On The Rise: 10 Kapampangan Bands/Artists You Need To Sink Your Ears Into
- The 45th
- May 7, 2020
- 5 min read
Updated: May 9, 2020
These past months stuck in quarantine gave us a little bit of perspective.
It made us realize that we shouldn’t take live music for granted.
Damn, do we miss live music.
The fuzzy noises from those big ass amps, the smell of monoxide and “other stuff” just wafting through the air, the boozy camaraderie, the reckless intent, hell we even miss those god awful 20-minute band set ups!
Take us back to those days!
On the bright side though, this downtime got us discovering some heat music. I don’t know if it’s the lightly enforced incarceration, but local artists have been pretty busy and productive these days.
And on that note, here’s a list of Kapampangan artists you should probably get into.
10. Sunday
One of the most exciting groups to emerge from Angeles City, Sunday Sad Boys is the amalgamation of contrasting styles and influences to form an original and intriguing sound.
For Sunday Sad Boys, the music they make belongs to them. They’re not in this for anyone’s approval. They have a standard to uphold within themselves and if they’re not happy with what they’re creating, they’re not afraid to tear it to pieces.
All I gotta say is mad f*cking respect. Too many fakes and snakes in the grass, it’s really rare to see genuity and transparency in the music scene right away.
Years/Months Active: 4 years
Members: Marco Cinema, Simon & Denzel Stacks
Origin: Angeles City
Genre: Hip-Hop
9. Fender$on
As fans, one thing we wished for last year was for hip-hop to branch out to different sub-genres. Needless to say, we may have the power to will our wishes into reality.
The first thing we thought of after listening to Fender$on’s “End Call” was “damn local to?” and that’s not a knock on the local scene, it’s just that this type of music is not what you would commonly hear around these parts. And we’re diggin’ this new flavor man.
Fender$on is putting his own hat in the ringer and we’re thrilled for what the future holds for this kid.
Years/Months Active: 3 months
Origin: Balibago, Angeles City
Genre:Hiphop, RnB
8. For I, To Desolate
Add these dudes to the list of bands your parents would deem “the devil’s music”.
Bringing their own intensity of mosh-pit inducing sound, For I, To Desolate is here to wreak havoc upon our mortal souls.
If you can make us break our own necks with heavy, high-octane, bone-crunching slam music, then what more can you ask for? We can’t wait for this pandemic to be over because we want to catch some bodies while For I, To Desolate play their deadly songs of desertion and hopelessness.
Sometimes you just want to be angry and say fuck the world. FITD perfectly encapsulates that anger and brings us something to die for.
Years/Months Active: 6 years
Members: Re Velasco, Ronald Aquino, Rinn Ikeda, Jeff S. Gulapa
Origin: Pampanga
Genre: Metal
7. Pot Sembrano
Pot Sembrano’s music is a much-needed perspective in today’s world of cynicism and bitterness. His distinct style of acoustic R&B is unlike anything we’ve heard in the local scene before. Listening to him made us reminisce about times when we were kids trying to find our place in the world.
Pot cites Usher, John Mayer, and Southborder as some of his main influences. Hearing him perform, you can’t help but feel a little nostalgic. Every once in a while, we need a reminder of how things were and how we got to where we are now. Pot’s music is a beacon to light that way back home.
Years/Months Active: 5 years
Members: Pot Sembrano
Origin: San Fernando, Pampanga
Genre: Rnb, Acoustic
6. Ghoul Gang
Ghoul Gang is an anomaly. They’ve been together for about 5 years now but are still relatively unknown blips in the music scene. As a collective, their releases are unpredictable, to say the least. As solo acts however, they’ve been making waves. Yvng Peso and Sebastian Kidd are both working on their own albums respectively, and D.Vaughn’s been doing some lifting in the Marikina scene.
As fans, it’s frustrating to be left hanging
Every once in awhile they’ll give us a banger. They might be inconsistent, but you can’t deny their potential. And we can’t wait for them to finally bust out of their graves.
Years/Months Active: since 2014 so around 5 years now
Members: Sebastian Kidd, Yung Peso, Inspectre, Skyler S., Profett, D.Vaughn, DYL
Origin: Pampanga/Paranaque
Genre: Hip-Hop and R&B
5. Dirtywhite
Dirtywhite is the Dr. Frankenstein of the local music scene in Angeles. Never has any producer embody the true essence of cutting and sampling as much as he has. His knowledge of the culture, musical theories, and techniques go beyond what you’re hearing.
We call him Dr. Frankenstein based on his ability to create a new life for the music he samples, but interprets them in his own unique style.
To him, producing music is also a platform on which independent artists can use to make themselves heard. He helps budding artists who haven’t really found their sound yet by guiding them through his own brand of music.
Years/Months Active: 2 years
Members: Solo Project
Origin: Angeles City, Pampanga
Genre: Alternative Lofi (2009's) / Breakbeat
4. JP Hill
We cannot even begin to describe the pensiveness and intricacy of JP Hill’s solo produced “Some Asian Girl” album. Very rarely can artists concoct a concept or even a shred of storytelling without having to use words.
Part of the Buwan Buwan Collective, JP Hill creates more than music, he creates moods. Most people are afraid to be isolated with their feelings but here is JP telling us that it’s okay to not be okay.
His music is a companion to the gloom and if you’ll excuse me, we’ll just isolate ourselves for now as we eagerly await for “The Whisper and the Shout” to come out.
Years/Months Active: 2 years
Members: Solo Project
Origin: Pampanga
Genre: Electronic
3. Noodle Party
Listening to Noodle Party’s Sweet & Spicy EP made us feel like we weren’t quarantined in our homes, boiling our asses off in the summer heat. It felt like we had astral projected in a dreamscape. Being floated by sweet echoey vocals as tingly reverbs envelope my entire body. In a scene dominated by hip-hop and hardcore music, Noodle Party serves as an escape from the noise. A palate cleanser if you will.
Keep an ear out for this shoegazing trio. We have both ears craving already. By the way, did anybody get a sudden craving for Mi Goreng all of a sudden?
Years/Months Active: 1 year
Members: Gerard, Wilmar, Patricia
Origin: Arayat, Pampanga
Genre: Dream pop, Indie, Shoegaze, Grunge
2. Mastarded
Mastarded is the personification of not giving a f*ck. Made up of a loveable band of colorful misfits, they give their own brand of unique energy to every performance and would most likely leave the venue with a sprained arm or two. That’s some Jack White levels of passion right there.
But what draws us into Mastarded is the dedication they put into their craft. What most people don’t know is there’s also a beast of a production team within the group molding their brand and creating their persona. The chillest dudes to be around with such a profound knowledge of music. You’ll come out of every conversation having learned something new.
One thing’s for sure though. If you’re reading this, you got Mastarded biiiiitch.
Years/Months Active: 4 months
Members: Visuall illness, Reighbix, Boro Red, Pretty Taco, Aypi, Dex, Tallboy
Origin: Angeles City Pampanga
Genre: Hip-Hop
1. Mazerboy
A newcomer into the Pampanga music scene and one we cannot wait to hear more from. Mazerboy brings a unique sound twangy and distorted guitars accompanied by his alluringly haunting, Curtis-esque vocals and lyricism.
Citing Nirvana and Joy Division as his main influences, he’s put his blend of upbeat melancholy which makes for a great listen for people who find comfort in sadness.
We can’t wait to watch Mazerboy live so he can put us in a musical trance.
Years/Months Active: A year
Members: Solo Project
Origin (Place): Pampanga
Genre: Alternative Rock / Post Punk
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