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2008
03.11.2008
A UNIQUE SOUND-DRIP 2007
2006
"PASSION ABOVE ANYTHING ELSE" IS
TRIP HOP GROUP DRIP’S SECRET
FORMULA IN RECORDING THEIR Artist Song Title Type
SOPHOMORE ALBUM, IDENTITY THEFT. DRIP KABILUGAN NG BUWAN Caller Ringtunes
LEND THEM YOUR EARS; SHARE THEIR
PASSION; AND GET YOURSELVES READY
FOR A UNIQUE, MUSICAL TREAT FROM
DRIP.
BY REXY JOLLY CONOPIO, JESUSA CAMILLE HERRERA

Composed of four talented individuals: Beng Calma, the


adventurous vocalist and the genius lyricist; Malek
Lopez, the technical whiz, who also acts as the musical
director; Caliph8, the artistic guy in charge of
turntables; and Ian Morse, the virtuoso musician
responsible for the beats; Drip has certainly made its
presence felt in the local music scene, since the band’s
inception in 2003. Now, they are here once more to offer
listeners another serving of finely-crafted electronic
music. Bound by each member’s unwavering passion,
they come up with their sophomore album Identity
Theft.

Listen intently as Drip members take us away to an


extraordinary journey and give Pulse a primer of what

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to expect on their newest release.

Pulse: For those who are unaware or may have only


heard about the group, can you describe your music?

Ian Morse: We just really call it electronic music.


Electronic music in itself is an umbrella term; sobrang
daming pinaghugutan nun. Under electronic music,
there’s house, techno, etc. All our songs, kapag
hinimay-himay mo, maririnig mo yung little bits and
pieces of influences from other genres. It’s electronic
music - yung production namin, how we play it. During
our gigs, (may) dalawang laptop, turntables, yung
vocalist, and synthesizer. We don’t call it strictly rock or
hip-hop. Although hip-hop also shares that medium.

Caliph8: Pero yung tunog kasi namin, hindi lang hip-hop


eh - it’s a dash of hip-hop with something else na
nagsama-sama, so parang yung electronic ang pinaka-
term for being eclectic, for being diverse.

Pulse: How has the reaction of your audiences been so


far?

Ian Morse: I think okay naman. It’s commercially viable


but it’s not that accepted by the mainstream (yet).  But
for us it’s okay na rin. Kasi parang we enjoy na rin na
walang pressure mag-perform araw-araw sa paiba-
ibang venue.

Pulse: So is it safe to say that your band is unique in

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more ways than one?

Ian Morse: Unique for now; siguro for the mean time.
Although we champion the electronic music and we’re
one of the people at the forefront of it (the electronic
music), it’ll only be unique for the mean time because
it’s gonna catch up din. There are other bands that are
doing the same. That’s good for the music. Baby pa kasi
– (still) at its infancy stage. Believe it or not, it’s been
here since early 90’s. Underground lang talaga. Kami
lang ang medyo sumilip above the carpet eh.

Pulse: And it’s fine with you not to go mainstream?

Caliph8: I think we’re doing this naman, not for money


or fame. Gusto lang talaga namin yung ginagawa
namin. Pero at the same time, we have a manager who
helps us in our exposure. But we’re not stuck to the idea
that we have to market (the band or the music to
everyone). We don’t have to go out of our way just to be
famous or to be in the mainstream. If it will come, then
it will come. But as of now, nag-eenjoy lang kami.

Ian Morse: We actually have the idea that we don’t have


to push it (our music) to the people. Personally, I like it
when we play in places like saGuijo because there, we
get exposed to people who may not understand what
we’re doing but are there because they know they will
get something different (from us) and they end up
appreciating it. Mas okay sa akin yung process na yun
eh kasi at least, kung hindi niyo kami kilala at
nagustuhan mo (yung narinig mo), alam kong gusto mo
talaga at di kita/ka namin pinilit.

Pulse: Any long term goals for the group?

Ian Morse: Honestly hindi kami conscious (about the


goals).

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Caliph8: Mas concerned kami dun sa longevity nung


ginagawa namin. Parang di kami concerned like, “Ah
dapat next year meron na tayong tour,” or “Dapat
malaki na tayo.”  It’s not our thing. (Ang iniisip namin),
for the next 20 years, yung makitang ganun pa rin kami
ka-passionate sa ginagawa namin; gawa lang kami nang
gawa and be creative with it.

Pulse: Now let’s get to the album. Can you tell us more
about Identity Theft? How is it compared to your debut
CD?

Ian Morse: Totally different from what we hear on the


radio now. And Identity Theft is our first real output as
the four of us, and I think lalabas at lalabas yun pag
pinagtabi mo yung dalawang album; ang laki ng
difference. Even for us as a band, rinig na rinig naming
lahat (yung pagkakaiba) because Identity Theft was
completed with all our efforts and ideas put together.
People who listen to our music can expect a more
matured and tighter sound. There are 12 tracks in the
album, all originals, and were written by Beng, while the
music of each song was a collaboration of everyone.

Pulse: Any controlling theme or general feel?

Ian Morse: Wala naman. We have diverse tracks here in


the album.

Pulse: Who did you work with on this album?

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Caliph8: Armi Millare of UpDharmadown did additional


vocals for one track entitled Bloodletting. Junji Lerma of
Radioactive Sago Project and Wahijuara did guitars for
the song Faultless. Sach Castillo of Sound did guitars,
too, for the single Morning After.

Pulse: Could you give us a description or an idea about


the songs in the album?

1) Fallen. This is the first song in the album. Mabigat


ang bagsak nito. Medyo angst-filled siya.

2) In Between (Remix). This is an original song, and it’s


actually part of our first album. After naming i-promote
yun, gumawa kami ng alternate versions. Since parang
naging bagong kanta na siya and it garnered a life of its
own, we decided to include it in our new release.

3) Morning After. It’s the carrier single, and isa sa mga


ginawan namin ng music video. Although it’s a drum-
and-bass track, light yung melody and pace of the song.
It’s a love song, but if you go deeper into the lyrics,
somewhere in it (malalaman mong) may ipinaglalaban
siya. That’s why yung interpretation din ng music video,
may Taekwondo team dun.

4) Bloodletting. This is where we guested Armi. Kapag


(pine-perform namin ng live), Beng jokes na emo daw
‘to. Very emotional kasi talaga yung dating ng kanta. I
would say na it’s one of the songs that really stands out
in the album kasi yung landscape niya, iba talaga.

5) Kindergarden Romance. It has an old-school, hip-


hop feel to it – groovy and sensual, too.

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6) Run To Follow. It’s quite dark, but melody-wise,


there’s hope in it. Umaangat yung kanta when the
chorus comes in.

7) Swanker. This is the first song that we wrote after the


first album. Ito ang most played sa gig circuit. Medyo
mabigat din, since it’s on the rock side.

8) Faultless. A trip-hop song, with guitar work from


Junji.

9) Blind. Medyo contrasting ‘to kasi steady lang yung


verse, pero pagdating nung chorus, sobrang bigat. It
maintains a particular groove, though, na medyo hip-
hop. As with most of our songs in the album, it’s either
pang-head nod siya or drum and bass. Pag lumalabas
yung influences namin nina Caliph na hip-hop and trip-
hop, pang-head nod lang siya.

10) Listening. This is actually Caliph8’s least favorite


song. Ang tawag namin dyan pag naggi-gig kami,
“Kape.” Para raw kasing gusto niya munang mag-kape
pag tutugtugin namin eh.

 
11) Identity Theft. This is one of my personal favorites.
Here in the second album, dito ako naging conscious
about putting out drum-and-bass songs.

12) Turning Grey. It’s an original song primarily made


for World Wildlife Fund’s compilation album. Dun siya
unang lumabas, pero here, we kinda tweaked it, tapos
in-adjust namin. This track is also reminiscent of the
group Cinematic Orchestra. Sila yung inspiration for the
music of the song.

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Indulge yourself to a unique sound trip and join Drip, as


they launch Identity Theft and their music videos for
Morning After (under the direction of Jason Tan) and
Fallen (created by Johnny Alcazaren), on Saturday, March
15, 2008, 8PM, at the MagNet High Street, Bonifacio
Global City, in Taguig. Guest performers include us-2-
evil-o, Corporate Lo-Fi, Yosha, and Mark Zero. CDs will
also be made available at the venue.

TAGS: drip identity theft trip pop

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