Reason why Baguio felt scary tremors that night.

Your Imaginary Friends were all set to be the last to perform. We got there at half past 8PM and already Jethro Sandico’s band Skydive Academy were on. A fusion of acid jazz and classic rock, Skydive Academy also featured Jeth’s beat poetry. The man’s got animalistic chops and rhymes, man. His band is so tight it reminded me of my work schedules.

Our friends from Flying Ipis and Dirty Hate were already there, as The Wilderness stood on, watching, in their calm reserve, their wildness reserved for later.

Despite all the negativity their name suggests, Dirty Hate’s set was neither dirty nor repugnant that night. We were pounded with an awesome barrage of multilayered guitar licks, deeper-than-profound basslines, and a blitzkrieg of drum rolls. Their first single One Track Mind is now officially a favorite.

Dirty Hate: Not dirty. Not hatin’.

Flying Ipis, already an established crowd favorite in the Manila gig circuit, just showed Baguio folk how it is to heat things up. Just to be more graphic, when the band strummed their first note, they already sent the crowd airborne. Baguio even got treated to new songs, like my favorite Talon, Lipad, Sayaw. Damn. Who’s flying now?

Baguio’s so clean these are probably the only ipis found in town. Deng said it.

And now, The Wilderness, a crew made up of 84 musicians all playing at once, or at least that’s how they sounded. Their powerful set made me want to go up the mountains on my lunch break and hunt for wild beasts, eat its meat raw, and drink its blood fresh. Then go back to my air-conditioned office as if I just had lunch at the pantry. I kid you not. That’s how trippy their music is. It grabs you and throws you around without knocking you out. With that set, I had to admit that I didn’t know how we could match that.

But we did. At least I think we did. Man, we went all out on a 12-song-or-so set, and I could see that the Baguio represent in Ayuyang were stunned. Wow. The free-for-all jam on our cover of Come Together towards the end of our set is something I want to happen again. But next time, Imma hand my sticks over to Pat Sarabia. (Makes me wonder all the time: What is this prolific musician eating, really?)

We capped the night over at the rest house. I was so exhausted I just grabbed some sleep while the rest of the world grabbed more drinks.

I better photoshop myself in this pic.

First thing in the morning, the rest of the entourage went to Good Shepherd to buy ube and see more sights. They also checked out Mine’s View Park. Where was I in all this? Probably still asleep. Not so cool to be me, I know. Already an old fat fart.

I will really photoshop myself in this pic.

Sadly, we all had to get to the sad trip back to the equator. We had to catch our afternoon bus, and we didn’t catch it. We were late and had to take another bus as chance passengers. We were late and skipped lunch. Yeah, we were in slow motion. Probably it was because part of our body weight wanted to remain there. It’s Baguio, man. Who could possibly not want to live there? — Eric Po

professional wallflowers

]]> http://yourimaginarymusic.com/2012/01/09/yifs-adventures-in-the-land-of-strawberry-taho-and-bed-weather-part-dos/feed/ 1 yourimaginaryahmad 302407_10150386233972043_113031512042_8599811_272580606_n SAM_0433 397526_10150473138358405_139339703404_8648794_124794089_n SAM_0501 384468_209558962454577_100002014236581_480286_1917588394_n 377553_2380307468482_1274520570_31939699_457434077_n http://yourimaginarymusic.com/2012/01/08/yifs-adventures-in-the-land-of-strawberry-taho-and-bed-weather-part-uno/ http://yourimaginarymusic.com/2012/01/08/yifs-adventures-in-the-land-of-strawberry-taho-and-bed-weather-part-uno/#comments Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:52:40 +0000 yourimaginaryahmad http://yourimaginarymusic.com/?p=1080 ]]>

Oh, Baguio. Who could possibly not want to live there? Honestly, save for the hordes of loud and pesky tourists from Manila (not us) and cute but drunk Koreans (still not us), what is there to complain about this beautiful little excavation in the heart of the Benguet mountains?

Baguio: perfect for Korean refugees.

Clean air. Chilly breeze. Pine trees. Strawberries. Walis. And a rock scene that’s as underground as the ube that gets bottled in Baguio. (VO: This portion is brought to you by the good people of Good Shepherd. Ube so great!)

Paid Ad? we wish.

Who would have guessed that this silent city is a refuge for music and musicians and music lovers? That’s actually one more reason why on November 2011 Your Imaginary Friends traveled all the way from Manila to the Summer Capital of the Philippines: we need to rock out there.And we need to take home strawberries.

It’s hard to think of to whom to give these to back home so we ate them all up.

The road to Baguio started when local rock groups Pedicab and Taken By Cars grouped together with other bands to come with them on an excursion to Baguio. Their group (let’s call them Excursion Tour 1) decided to go there on a field trip—and just bring their guitars with them. And with the help of local producers, they got booked in Baguio’s version of saGuijo: the recently defunct Ayuyang Bar.

You will always be remembered.

Later, having read about the success of Excursion Tour 1, we wanted to be part of the repeat of that feat in Baguio. I have personally been clamoring to play there since 2008, what with the temperate weather and interesting people (I can’t seem to write down “pretty women”).

So the success of ET1 inspired Ahmad’s Shoplifters United to collab with the Baguio collaborator (that’s Jethro Sandico, y’all) and get Your Imaginary Friends to play there.

But not without our indie rock cohorts The Dirty Hate. Later on, we were joined by the women of riot grrl group The Flying Ipis, and the math rock / world music / instrumental jazz / psychedelic / pure fun Wilderness. Local bands Trancemission and Skydive Academy completed the lineup.

Your Imaginary Friends’ entourage (yep, I said it) is made up of 12 people: 8 Filipinos, a half-Chinese, 2 half-Arabs and a Caucasian. Luckily for us, Valerie Venturina got us all billeted in this slick rest house on Gibraltar Road, just a few blocks away from Wright Park. It’s a big compound that houses two houses, with one house having 60 really spacious rooms with 14 beds in each room, and another with 40 more rooms with 10 huge beds. I am totally making this up but the truth is: the house is really massive. Just get dibs on our episode of MTV Cribs. Word.

Another thing we loved about Baguio is the food. Yep. Your Imaginary Friends are food nuts. I personally wanted to check out the look on Steve Schwerbel’s face as he sinks his teeth on adobong kambing.

I told him it is ghost meat. He thought I said “goat.” What a great guy.

We went around on a rented jeep for the famed Pinikpikan, but all we could find are steak, and more steak.

Steak it up yo' whatev.

The Excursion (more like Expedition) can’t go on without an actual excursion (or an actual expedition). Going around Baguio surely brought out the kids in us. For our 1st stop, we went to Bell Temple. We took pictures there. I had a hard time convincing my friends that there is no way the secret ingredient is in one of the temples.

Kung Fu Banda

But I told them that Bell Temple has a time-space portal, so we went through it to get to Rio de Janeiro!

That girl from Ipanema never gave me her number.

Next stop was the famed strawberry farm—a small stretch of land where probably the only local strawberries in the country come from. We couldn’t wait to get our hands on them so off we went to try our balancing skills on the field. We can only take pictures because taking strawberries doth come with a price tag.

protein sweetness.

We also tried the strawberry ice cream and the strawberry taho (now a favorite) before we went on picking strawberries. And paying for them. While everyone else bought food, Steve bought himself a nice Tiger Woods cap. I’m not a fashion nut so I don’t know what it’s called.

Next up, we went to Tam-Awan Village where we immediately felt at home. It’s a cultural hub where history and art bleed into one. This village is the sanctuary for many local artists; their art on the walls of the small coffee shop is a testament to that. Tam-Awan Village also blends the famous Benguet coffee. I’m not a coffee-drinker and ergo not a coffee connoisseur, but this sure is one of the most tangy, most flavorful coffee I have ever tried.

Tam-Awan some more!

After looking around briefly, we noticed scantily clad youth rounding about. They appeared to be in native Ifugao costume and they were holding up Ifugao percussion. Yeah! They performed an impressive tribal dance on uneven ground. Ahmad and Khalid were so happy they held back tears. They used to dance half-naked, too.

After dancing in Tam-Awan, we were so tired we decided to just head back home and grab some rest. After all, the gig was on that night.

to be continued…

Pop Rebellion and Pink Targets

By: Lou Callet

At a time when some « Free Tibet » T shirts’ owners ignore Lhassa’s location, amazing coherence between Ahmad’s tee-shirt and his performance couldn’t remain unnoticed.

While Ahmad Tanji is singing, Che Guevara looks straight at the audience through a pink gun target. “Rebel” is printed on the South American icon’s face.

Before performing Ahmad warns the audience about the difficulty to classify his music, it can be named “ indie pop, or new wave pop. Let’s call it pop music,” he simplifies.

“Reality comes with the season/ It’ll still be all right/Tonight, oh oh tonight/Oh Liza”. One feet on the chair, Ahmad keeps his eyes closed when he speaks to Liza. Over the course of the notes, he puts her minds at rest. She’s 24, she’s virgin, she’s worried about a possible first kiss tonight. Ahmad’s large hands on the acoustic guitar stand in for his shut eyes. First chords call the next ones to create a flowing pop melody. « I tried to put myself into a girl perspective, » he explains. And when the soft voice jumps to high pitched tunes to reach Liza’s minds, a part of the audience imitates Ahmad and eyes close by themselves.

Through his pinkish pop target, Ahmad points at the weaknesses of the Filipino relationships. This young wavy long hair man proclaims his commitment to romance and love. “Courtship is dead as far as I can see,” he says with a large smile before to hurry Rowena. “If u wanna love him then go/ it may hurt sometimes, then it’s part of the show/ come on, it’s your time to score”. In a society that can sometimes appear hooked to some established principles about love and relationships, freedom and spontaneity desires can be read by some in the lyrics of Ahmad.

This singer easily crosses the wide spectrum of pop’s repertory to reach the folk side. “Baby, you’re going to hell/ how wish you would be ready/ why can ‘t u change for me.” This exclusive song is a straight dive to a male perspective. The voice gets some groovy accents to beg the song inspiring girl to be less reluctant. When he is asked if this song is inspired by a friend, he artfully answers that it is actually an “ex friend”. Liza, Rowena, Nikita- singer’s favorite song- Ahmad is surrounded by people in his lyrics as he is in his musical creation. At the beginning only written by the singer, songs are now cosigned by all the members of Your Imaginary Friends-the band in which Ahmad is the regular singer.

“Hello, we are Nice !” “Hey, they are Nice !” The explanation of their first band’s name idea makes audience laugh. “We are Your Imaginary Friends”, the joke still works and it perfectly highlights their musical creations. Through those songs, the audience feels as meeting the friends of those buddies from Bicol.

From his friends as from his daily life, Ahmad extracts and creates the best instant feelings and ideas to put it … inside his phone. “My cellphone is really important, I have a special folder” where he takes notes to feed his lyrics creation. “Yes, they know,” Ahmad promises with a smile. The smile becomes mischievous when he precises that songs are presented to their inspirational friends when they are completely finished.

“Filipino are addicted to melody, they forget the importance of the lyrics”. For him, lyrics come first. This psychologist graduate definitely value pop’s credibility by his sensitive analysis of Human’s minds. Aware of writing’s importance in his life, it was not a surprise to discover the name of his two kids tattooed in Arabic script on Ahmad’s arms. He is actually half Palestinian. No one in the audience dared to ask if the singer had found a long run muse.

At the end of the performance, Ahmad leaves discretely the room while the Che have a last severe glance at the audience. Is Ahmad a pink rebel? Audience will be the only pop revolutionary trial.

article found here: http://thesteaklibrary.blogspot.com/

Imagine

By: Stu Balmaceda

When I asked my professor who was going to perform and found out that the lead singer, as well as his band, plays amongst other indie artists I recognize, a sense of anxiousness mixed with the right amount of curiousness kicked in. Ahmad went in smiling, he was excited and all the more confident. Judging from his appearance, it seemed to me that the dude has game, he’s legit but I had to lower my expectations just so I wouldn’t be disappointed if ever what I was about to hear isn’t my type. Well, I had the right choice of lowering my standards and the wrong choice of not knowing about this person and his band until I heard him in that conference room.

He played unplugged, sang without a microphone and used his leg to rest his guitar. That seemed independent to me and as the saying goes about the essence and rawness of an acoustic performance, it brought out his true form as well as the music that came through him. Ahmad possesses a cold-clean voice which is very much appropriate for the type of music Your Imaginary Friends creates. The 80’s in him was evident in his voice as well as in the melody and the well thought out meaningful lyrics. Indeed, I heard the Morrissey in him as he sang, but of course, a more modern one. Being an 80’s and a New Wave fan made me value this.  I was also reminded of Orange and Lemons and The Camerawalls which, of course, are both local and claim that the 8o’s has played a big part in their music as well. I’d like to think that the music Your Imaginary Friends play can somehow be serious and moody, as I have heard “Oh Liza”. It can also be playful though, despite the lyrics. Basing on the second song, “Baby You’re Going to Hell”, this was possible. Listening to Ahmad also gave me this feeling of being in a very steady and lazy atmosphere. It’s as if you’re so slow but at the same time your surrounding is moving otherwise. It made me feel like I don’t want to get up and all I wanted to do was just to think about all those moments that I still wish could have happened. If I may give it a definition, I say I had a feeling of playful melancholia.

I give high regard to music, whether it makes me feel ecstatic or nostalgic. Listening to Ahmad’s performance made me realize once more how much I love new music and how much I appreciate this way of self-expression. I was there once, and even though at that moment I missed performing, being a spectator still is one of the best positions a person can be in. I put my hands down, kudos to Ahmad and Your Imaginary Friends for making me feel once more, that if you can’t be the one creating music anymore, being a part of the crowd, appreciating the scene is still kickass as I have imagined.

article found here: http://kentuckyfriedveins.tumblr.com/

the mandatory class picture!

Listening to Your Imaginary Friends is Healthy

by: Kring Lacson

“This is about a 24-year-old virgin who is wondering if she’s going to have her first kiss tonight.”

‘Well, I’m offended,’ I thought to myself, laughing. ‘Is a 24 year-old, never-been-kissed virgin really so hard to find nowadays?’

Ahmad Tanji then closed his eyes, strummed his guitar, and sang his first song, Oh Liza. I closed my eyes, too, wanting to relish the melody. The music sounded very innocent, in a good way: with lyrics such as I’ll save mine for tonight… I hope you won’t bite, it definitely carried Liza’s personality with it, making the song sincere, natural, and child-like. It is the song for every SSB (Single Since Birth) out there, and a track which I will let a few of my friends listen to, as it’s something they can put on their life’s playlist (and maybe on mine /shot).

Ahmad, vocalist of Your Imaginary Friends, then flashes a smile and sings three more songs. The playlist covers a variety of topics, such as friendship and giving advice (“Don’t be such a bore / Come on / It’s your time to score”), falling in love and not wanting to fight the feeling (“Oh, baby / This heart’s a romantic, but / Hopeful enough to be suffocated by your lips / So let me…”) and plain anger (“Why can’t you change for me / For you / For the good of society / Baby you’re going to hell!”).

I love so many things about the Your Imaginary Friends’ songs. For one, the lyrics are very relateable: I remember egging my friends on whenever they had a crush on someone (“What, are you going to just admire him from a distance?! You suck!”), liking someone and just allowing the feeling to take its natural course, and wondering, just wondering, when I would finally have my first kiss. Ahmad’s cool voice definitely made me feel like he was talking directly to me, and that the songs were made for me. The mixture of the lyrics, the melody, and the instrumentals all united to make something very personal, very intimate, as if carefully wrapped in pretty paper for a listener to open.

In a country where mainstream OPM music is rock and alternative, it’s nice to find a band that takes on an indie, new-wave-ish pop genre. Their music is the type you could listen to on a cool night’s drive; the one which unknowingly clears your head and relaxes you. And you thought having Your Imaginary Friends was a sign of being mentally unwell.

The “Your Imaginary Friends” Review: The Acoustic Lounge Experience

by: Jose Paolo N. Carlos

Hearing an artist perform something in its rawest form brings out the true identity of the artist and the essence of the music he or she is making. Listening to the samples of the band “Your Imaginary Friend” somewhat transfers me to a whole new dimension of music because of the artist’s compelling vibe which transcends me into the song itself. The songs that were performed were personal to the band and the people related to the songs but somehow, the singer’s capabilities and vigor turned the songs personal to me as well. Maybe it’s his smokey, smooth, chill voice that made it happen but the pinnacle of the songs were the lyrics.

The lyrics of the songs were like lines from a movie which talks to you and somehow makes an impact to your soul as a person. It provides a structure for your listening experience such as being able to fit any mood you want the lyrics to make you feel. If I were to describe the lyrics of the songs in one word, it would be ” incarcerating” because it traps you with in the song even though you’re not  an avid listener to the band. I mean, even if you don’t listen to band nor go to their every gig, it would be so hard to fall in love with the song because of the heartwarming lyrics.

The playfulness of the melody makes your feet go up and down, makes your head go up and down, and lastly, makes you try to actually sing along even if you don’t know the lyrics which for sure, by the end of the day, you’d be looking up the lyrics of the songs to actually be able to sing along.

Sad or happy, I think the band can actually turn your frown upside down and make that smile wider because of the personality of the vocalist itself and the soothing voice he offers.

Amongst all others, the genre of the band really is the acme  of its prowess. It’s so hard to find an OPM band which sounds international and “Your Imaginary Friend” does it with ease.

I know it’s too early but I can say that “Your Imaginary Friend” would be my imaginary friend during those lonely driving nights under the street lights.

*both blog can be found here: http://kentuckyfriedveins.tumblr.com/

to be continued…

All photos by : Joahnna Lindsey