The launching of Pedicab's second
record dubbed Shinji, Ilabas Mo Na Ang
Helicopter last July 11 was a reflection of the creativity of the five-member band. Held at the Pablo
Gallery in Cubao, Quezon City, the venue was cramped yet intimate.
Claustrophobic but liberating.
It was the kind of setting that suited the creative minds of Diego Mapa, Jason Caballa, RA Rivera, Mike
Dizon and Raimund Marasigan. Although officially signed under a major label,
Pedicab still maintains that "indie" appeal of theirs—making the vibe
surrounding the band totally carefree.
"We're still a fun band. We've always been a fun band," reasoned chief vocalist Diego Mapa to PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) in an interview before the show, which had female-led bands Chillitees and Taken By Cars serving as front acts.
Listening to the band's music, that statement, of course, was an understatement. Inspired by dance-punk foreign groups like Franz Ferdinand and new wave purveyors Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Gang of Four and The Cure, Pedicab has always been about dancing, grooving and all out fun channeled through bop-sonic guitar riffs, daze-y keyboard actions, steady backbeat and free flowing word play—all blown up with the help of RA's visual and multimedia effects. One interesting tradition of the band is to wear identical "costumes" during performances. This is a sign of "oneness," reasoned Marasigan in a previous interview. The "thematic" effect is a paradox to the band's creative and live spontaneity.
TIGHTER AND DIVERSE. Pedicab's debut album Tugish Takish was released in 2005 under a different label. The said album spawned rock radio hits "Dizzy Boy," "Dito Tayo Sa Dilim," and "Konti Lang."
Three years later, the dance-rock unit is now under MCA Music with a new album to show off. According to Diego, the three-year album gap was due to the band's other creative and personal commitments, gathering enough new materials for the new record, doing shows, and shopping for a new label.
"I think nakatulong din naman ‘yong matagal na gap kasi we were able to really write and improve the songs. Mas napag-aralan namin and mas napaganda namin, at least when it comes to our own and collective preference," said Diego, who is the brother of actor Jao Mapa.
The love for "dance-disco-punk" is still present in the new album, but Diego shared that compared to the first one, Pedicab's music is now tighter and diverse.
"I wouldn't say na nag-mellow kasi ganun pa din naman pero lyrically and melodically speaking siguro mas pinag-isipan kahit pa sabihin mo na makulit ‘yong ibang songs. Mas nakapag-invest kasi kami ng time," he added.
Being a typical Marasigan outfit, Pedicab's creative process most of the time starts with an impromptu jam with each member contributing ideas. "Ganun usually," smiled Diego. "Then pag may naisip na naman na bagong puwedeng ilagay, susubukan namin hanggang we're satisfied sa resulta."
It also helped that the band through out the years has acquired a number of new gadgets and fuzz boxes, allowing the band to experiment further with their sound.
That pattern employed by the band resulted to songs "FX," "Deafening Silence," "Ang Pusa Mo," "Simulan Mo Na," "Good To Go" and "Deep Eyes."
SHINJI'S THE MAN. The fun element even extended to the album's title. Shinji is the band's good friend who happens to be a studio engineer and record producer. Shinji produced Pedicab's second album with the help of Hazel Pascua at Sound Creation Studio. Providing additional production duties were Buddy Zabala and Mong Alcaraz.
As for the album title, the Shinji and helicopter reference were merely inside jokes among the band members and the Filipino-Japanese producer himself.
"Katuwaan lang and nagustuhan namin lahat na ilagay ‘yong name ni Shinji as an album title," smiled Diego, who aside from Pedicab is also a member of the Eraserheads off-shoot band Cambio, Monsterbot, aside from being known in the underground scene through his solo persona Eggboy.
Twenty minutes after the interview, Diego and the entire Pedicab crew dished out new and old hits. Based on the band's performance made even more animated because of the enthusiastic reaction of the crowd, the three-year album gap was hardly evident. The passion of the quintet was evident as they delighted the audience with their current single "Ang Pusa Mo" and the certified crowd pleaser "Dizzy Boy," among others. But more importantly, the fun transmitted by the band's music was purely infectious. Head bopping and body moving—undeniably Pedicab.