. The demand for the hip-hop fashion increased, forcing the establishment of FUBU Philippines in 2002.

In 2005, the first Philippine Hip-Hop Music Awards were held.

Hip-hop culture in the Philippines has its sub-brackets. There are production labels on the constant lookout for promising rap artists, event production companies that promise a thumping time in the biggest clubs, dance groups, clothing lines, club DJs and radio disc jockeys.

Whatever aspect you wish to incorporate hip-hop into your life, rap artists Nimbus9ine, Matt “Godswill” Panginiban, and Mark “Marquiss” Navarro choose to tell their stories through verse.

In the video below, I asked them to freestyle to a random repetitive beat (from L-R: Nimbus9ine, Godswill, and Marquiss).

Hip-hop listener or not, they say something that may be of relevance.