| Start: | Apr 25, '08 9:00p | | Location: | 135 Yakal Street, Makati City |
KJWAN burst onto the Philippine music scene in 2003, when the local rock music scene had forgotten who it was originally and people were almost afraid to listen to anything new. Still, they came down hard, raw, in your face, with the release of their self titled debut album (in 2004) and coined the now-familiar catchphrase, "Bastusan na!" Their hit song, "Daliri," became an anthem to a new generation of rock listeners and being true to your self became the order of the day. Even the very word, Kjwan, seemed to flamboyantly step in your way and hounded you so that you would never forget the name, the band and the sound
This first album earned them the nominations for Best New Artist, Best Video and Best Album Packaging (along with Balbuena being nominated as Best Drummer) in local rock station NU107's "Rock Awards." Favorite New Artist and Best Video at the MTV Pilipinas Video Music Awards 2005 and a month long feature on MTV Philippines as the "Rising Star" Artist of the Month (Jan 2005), specifically, for their breakthrough single "Daliri." The song, which received such a good amount of airplay on the radio and local music channels, appealed mainly to rock listeners who were fans of A Perfect Circle, Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine, and the earlier grunge bands that defined early 90s rock.
The Manila-based quintet is made up of distinct personalities, with individual musical tastes that don't always overlap, and strong ideals that are often diametrically opposed. The chemistry might have combusted a lesser band before it even started, but the equally passionate friendships and shared hardships that make up Kjwan have held it together.
Long-time friends and former high school band-mates Marc Abaya (vocals) and Kelley Mangahas (bass) got together with fellow Ateneans Jorel Corpus (guitar) and J-hoon Balbuena (drums) to form the band's initial lineup. They were joined in 2004 by Boogie Romero (guitar), another high school friend and former band-mate of Marc and Kelley, soon after the release of their self-titled debut album.
Skill-wise, three years of playing together, and more than that of playing with other bands, has honed each member enough to be confident in his own skin as a musician. In terms of new influences, they have consciously opened themselves and their songwriting to be inspired by genres other than rock. If the band has made a rock drummer out of J-Hoon, who in fact grew up not listening to rock, he in turn, introduced them to his original influences of jazz, drum 'n bass and electronica. These, plus Kelley's recent Hiphop / R and B and Electronic inspirations, Jorel's recent interest in samba percussion, and the band's elemental rock base, were the diverse elements that lent themselves to Kjwan's collective songwriting for 2StepMarv.
Each and every one of them was more involved in all the creative processes, from the songwriting, the recording, mixing, packaging, and down to the video production of the first single "Pintura". Marc, who writes almost all the words of Kjwan, points out that even in writing lyrics, it is easier for him to bare his soul to his bandmates, without hindrances like fear, insecurity or pretension between them. This very open friendship is a big factor in the maturity and confidence of the new album. The band's faith in their music held it together.
... ALSO WITH SILENT SANCTUARY ...
AND DJs ANAKIN and DAVID ARDIENTE.
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