Sigh... music like these, where have you been? While the claims of OPM music is dead seems prevalent these days, songs under the mainstream radio's radar like those contained in Japsuki's Pinoy Pop album are left unnoticed and unheard. To the uninitiated, Japsuki is the pseudonym of Day Dream Cycle's creative force and one time Rivermaya bassist Japs Sergio. He's been using the name to create under the radar yet brilliant songs that the mainstream audience were just too unlucky to not hear of. Since leaving Rivermaya, Japs has released three albums to date. Monologue Whispers, his debut album under the name Japsuki, The Gentle Sound of Chaos with his band Peso Movement, and now Pinoy Pop under the name Japsuki again. I have yet to write album reviews for the first two albums, but give me some time, I'll write them one of these days. Honestly, after Rico Blanco, Japs is my favorite Rivermaya songwriter. I consider him one of the main creative forces of Rivermaya's songs during their rebirth post Bamboo and Nathan. And when Rico left, Japs' creative imprints were all over the post Rico Rivermaya songs. Breaking free from Rivermaya meanwhile, only gave Japs the creative freedom to experiment further and embrace his musical tastes. Monologue Whispers and The Gentle Sound of Chaos are two of his distinct and poles apart types of music.
While Monologue Whispers had Japs dabble into his favorite electronica harmonies, The Gentle Sound of Chaos would bring Japs' garage band sonic chaos. However, Pinoy Pop is a perfect marriage of both musical styles. Think of electronica without being too electronica, and a garage band that is orderly and far from chaotic, perhaps even leaning more towards Folk Rock songs. What works for me is that Japs has written and created songs for this album while touch basing on his being Pinoy, helped largely by an all Pinoy lyrics in the songs. There are lots of songs in this album that would remind you of the yesteryears of the 90's OPM band explosion (Eraserheads and Rivermaya would come to mind) but I wouldn't put it that way. Because even if it reminds you of those bands, the songs in this album sounds so fresh. There are a lot of easy listening tunes here that sounds so relaxing. Take note of the opening track, Comfort Zone, it gives you this marching guitar strumming but never really gets tiring to the ears. There are also a lot of witty songs with so much Pinoy flavor like Southside, Pinoy Time, Username, and Extra Kanin. Tell me, when was the last time you heard songs about mundane Pinoy habits? My personal favorites meanwhile are Ibang Mundo, Lipas Oras, Alala, and of course Hirap Bago Sarap.
Now, Hirap Bago Sarap is just my kind of song. The opening line of "Nagsimula sa patingin-tingin" made me remember Teeth's "Nagsimula sa patiki-tikim" from the song Laklak. Silly I know, but I couldn't help it. Lines like "Tuloy ang Ligaya" (which segues to "aasahang", a line from Eraserheads' Ligaya) and "Himala" in the song also made me smile about slight Rivermaya references, again it's silly of me to correlate the lines to old 90's OPM songs but I just can't help it. Wait, in the song Ibang Mundo, if I heard it right, even slips the line "Wag ka nang umiyak/sayang ang luha" which very much reminds me of the song Sayang, the song that Japs wrote after Rico Blanco left Rivermaya. The songs just sticks on me in the same way how those songs of yesteryears sticks on us up to this day. Buried in our deepest consciousness that continues to be stoked from time to time every time we are awakened to slightly similar yet strikingly fresh songs. Pinoy Pop never really gets tired. The tunes are so classic Japs that I know of from the songs that I've heard from him during his time with Rivermaya. I wonder if Japs had a hard time writing these songs. Because the songs are just so easy on the ears. The melodies are helped largely by Japs cool to the ears voice. The lyrics, well what can I say? Japs always had that wit in him. And not forced witticism mind you just for the sake of being witty. In writing this, I hope the songs in this album gets to have its day in the sun. Because Japs deserves it. We need more Pinoy Pop like these than the trash that we are hearing in the radio nowadays. Now whoever said OPM is dead?
You can stream/purchase the album at https://japsuki.bandcamp.com/album/pinoy-pop-2015
