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Tuesday, April 5, 2011
My Favorite Band!
Jamir Garcia - vocalist
Jerry Basco - guitarist
Lean Ansing - guitarist
Lee Nadela - bassist
Chi Evora - drummer
Jerry Basco - guitarist
Lean Ansing - guitarist
Lee Nadela - bassist
Chi Evora - drummer
About Slapshock
1998. Slapshock crashes into the music scene with their platinum-selling debut album, 4th Degree Burn, a ferocious record that established the young band as a force to be reckoned with in the flourishing rapmetal community then. Amid screamo cuts and mangled guitar riffs, mosh anthem “Agent Orange” carved a niche for this five-man act that thousands of black-clad youths identified with as the teen rockers raged on about juvenile angst and surprisingly, about societal plagues as well.
2007. Almost a decade after, Slapshock remains rapmetal’s staunch torchbearers. While the short-lived advent of acoustic pop, R&B, and other “genre waves” ultimately shoved their peers into near-oblivion, the band―now in their mid-20s and grappling with adult truths and responsibilities― steadfastly held on to the top of the charts with five more hit albums (debut 4th Degree Burn, 1999; plat-selling Head Trip, 2001; commercial and critical success Project 11/41, 2002; the remixed Back to the Two Inch, 2003; the experimental Novena, 2004; and the melodic Silence, 2006) that chronicled these guys developing musical maturity and artistic integrity.
Slapshock members Jamir, Lean, Jerry, Chi and Lee unanimously cite their admirable endurance in the scene as their proudest achievement. Bassist Lee explains, “With cutthroat competition and ‘genre waves’ that come and go, longevity is every band’s dream. You can be a hot item today, but you could be gone, too, sooner than later.”
Passion is key to survival. “Most bands [who have] lasted ten years together don’t exhibit the same kind of passion they had when it was their first time to play,” vocalist Jamir concurs.
Keeping the band tight also helps―a lot . Lee claims Slapshock is one of the very few bands in the rap-metal scene that retained an original lineup even as band member regeneration became a norm due to so-called “artistic differences” and economic variables. “Being together for ten years is almost magical,” says Jamir. “We’ve toured and played together for ten years [and while other bands burned out from such extensive proximity], we were able to work out our differences.”
Earn fellow musician’s respect. You’d expect a hardcore rock band would get all types of vilification from industry insiders, either by principle (“Rap-metal bands are brash, rude, blah, blah, blah…”) or by the act’s own self-aggrandizing foibles. “In our ten years in the scene, we’ve come across and worked with many local musicians, and we’re proud to say we’ve dealt with them professionally. We haven’t gotten any rock star complaints yet,” quips Lee. “You can impress your fellow musicians right away after a good show, but their respect is earned long-term.” A prime example of this band’s not-your-usual-rock-star-‘tude is when they gave notable artists free rein in their remix output, Back to the Two Inch. Instead of fussing over how their hits were being sonically reworked (which would have prolonged the whole process) by the likes of Raimund Marasigan, Anton Ramos, Bimbo Yance, and Rico Blanco among others, the band opted to wait until the album was fully done before giving it their stamp of approval. This way, they successfully allowed their fellow musicians artistic freedom while retaining (not forcing) the band’s own artistic control―a very special privilege they enjoy till now. In this remix album, Slapshock’s music was given an exhilarating spin yet its essence was retained. And that’s what the band is all about: Reinvention and evolution sans selling out.
Follow-up albums showcased Slapshock’s increasing musical awareness. In 2004’s Novena, the band’s signature angry vocals and heavy gloom were paired with the romantic strains of Spanish guitars (“Run Away”). The raprockers also explored sonic forms outside their dark comfort zone, incorporating unexpected string sections and haunting Japanese melodies. They push the harmelodic envelope further in their erstwhile studio album, Silence, where they traded their screams for melodies. This time, the country’s pioneering rapmetal artists proved that “grown-up and tame” isn’t synonymous with “old, tired, and boring.” Indeed with singles like “Direction,” “Waiting,” and “Adios” that heat up the charts, less lyrics and more musicality seemed to have worked perfectly with hard, heavy, and “sing-able.”
Fans’ loyalty always counts. According to Jamir, the best thing about being in a band is the relationship one forged with supporters. Lee echoes this sentiment: “The recognition we get from rock fans all over the country is the most special thing about [being in] Slapshock.”
After the current release of the band’s first-ever “legitimate” Greatest Hits album, Slapshock will continue to make their presence felt in 2008 as they record and release their sixth album early next year. The guys have also embarked on a new chapter in their career: In a bid to join the growing pan-Asian music scene and bring Pinoy rock to foreign airwaves, Slapshock are currently working hand-in-hand with fellow artists from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Japan. IN between writing new materials, the band will also rock Thailand in January 2008, Malaysia and Singapore in February, and Dubai in March 2008.
AWARDS/ACHIEVEMENTS 4th Degree Burn - Platinum Award (40, 000 units sold)
Headtrip - Platinum Award (40,000 units sold)
Project 11/41 - Platinum Award (40, 000 units sold)
Novena - Gold Award (15, 000 units)
NU 107 Rock Awards 2000
• Best New Artist
NU 107 Rock Awards 2001
• Band of the Year
• Listeners’ Choice
• Best Bassist
NU 107 Rock Awards 2002
• Band of the Year
MTV ASIA AWARDS 2003
• Nominee for Best Artist
NU 107 Rock Awards 2004
• Best Album Packaging for Novena
2007. Almost a decade after, Slapshock remains rapmetal’s staunch torchbearers. While the short-lived advent of acoustic pop, R&B, and other “genre waves” ultimately shoved their peers into near-oblivion, the band―now in their mid-20s and grappling with adult truths and responsibilities― steadfastly held on to the top of the charts with five more hit albums (debut 4th Degree Burn, 1999; plat-selling Head Trip, 2001; commercial and critical success Project 11/41, 2002; the remixed Back to the Two Inch, 2003; the experimental Novena, 2004; and the melodic Silence, 2006) that chronicled these guys developing musical maturity and artistic integrity.
Slapshock members Jamir, Lean, Jerry, Chi and Lee unanimously cite their admirable endurance in the scene as their proudest achievement. Bassist Lee explains, “With cutthroat competition and ‘genre waves’ that come and go, longevity is every band’s dream. You can be a hot item today, but you could be gone, too, sooner than later.”
Passion is key to survival. “Most bands [who have] lasted ten years together don’t exhibit the same kind of passion they had when it was their first time to play,” vocalist Jamir concurs.
Keeping the band tight also helps―a lot . Lee claims Slapshock is one of the very few bands in the rap-metal scene that retained an original lineup even as band member regeneration became a norm due to so-called “artistic differences” and economic variables. “Being together for ten years is almost magical,” says Jamir. “We’ve toured and played together for ten years [and while other bands burned out from such extensive proximity], we were able to work out our differences.”
Earn fellow musician’s respect. You’d expect a hardcore rock band would get all types of vilification from industry insiders, either by principle (“Rap-metal bands are brash, rude, blah, blah, blah…”) or by the act’s own self-aggrandizing foibles. “In our ten years in the scene, we’ve come across and worked with many local musicians, and we’re proud to say we’ve dealt with them professionally. We haven’t gotten any rock star complaints yet,” quips Lee. “You can impress your fellow musicians right away after a good show, but their respect is earned long-term.” A prime example of this band’s not-your-usual-rock-star-‘tude is when they gave notable artists free rein in their remix output, Back to the Two Inch. Instead of fussing over how their hits were being sonically reworked (which would have prolonged the whole process) by the likes of Raimund Marasigan, Anton Ramos, Bimbo Yance, and Rico Blanco among others, the band opted to wait until the album was fully done before giving it their stamp of approval. This way, they successfully allowed their fellow musicians artistic freedom while retaining (not forcing) the band’s own artistic control―a very special privilege they enjoy till now. In this remix album, Slapshock’s music was given an exhilarating spin yet its essence was retained. And that’s what the band is all about: Reinvention and evolution sans selling out.
Follow-up albums showcased Slapshock’s increasing musical awareness. In 2004’s Novena, the band’s signature angry vocals and heavy gloom were paired with the romantic strains of Spanish guitars (“Run Away”). The raprockers also explored sonic forms outside their dark comfort zone, incorporating unexpected string sections and haunting Japanese melodies. They push the harmelodic envelope further in their erstwhile studio album, Silence, where they traded their screams for melodies. This time, the country’s pioneering rapmetal artists proved that “grown-up and tame” isn’t synonymous with “old, tired, and boring.” Indeed with singles like “Direction,” “Waiting,” and “Adios” that heat up the charts, less lyrics and more musicality seemed to have worked perfectly with hard, heavy, and “sing-able.”
Fans’ loyalty always counts. According to Jamir, the best thing about being in a band is the relationship one forged with supporters. Lee echoes this sentiment: “The recognition we get from rock fans all over the country is the most special thing about [being in] Slapshock.”
After the current release of the band’s first-ever “legitimate” Greatest Hits album, Slapshock will continue to make their presence felt in 2008 as they record and release their sixth album early next year. The guys have also embarked on a new chapter in their career: In a bid to join the growing pan-Asian music scene and bring Pinoy rock to foreign airwaves, Slapshock are currently working hand-in-hand with fellow artists from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Japan. IN between writing new materials, the band will also rock Thailand in January 2008, Malaysia and Singapore in February, and Dubai in March 2008.
AWARDS/ACHIEVEMENTS 4th Degree Burn - Platinum Award (40, 000 units sold)
Headtrip - Platinum Award (40,000 units sold)
Project 11/41 - Platinum Award (40, 000 units sold)
Novena - Gold Award (15, 000 units)
NU 107 Rock Awards 2000
• Best New Artist
NU 107 Rock Awards 2001
• Band of the Year
• Listeners’ Choice
• Best Bassist
NU 107 Rock Awards 2002
• Band of the Year
MTV ASIA AWARDS 2003
• Nominee for Best Artist
NU 107 Rock Awards 2004
• Best Album Packaging for Novena
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