Work Perk

Please enjoy this instrumental Jam of a song from the Spirit of Radio CD which I released this year. I used it to demonstrate the sound the of the Kustom Amp KG210fx - pretty good amp for an entry level solid state model excellent price and cosmetics as well. I feel very honored to have been offered a Job by http://www.modulardisplaypro.com/ what else could be a dream day job for a guy like me? It's been a long time since I was connected to any Music Gear marketing company now I'm back and really excited. I'd probably write more in the next few weeks regarding this new Job and new toys that I've been playing around in the office. My job entails doing these things shown in these videos on a regular basis. Hope you enjoy them as much a I did.









Please feel free to comment

"My Shoe Rocks" Concerts - Marikina

My first outdoor gig as Bone Pagligaran and it was a blast having to be in the same bill with “Flippin soul stompers”, Callalily, and Argos. We did well and survived after taking the stage late with FSS ang Callalily going on first. It’s always tough to follow bigger acts on a live show especially if the audience response is to be the barometer. FSS’s magnetic performance is just incredible while Callalily’s massive teenage psycho screams was deafening if one does not carry enough guts to go on with the show one probably won’t take the stage. Against all odds we went on, after all we were just happy to be there. Had some little tech problems but we made it through. Jojo and Warner were really good considering it was our first outdoor gig together I guess it was Warren’s first ever. I am just so thankful for the opportunity to share my music live in the biggest crowd I’ve ever played so far as Bone Pagligaran.

I hope there’s more to come

here are clips from that performance...

The 3 stages of modern music's decline

The majority of the public especially the record industry thinks that Piracy is the main reason for modern music decline, I however don’t exactly buy that, I believe the Record Industry itself has the biggest influence on music’s decline.

1) In the 80's we got insanely amazing musicians, but they were marketed by superficial looks... they were treated as GODs, It worked for that decade it got out of hand and reached equilibrium. As they get more superficial as the years progressed the attention to the music shifted to the just “the looks”. The Public just couldn’t see through the music anymore because of the visual superficiality we got tired of it and started to hate it. In reaction to this...

2) In the 90's we got stripped down sincere artist and musicians they were not so amazing in terms skill and refused to be treated as GODs while some of them were also great the result however was the majority of the next generation musicians thought they could get away with very little or no skill in music (so did the record industry) and they did, a lot of people that cant play became Rockstars it got out of hand as well and reached equilibrium midway through that decade. It didn’t even last long, we all agree that by 1995 till 2000 all we got were short lived Label Produced acts. In reaction to this...

3) In 2000 and beyond the record industry combined the formula of the last 20 years of successful music marketing that pushed the quality of music and music acts down the flusher. They took the “visual superficiality” of the 80’s and the “keep it simple and stupid” concept of Music of the 90’s (KISS acronym), and it had to come in the digital age where technology allows literally those with no talent at all to become Rockstars and Pop Stars. In the 80’s we got GOD’s in the form of Glam Music Celebrities, at least they had powers in the form Musical Skills. In the 90’s These GOD’s became flesh when they took the “Music Celebrities can be mere men with acceptable music skills in flannel jackets, goaties, and thrift shop clothing” motto.

Thanks to the record industry for the most part, The GOD’s Died or left us. Generally speaking all we have right now are Music Celebrities with little or no talent at all (mostly no talent the rest needs more cultivation or half baked) mostly teenagers dressed in contemporary Barbie concepts, Nursery Rhyme level musical skills and vocabulary, and a standard “cool” Youtube video. To my count it’s been 15 years since we had our last real wave of music revolution and I believe we are due for it, we still have real Artist and Musicians in an alternate universe called the “Indie” music scene just waiting to be tried out by the massive public. I don’t know hows that gonna happen but yet I am keeping the faith.

The Record Industry is the biggest contributor to this decline I hope they take it upon themselves to redeem them and start signing quality Artists again. Those that have devoted themselves to their music and craft and not just those who looked good on TV who got the most TXT Votes.

Guitar Chat

As much I’ll miss the customary free drinks while having guitar conversations with younger players and peers in between live sets, I took the liberty of sharing these common topics by means of this blog to everyone who is interested in my style as a guitar player.

A style built on personal and logistical limitations

The first would be “The Sound” – The most common pick up line would be… “sir ano yang tatak ng gitara mo tsaka setting ng mga FX mo ganda kasi po ng tunog?” Like most of you know I’ve been using OEM and self built copies for the longest time (I haven’t had branded guitars in like 6 years or so) and I usually play through 3 or 4 basic cheap pedals. Most of the time they just wonder, how I pulled off that sound or “The Sound” Since I always get these questions I developed this standard response… “When I was starting out I didn’t have the resources to play with branded equipment so I developed the ability to tweak and maximize whatever gear combinations that I am playing through. Even my sound is built from logistical limitations I had no choice but to try to sound good with what I have. Fast forward to the present I could somehow get close to my identified sound (whatever that is) with whatever gear combination. How does one do that? Usually that’s the follow up question. My response to this is that I am only dialing in tones according to what I hear and see in my mind… again somehow I get close to that. No special techniques, secret tricks, no nothing. Much of that although debatable I believe is the combination of my anatomical or physiological structure, and emotional response to music…. The gear combinations are just augmentations of the sounds which I am attempting to make. Since “Tone” and “sound quality” are arbitrary I put less emphasis on them as the identifying sound and more on the Metaphysical element… well for me at least.

The second would be “The Technique” – I always say that I am not a very technical player at all, my first heroes where actually Anti-Heroes…Dave Evans and Johnny Marr. But of course later I discovered an inclination to African American music as I go back in time studying. Although I don’t sound like traditional blues players 90percent of what I do is borrowed from R&B, and 70’s east coast soul. Again the emphasis is on the Metaphysical element and not so much on technique. I’m not saying that I didn’t study theory, actually I did. In the first 2 years of my venture into guitars I did the rigid studying of Scales, Modes, and Progressions. But I started to appreciate my playing when I started to just play and not mind theory. In doing so it allowed me to play freely and not constantly think of what to play next. That was the beginnings of my spontaneous style of playing. You still need to study theory but let it sink to your sub conscious mind to be able to play free and not continually analyze your performance in realtime. In short study with your Left brain and play with your right (http://www.funderstanding.com/content/right-brain-vs-left-brain). What usually happens in my experience is I just ride the music and about a couple of milliseconds before I actually play a part I grab it and try to put lots of conviction to it. I don’t think too early and I don’t super impose what to play. It’s all within the moment give or take those milliseconds. I guess the fluidity in my playing is attributed to that behavior. This behavior again is a result of my personal limitations. I have very poor verbatim memory that means I’m better at remembering things in context so naturally improvising is the better approach for me. I am naturally inclined to play simple but fluid and effective rather than super imposed complex thought off parts but obviously challenged. A few coherent set of words communicates well than a thousand words you missed.

That’s all for now I hope you got something out from this.

My thoughts on Angie’s easy way out

In respect to his family and the service he rendered to this country I held these thoughts until he was brought to his final resting place. But as a citizen of this nation, as simple and ordinary as I am I feel the need to pitch in my personal thoughts on this matter through this article objectively as much as I am moved by the tragic way he ended his life in relation to the issues at hand.

Question is… Why would he end his own life? So here we go…

A) If Angie’s intention was to take full responsibility on this scandal much like the way of the “Samurai” then he gets his (and his Family’s) honor back. In my book that is very noble and commendable, that is an example to all who aspire and is given privilege in public office. However one element is missing for this to be the case. There was no clear admission of guilt, but personally I’d like to think that Donald’s book in his hand and that Him being a military leader implies that this is the case… if it was the case then in my book he gets his honor back. On the other hand since I need to be objective as well the absence of a clear admission of guilt leads to case “B” on his easy way out.

B) Case B would be his intention was to save his Family, the AFP, and/or his Friends (if in case he/they are guilty of the allegations) from further incrimination with regards to the said issue as the hearings progress and digs deeper into the belly of the beast. And so taking with him to his grave whatever facts he may have had that could give more light and solution to this crisis. In one sense it is still commendable… him being a Father protecting his family, his loyalty to his alliances, and as a self sacrificing leader for the AFP all with his life. But not really for the greater good… which is the welfare of the country, in which he swore to protect from all enemies foreign or domestic. If this was the case then his death was for the benefit and the protection of the few and not for all of us citizens of this nation.

As I’ve said these are just my thoughts and it’s 50/50 on both counts. If Angie is truly innocent of the allegations he didn’t need to exit the back door, all he has to do is prove it and fight head on considering the warrior that he is. Yes that would mean a temporary sacrifice of his honor until such time he gets himself vindicated upon proving his innocence. After all every public official knows that his life is subject to scrutiny in massive levels from the public and from their peers. I am inclined not to believe that the backdoor approach was driven by manic depression caused by his honor being jeopardized as many would like to put it. (which is a sentimental response to his suicide, and is understandable in context to the pinoy culture, even the senate adjourned the hearings in a similar response) Sure there was depression and stress into play but not enough to kill him. We are not talking about a confused teenager here, or a feeling empty rockstar, or a guy in midlife crisis who got bankrupt or something. Angie is a Military leader for one… a General “patay kung patay” a General is a battle strategist we must consider that. Two His own death was likely contemplated owing to the fact that he visited his mother’s grave every single day and sort of reminded his family to take care of each other from the senate incident up to the time of his death. Again I am trying to be objective in my opinions and observations. By this we can see that the manner of his death was ceremonial in nature. For someone like him if he’s going to die by his own hands it has to mean more than just an account of depression from an impending dishonor. It had to have a definite goal for his voluntary death to have a greater meaning… which lead me to case A and/or B opinions/assumptions. Suicide out of far driven depression is just cowardly especially for a military leader I refuse to believe that the General was like that. Again I would like to think that it was case A… the “ Samurai” way cause in that way I will remember him more with his greatness and his honor completely in tact. After all we are all corruptible anyway even Five Star Generals or Presidents but it takes a Great deal of courage to admit one’s mistake and wrongdoings. Courage is worthy of honor. So if it is the “Samurai” way as the way out for you Mr. Reyes then you Are a Great General to me and in my book you deserve your full military honors. Regardless whatever happens in the senate hearings you honor is completely in tact by me.

Rest in peace Sir General Angelo Reyes Sir.

picture picture

More Photos i guess

Geek stuff again

Okay here we go again I had to re configure my pedal setup right before we went on tour in support of Sugarhiccup's fourth album entitled "After Five Years" that kicked off from April to June. Well since we will be (were) playing the new stuff I got enough reason for me to do some geeky tinkering with my pedal setup to suit the needs for my live guitar sounds.

My current signal chain goes like this.....

The guitar signal goes into aTS808 (1) clone which I modded to facilitate an external loop going into another pedal a Boss DS1 (2) using the 808's stomp switch to toggle between pedals... of course the 808 is for my main crunch while the DS1 is for the more saturated drive tone.

From the 808's(DS1) output the signal goes into an Artec Twinhead (3)Pedal which I use for Feedback and Solo Boost from there goes into a DOD Vibrothang (4) set to play like a leslie for especial tender moments then goes to a Tuner (5) before going into a cheap volume pedal (6) that I use for swelling and silent tuning then it goes into an Artec delay (7) and a Boston engineering Chorus pedal (8) completing the chain before going to the amp, the board is powered by a 1spot power supply (9) re-cased into a printer adaptor (I hated the 1spot plug shape).

I run the sound still very much the same... the 808 as the main tone always with a little fiddling of the guitar's volume knob for the right clean or crunch tone... toggles to the DS1 for a more heavier drive then stomp on the twintube fr more juice.... I sort of have a triple stage drive circuit with this setup.... so here is a closer look at em.