F R X N S Divided by Eight Questions(an Interview)

Posted on June 13, 2018 by mrbaxteria2008

I wrote about FRXNS a few days ago. This time let’s get to know the duo behind it. Yes, from musical group that can turn heads because of that distinctive sound? Why not?! I have an imagery of this sonic tidal wave: a raging sheath of drums, bass, guitars around a vocal style that can sound a bit like Thurston Moore or the late Ian Curtis.

What’s the origin of your band name?

We we’re @ Karina Broce’s art show “Ashes to ashes dust to life” where she did installations of the remains of their ancestral house that burned down when we saw an interesting article on the wall written in coal. It goes something like “The fractions of a legacy…” we cannot recall exactly what it said but that was the jist. The word struck us as something positive – that you can create something beautiful out of fractions. The pseudonym FRXNS came to life when we realized Fractions was not a very smart choice on a digital marketing perspective. It’s funny cuz when you search “Frac/tions” youtube, math stuff comes up and who wants that? Haha.

Out of the five songs you wrote and recorded for the EP, what’s the longest to complete?

I wrote and arranged all the songs on the EP years before it was recorded except for “Other Half” and “Now, Somehow” which was a collaborative work between me and Kara so those two took time to complete. Other half was the longest because we had to fill it in with different riffs to make it aptly sound like new wave.

How did you form the band together?

Music is the only thing Kara and I like doing. We have a lot of outside the box ideas that we want to materialize and perform so the decision to be in a band together was just automatic.

What are your top 5 bands today?

Top 5 bands today would be Fazerdaze… Uhhhh… This is a hard question, can’t think of any. We listen to a lot of new bands on Spotify. Their songs are good but nothing has really struck us to worship a whole album yet. But if you ask our top fave bands of all time that would be The Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure, Morrissey, New Order, Joy Divison and, Rico Blanco.

Describe a typical frxns jam session.

We like having people over to our home, coffee, drink, jam… Old school. If it’s just Kara and I, we purposely put guitars on our bedside so we can just grab it incase a random tune comes up.

Where can fans get your EP?

We are out of physical copies but our EP is still available on digital format (Spotify, iTunes, Youtube etc) just type “FRXNS”.

Any future gig you want to promote?

We have a regular set at Tippy’s Bistro every last Saturdays of the month from 9pm – midnight. We play originals, new wave, alternative and indie covers. Everyone’s invited!

What’s next for the group musically?

We have a new song “Timeless” which we recorded with Nicolo Abadiano on Bass and Shaolin Javier on drums. We’ll put it up on Spotify soon. We are also working on 2 new songs. We tried to inject muffs/shoegaze/dream pop to our sound which is very melodic and melodramatic. The gameplan is always to keep playing. It’s all about the music.

There you have it folks. Be sure to like their Facebook band page for updates.

m.me/frxnsofficial

fractionsbcd@gmail.com

frxnsofficial

http://bit.ly/2j8Lnhe

Music Radar Alert: F R X N S

Posted on June 10, 2018 by mrbaxteria2008

Been a fan of Joy Division, The Cure, The Smiths and New Order in my college days-Four bands that influenced Bacolod band FRXNS or sometimes referred to as Frac/tions. The artfully chosen band name will come to light soon when I get to interview one of the band members. But for now, let us marvel at the emotional intensity of their songs and the unique energy that they bring on stage during their gigs. I say that because I’ve been to few of their live shows. The first thing you will notice is that they have a distinctive sound. It reminds me of early Smashing Pumpkins ( Siamese Dream era) though I never saw or read them referenced the band. But perhaps the Pumpkins are/were part of their fave music.

They have a new single out. This is also accompanied by a music video off their 5 track EP, which is also available on Spotify http://bit.ly/2j8Lnhe.

Other Half is the title of the single and the stunning music video is directed by EJ Guevarra. Needless to say I like his visual style because it is so minimalist and makes use of subtle lighting. The song laments the breakdown of a relationship. And if you are into that kind of thing/lyrics then you will have something for your exposition. But I am more into their music. Gossamer keyboard sounds caress full on shoegaze guitar following a rather somber chord pattern. I like it. It is so seductive in a Gothic way if you know what I mean. Main band members are Kara and Jasper Borbajo. These two are also principal singer/songwriters and arrangers. So yeah do listen to the music of F R X N S of better yet go see their gigs. You will really enjoy it.

Watch!!!aero. – LOVE (Official Music Video)

Posted on May 2, 2018 by mrbaxteria2008

I think Tippy’s Bistro will be part of our local history as a place where it all started. I am talking about Indieka Bacolod, a collective of bands that are making music independently. Having attended a few gigs, their musical styles have solidified in my mind and it is easy to describe their individual sound and what to expect when you go see them.

When they get to the stage, they really deliver the goods with gusto. All the musicians and singers take pride in what they do and I think that the belief in one’s craft is a fuel that can inspire listeners. So perhaps the trick is to be passionate, to persevere while also create something that you believe in. Truth in your art will always resonate with the audience. As a ‘sound’ guy, I am more into the quality of the music whenever I go to concerts. But these artists have proven that lyrical talent is very important because when it is true then it will touch you.

The night was about the launching of Aero’s new music video called ”Love”. Sound check was done earlier but the show started later to accommodate more people. Events like this make remind me of the approach that Aero takes with his music: as a tool to unite people and create artistic communities. Spaces like these can everyone an oppurtunity to get together, share ideas and then BOOM! Something amazing happens. Creative people make the city and perhaps it can be the other way around.

The Pedal Community rode to the venue with their cruiser and fixed gear bikes. It’s been their vision to make Bacolod a bike-friendly city. So they are hoping to get more people to join them. Everyone found a seat and ordered beers. Several bands performed. They all gave their best.

A few minutes before the launch, Christer Isulat walked near the stage with his Macbook. The Tippy’s crew helped him in putting up the projector screen. Aero explained the process and the people involved in the making. He thanked his family and friends and soon it was ready.

A celebration of life and love.

Love opens with Aero rapping while riding a tandem bike with his son. It was a composite of several shots(I know because we were there as part of the Pedal Community) mainly in the NGC grounds. More scenes follow breaking in and out of the visual dialogue seamlessly. There are cool cars, a dog riding a skateboard(no kidding) and it closes with him around his friends and family. The sunny filter and fluid shots are due to the style of director Chrisler Isulat who will probably direct music videos of other bands in the future.

It looks clean and sophisticated but no so slick in a Taylor Swift kind of way if you know what I mean 😉 It is something that MYX or MTV would really play. So hopefully it will get a good reception out there and many people will get to see it. And maybe it will boost Bacolod tourism in the process who knows eh? I mean, a friend who now lives in Manila used to call this a ‘quiet’ town. But it isn’t so quiet anymore because there now more to see. I can talk about my own interpretation of the music video but I will give you the space to talk it out amongst yourselves and decide if it we should see more like it.

You know what’s a total trip? It’s going to these gigs using the bicycle. By the time you get there, your endorphins are high. You can wrap it up with a bottle of beer while listening to live music. And this is all over the music video of “Love.”

Aero-Weekend Adventures in Rap Music and Cycling.

Posted on March 12, 2018 by mrbaxteria2008

I started this blog probably around 2009 or 10, not sure exactly when but I never imagined I would find Bikes and Music in the same title. But when you go with the flow(or against it) strange things can happen. Yesterday, I found myself riding my fixed gear bike with other cyclists. We were serving as extras in a music video by Pinoy rapper Aero ( real name Albert Temporosa Peñafuerte).

He already released original songs and a number of music videos via YouTube. My favorite is Cold Beers because I love the vibe and it literally describes what it’s like to live in Bacolod city. We southerners do know how to chill. We may have personal problems but when it comes to entertaining friends and having a good time, man I tell you; we are sooo good at them! His common theme celebrates the local street culture and songs are worth checking out if you happen to live from outside of the country and you want to visit Bacolod. It is a good way to know the colorful culture of our city.

So how did the video shoot happen? The story goes like this. I met Newry a few weeks ago during a ride he organized. He meant to unite all types of riders in our city. Newry is a chill kind of guy. He wears his dreads proudly and listens to music-a lot. He always brings his style whenever he rides his bike and he is good in doing these creative things involving music and cycling.

I met Ivan the same time through our Facebook Fixed Gear community. He’s the site admin and he is also very passionate when it comes to track cycling. Ivan and Newry are mutual friends so that’s how we fixed riders ended up in the shoot. It was a cloudy day with bouts of rain but the shoot happened. Cyclists from different parts of the city joined. The word travels fast- especially when an event involves a hip hop artist and bikes. Check out the photos below.