| Ultraelectromagneticpop! | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Eraserheads |
| Cover: | ultraelectromagnetic.jpg |
| Released: | July 1, 1993 (Cassette) December 1, 1993 (CD) |
| Recorded: | July 1992–April 1993 |
| Studio: | JR Recording Studios Ad & Ad Recording Studio |
| Length: | 44:54[1] |
| Label: | |
| Producer: |
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| Next Title: | Circus |
| Next Year: | 1994 |
Ultraelectromagneticpop! (stylized as ultraelectromagneticpop!) is the debut studio album by the Philippine alternative rock band Eraserheads, first released on July 1, 1993 by BMG Records (Pilipinas) Inc. It was produced by the band (credited as “Dem”) and Ed Formoso.
Eraserheads formed in 1989 at University of the Philippines Diliman and signed a recording contract with BMG in 1992. They recorded Ultraelectromagneticpop! from July 1992 to April 1993. The recording was hampered by several reasons such as frequent brownouts and Formoso leaving the studio for undisclosed reasons.
The album spawned hit singles such as "Ligaya”, “Toyang”, and “Pare Ko”, best known for its explicit lyrics. It is often credited with revitalizing the alternative rock genre in the Philippines during the 1990s.
The members of Eraserheads met while attending University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City. They formed a band in 1989 and named themselves Eraserheads, a nod to the David Lynch film Eraserhead (1977). Initially achieving little success playing covers at schools and Manila’s rock club circuit, they decided to write their own material, which soon earned them a cult following around the university.[2] One of the songs in particular, “Pare Ko”, became popular for its explicit lyrics.
On January 26, 1991, Eraserheads recorded a nine-song demo tape at the garage of drummer Raimund Marasigan’s provincial home in Candelaria, Quezon.[3] They shopped the demo cassette around record labels, clubs, and radio stations only to be met with rejection at every turn; one recording label commented that the demos are “not pop enough”. Later in May, UP Diliman humanities professor and friend of the band Robin Rivera helped them re-record and mix better versions of the demo songs on a four-track DAT recorder. The new demo tape was named Pop-U! as an irreverent response to those who turned them down. The demos were said to be influenced by English rock band The Cure as well as ska and reggae genres.[4]
Meanwhile, vocalist Ely Buendia became an employee of BMG Records (Pilipinas) Inc. (now part of Sony BMG Music Entertainment) as a student copywriter. Working with BMG during the day, he wrote songs with the band at night. Their material later caught the attention of BMG A&R director Vic Valenciano, who commented that they were technically very raw but that there was something promising in them. In 1992, BMG signed the band into a three-year record deal.
Eraserheads recorded Ultraelectromagneticpop! from July 1992 to April 1993.[5] They initially worked with Ed Formoso for production duties.
The recording sessions were hampered by several incidents, such as brownouts and the recording equipment breaking down. Midway through a session, Formoso abruptly left the studio for undisclosed reasons, forcing the band to finish producing the rest of the album. They expressed their displeasure by inserting a backmasked message (“Formoso sucks!”) into “Combo on the Run”.[6]
The album title is a pun on the ultraelectromagnetic tops, a fictional weapon from the Japanese anime television series Voltes V, which was popular in the Philippines at the time. Working titles included Lutong Bahay, Pekaloid, The Klasik Kapums Konsert Kookout, and Eraserheads Greatest Hits Vol. 5.[7]
In Ultraelectromagneticpop!, local critics found elements of alternative rock,[8] [9] college rock,[10] reggae,[11] and rockabilly. The album drew comparisons to the Beatles, the Cure, the Clash, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and APO Hiking Society.
Some of the tracks such as “Pare Ko”, “Tindahan ni Aling Nena”, and “Toyang” were rerecorded from Pop-U!. “Pare Ko” is a ballad and became notable for its explicit lyrics, which was unheard of in Philippine music at the time.[12] The album's initial release included both original and censored versions, with the latter named “Walang Hiyang Pare Ko” (later excluded from the album’s 25th anniversary remaster).[13] Buendia described “Tindahan ni Aling Nena” as a “shameless Beatles parody”. “Toyang” features interpolations of Filipino folk songs as well as the popular song “Too Young” (composed by Sidney Lippman and written by Sylvia Dee) and “Silly Love Songs” by Paul McCartney's band Wings; the band credited Lippman, Dee and McCartney in the album liner notes. Marasigan described the song as “an anti-pop statement against the people who said we couldn’t do a pop song.”
"Easy Ka Lang" is influenced by the local Manila Sound genre. "Maling Akala" has reggae elements, while the final track "Combo on the Run" is an attempt at funk according to Marasigan. The album also features two filler tracks, “Ganjazz” and “Honky-Toinks Granny”, which feature vocals from producer Jojo Bacasmas.
The album was released by BMG Records under their local division Musiko Records in July 1993. It became a commercial success, selling 300,000 copies by the end of the year.[14]
In 2008, BMG reissued Eraserheads's back catalogue, including Ultraelectromagneticpop![15]
On November 2018, Buendia's record label Offshore Music and Sony Music Philippines released a 25th anniversary reissue of the album, which was remastered by Bernie Grundman.[16] The reissue was later released on vinyl on November 2019, limited to 2,500 copies.[17] After the band's reunion concert in 2022, it was re-released on streaming services to include 360-degree spatial sound.[18]
The success of Ultraelectromagneticpop! paved the way for other Filipino rock bands such as Rivermaya, Siakol, Yano, Teeth, Rizal Underground, and Color It Red to similar mainstream prominence in the Philippines.[19] Its master tapes are currently in archive at the University of the Philippines Center for Ethnomusicology for its cultural importance.
The album name inspired the first Eraserheads tribute album , released in 2005 and featuring 17 of their songs covered by Philippine artists.
Adapted from the liner notes.[20] Eraserheads
Additional musicians
Production
Design
