A Problem Like Maria

#238 TELEPHONE (STEPH MILLS FEAT. RUGGZ & A PROBLEM LIKE...

Fri, 17 May 2013 23:56:49 +0800

#238 TELEPHONE (STEPH MILLS FEAT. RUGGZ & A PROBLEM LIKE MARIA). oh my goodness, i’ve been waiting for this song for forever! steph asked me to sing the hook of this song ages ago, and i actually thought that she only used one hook (i sent four, i think). glad she included more than just the main chorus of the song—thought this turned out really well. :)

when i grow up, i want to rap like steph mills! hahaha. until then, though, i’m content singing her songs’ hooks.

Recording at the hills tonight: @sixthenorthstar (Photo taken...

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:48:08 +0800

Recording at the hills tonight: @sixthenorthstar (Photo taken and uploaded via MOLOME )

I should definitely be endorsing this product. Haha (Photo taken...

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:34:30 +0800

I should definitely be endorsing this product. Haha (Photo taken and uploaded via MOLOME )

Bacon slabs with eggs and rice at the local deli. What a great...

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:46:22 +0800

Bacon slabs with eggs and rice at the local deli. What a great way to start the week! (Photo taken and uploaded via MOLOME )

it runs in the blood, as you can see. <3 that’s my dad...

Sun, 12 May 2013 22:44:13 +0800

it runs in the blood, as you can see. <3

that’s my dad in the middle, playing the guitar for his high school band—he says he was probably 15-16 when this picture was taken.

this is how my parents met: my dad played guitar for d’ vibrators; my mom played the drums for d’ gay garnets. they were childhood friends, but as they grew up they figured out that they had a lot more in common than just being from the same neighborhood. music was probably the defining point of that “figuring it out” phase, though—they kept on bumping into each other at gigs and house parties.

yes, this is a true story and those are real band names thought up by real ’60s teenagers. i know, right?

Hey, cutie! (Photo taken and uploaded via MOLOME )

Sun, 12 May 2013 18:43:57 +0800

Hey, cutie! (Photo taken and uploaded via MOLOME )

Sebastian’s on a summer afternoon! (Photo taken and...

Sun, 12 May 2013 16:47:02 +0800

Sebastian’s on a summer afternoon! (Photo taken and uploaded via MOLOME )

Finally got to try Madeca! P. good. (Photo taken and uploaded...

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:37:59 +0800

Finally got to try Madeca! P. good. (Photo taken and uploaded via MOLOME )

It’s way too hot to survive Manila with a full head of...

Sun, 12 May 2013 00:23:19 +0800

It’s way too hot to survive Manila with a full head of hair. (Photo taken and uploaded via MOLOME )

time to 'fess up.

Sat, 11 May 2013 01:12:00 +0800

most of the time i’m the dependable one when it comes to a collaborative effort—i love planning things, i love the creative process, and most of all i love being able to share an awesome final product with people who will hopefully enjoy it.

sometimes, though, i get into funks—just sort of a natural ebb to correspond with my musical workflow. i get creatively blocked, or work suddenly needs 200% of me, or i get hit with the flu, or maybe i just get depressed for a month. usually i’m able to plan around this, but sometimes unlucky collaborators get that dreaded delay in communication and/or deliverables. if that’s ever happened between us and you’re reading this now, i’m really so very sorry. it’s an annoyance i’m familiar with, believe me—whenever i’m aware that i’m the one being the pain in the ass, don’t worry, i’m disappointed in me, too.

it was easier to own up to these things when i was still updating this blog with my musical progress each week; so, to be a musician who plays well with others, and just to be a better person overall, i think i should start doing that again.

here we go; a short list of things i need to do by the end of this month: record a demo of the new ukulele song i’ve been writing; record the cover of the saber rider theme that rekapper and i have been meaning to do; record vocals for the collab with throatcatcher; and spiffy up two of my WIPS well enough to be included in the next gentle whale sampler and the new hai compilation, respectively. game on.

oh, you know. just some pictures of me doing my job… at...

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:33 +0800

oh, you know. just some pictures of me doing my job… at the pulp summer slam press conference.

that’s me (in the first picture, duh) with half of dragonforce! got to ask them (along with the other bands: amoral, circa survive, a skylit drive and coheed and cambria) a couple of questions. it was a good day. :)

Look @corazooown! @richcakebass is using your bass. (Photo...

Wed, 08 May 2013 22:00:18 +0800

Look @corazooown! @richcakebass is using your bass. (Photo taken and uploaded via MOLOME )

@1kluckycranes i found your name at this mall. it’s a...

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:50:58 +0800

@1kluckycranes i found your name at this mall. it’s a sign, right? Philippine tour! (Photo taken and uploaded via MOLOME )

So seapunk is apparently a real thing now. Next season: Mallsoft...

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:54:24 +0800

So seapunk is apparently a real thing now. Next season: Mallsoft pumps? Post Bedroom Pop cardigans? (Photo taken and uploaded via MOLOME )

on that pinay spitfire tip: with the one and only ruby ibarra...

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:00:27 +0800

on that pinay spitfire tip: with the one and only ruby ibarra right before her show in manila last april.

Kobe Bryant ice cream. (Photo taken and uploaded via MOLOME )

Wed, 08 May 2013 01:24:34 +0800

Kobe Bryant ice cream. (Photo taken and uploaded via MOLOME )

Window shopping with two guys on a workday. This is my life....

Tue, 07 May 2013 18:59:13 +0800

Window shopping with two guys on a workday. This is my life. (Photo taken and uploaded via MOLOME )

araneta dreams (a.k.a. a post long overdue)—it was both...

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:37 +0800

araneta dreams (a.k.a. a post long overdue)—it was both quieter and louder than i expected it to be. araneta coliseum wasn’t packed, but the energy was palpable, and the performances were good. for the most part is was good vibes all around, and my friends and i enjoyed ourselves. had the pleasure of introducing my friends to the music of local wonders j-hon, juan thugs, and a few others.

there was a girl who kept on screaming abra and zaito’s names during freddie aguilar’s set with his sons. to that girl, whoever you are: you don’t do that. learn yourself some music history before you show up to an event like a screaming, mindless fan girl. you embarrass yourself AND your idols by not being educated.

aside from that, A+! my favorite parts were the freddie aguilar / watawat set, the loonie vs dizaster battle, and gloc-9’s set. 10/10, would go again next year. <3

VIP (a.k.a. today i learned)

Tue, 07 May 2013 01:32:20 +0800

FB: Is this release dubstepy as well?
APLM: yeah there's a bit of dubstep
SF: It's called "electro house" and it's this newfangled computer music that stupid young ins listen to :P More EDM than dubstep FB
APLM: yeah it's full on EDM. i actually only remember it going dubsteppy in one song
SF: Yeah, the Internet Friends VIP. And that's cause it's a VIP
APLM: haha yeah
SF: I like how much they changed it from the original. Most VIPs don't change that much
APLM: what does it mean when it's VIP...?
SF: VIPs are "harder" versions of the original song. More wobbly, I suppose
APLM: ...oh
SF: More metallic
APLM: well that makes sense

re-focusing.

Tue, 07 May 2013 00:24:56 +0800

this started as a music progress blog—a fact that i remember only when i run out of things to post.

it’s much easier to just build up a queue and not have to worry about posting—but is there really a point to it? little to none, i would say. collecting bits and pieces of the internet that i like into this blog is useful only because it’s fun to do. when updating it starts to feel like a chore, the blog’s probably outlived its purpose.

before that happens i’d like to take a step back and re-focus. so:

here’s me, making music and making the memories that will be the stuff of my songs in the future. it won’t be as entertaining as a gajillion reblogs or scheduled song requests, but it’s a start.

hello, it’s M. let’s talk music. :)