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Wilderness is a nine-piece ensemble that’s been in the Metro Manila scene for about four years now.
Earlier this month, the band threw quite the party to launch the new music video of single “Pasaway”.
There was a a drum circle, pay-what-you-want portraits, tarot card readings and, of course, a screening of the video of their new song that they interestingly described as a “modern kundiman.”
They had us at kundiman.
“We’ll it’s a mix of an old style of Filipino music with new and modern elements like the use of effects. Coming in, we didn’t really think about it as a modern kundiman but much rather, our own interpretation of kundiman,” says Mau Torralba, Wilderness’ guitarist and the chief songwriter of “Pasaway”.
“The idea was to make a song based on the kundiman and the haranas I heard while growing up in Bulacan,” he continues. Adds Chiko Hernandez, the band’s percussionist, “Mau is really influenced by his lolo. Early on, he was exposed to a lot of Old Manila, disco, funk and ballads.”
“Pasaway” is an epic six-minute song that’s so refreshing in its uniqueness.
While it’s the vocals that tell a heartbreaking story of betrayal, it’s only a piece to the entire puzzle of a song that will command your attention — because it’s nothing like you’ve heard in a long time.
The melody is unfamiliar, the arrangement more so, the instrumentation is unpredictable, with the beats just enough to help you keep at it.
It’s the band’s fourth song ever to feature vocals. “Gusto kasi naming iba-iba yung ire-release namin. May mga vocals, meron namang wala. Minsan ang ingay lang ng drums, minsan wala naman drums at all,” Chiko continues.
Influenced by the likes of Joe Cruz & The Cruzettes, Mars Volta, Led Zep, Sago Project, Wu Tang Clan and Chili Peppers just to name a few, Wilderness has displayed a mind-bending prog-rock sound that may not exactly be for the casual pop-song listening crowd.
Which doesn’t mean they’re totally ignoring the status quo.
“We’re pretty far out but we wish to change it up as well by creating relatable music with integrity. We want to create different kinds of sounds, using various song-writing methods. We don’t want to be associated with a specific sound alone but we do want to be associated with a method of doing things: Organized chaos,” continues Chiko.
Which is pretty much evident in “Pasaway” and its accompanying video.
Shot in Balete, Batangas, over three days, it features several members of the band donning Rex Cortez hair, vintage clothing, a funeral and the forest.
Its weirdness echoes the music’s unfamiliarity.
“It was conceptualized by directors Malay Javier and Gym Lumbera,” Chicko tells Coconuts Manila over e-mail. “It was challenging because we had to move as a unit, carry that heavy balsa and march as a band. Our motto was ‘let’s do it and let’s do it now’.”
Wilderness is just one of the many DIY bands populating the ever-robust band scene in Metro Manila. “We record ourselves, master the songs ourselves, produce our own shows,” he says.
When asked what it was they wanted to do, given the very forward approach to music, Chicko says, “we want to revolutionize the music industry. We’re through with the mentality of waiting for opportunities to arise. We’re done waiting for a bone to be thrown. It’s not what the industry can do for us, but rather, what we can do for the industry. We’re creative entreprenuers.”
“Pasaway” is the lead single of Ballroom Dancing (PHP300) available in record stores nationwide, iTunes, Spotify and Deezer.
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