Yan Yuzon
INTERVIEW: GELO GONZALES
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ARCHIPELAGO, SHOT BY LENNSKI SANTIAGO
September 24, 2009 | 4029 views
If you listen to our tracks, there are tracks that sound bluesy, some sound like trip-hop, britpop or new wave-ish. Iba-iba talaga. We never intended for the songs to sound as they did but I think we always intended to approach each song individually. No one is controlling the musical direction of the band; the only important thing is that we stay together as a band, and then just go wherever our music takes us. As long as magkasama kaming apat, there will be more music, but I have no idea what it’s going to be.
The album is released last 9/11. Are there political themes in your album?There are political aspects in the album, but we’re not a political band. We write about life, and sadly there are a lot of politics involved in it. Pero buti na lang life has a lot of love as well. The 911 attacks, that’s an incident in the story of the human race that we consider the moment when the world lost its innocence. Wherever you’re from, nagbago ang isip mo about what it means to be safe and alive in the world.
We chose that date because we were all affected by that date. It is a very grim date, many people lost their lives. But it is also a hopeful date na as long as people remember the bad things that have happened, things can still improve for the better.
Any other inspirations of the album?
We are inspired by the stuff we see in the news, by the stories of our friends, by jokes, or even by a random toy that we find that makes sounds and ends up somewhere in the recording of the album. As long as you can keep yourself open to everything, even a twig can inspire you.
What’s your best piece of travel advice?
Just travel. "Travel Advisory" is a song about the travel warnings issued by the embassies and governments of the first world against countries like us. They’re saying, “Ingat kayo sa Philippines because there’s stuff happening in Mindanao.” And if you think about it, Mindanao is just one part of the Philippines. I just feel it’s unfair to paint a negative impression of the country based on what’s happening in some isolated part of it.
There will always be danger anywhere you go. But the world is so big and grand, and it can blow your mind if only you let it. So you get off your sofa and book a ticket to somewhere you’ve never been. And don’t be afraid to die, because you’ll die eventually. That’s it.
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