Monday, December 22, 2008

Eggboy "Dragzbanny E.P."

SIBIKA'T KULTURA NO. 4

All songs written and produced by Diego Mapa

Design by Marc Conaco

download printable sleeve and folding instructions here.

Eggboy back with synthetics


Cainta, Philippines-- Diego Mapa (Monsterbot, Cambio, Pedicab, Dayuhan) started Eggboy as a home recording stint in '98, armed only with a four track recorder, he made an E.P. called "Taste test?"; a collection of experimental pop songs and instrumentals with him playing any instrument he could get a hold on from a beat down drum kit, drum machines, analog and toy synths, guitars, tablas, and up to singing.

In result, in one track you can hear just two guitars, in the other live drums with a single guitar, guitar and synth and other variations. Underneath, a lot of noodling with arpeggiators and stomp boxes running through almost everything. Some tracks are quiet and some are like lo-fi dance music accompanied by lazy vocals and honest lyrics in Tagalog and English. Other E.P.s followed and some were supported by underground distros in Manila. All released in CD-R format-- “Everyday Starting Today” was released by Manila-New York based dOCUMENTO Records in 2000, "The Unkown Wrestler" by the local Monopond Records in 2003, and his last an anthology of all EPs "Eggboy 98-05" under Mapa's own label Sibika't Kultura Records were sold in gigs, special shops, and by mail order.

Cut to 2008, Eggboy is back with “Dragzbanny E.P.” After concentrating with his other bands, he got into soft synths. He made his debut as a producer with-- The Vince Noir Project (12 Stones Records 2007); followed by other collaborations including Bagetsafonik and Local E. He also got addicted to DJing which greatly influenced the “Dragzbanny E.P.”

Mapa says, "Dragzbanny is a sort of concept album. I went full on with electronics here. For the past years I was really getting into a lot of electronic music and just kept going to clubs to see my DJ friends play and I got into spinning as well. So that greatly influenced this E.P. and in the end I just wanted to make something different from my past work."

"Dragzbanny" was coined from an inside joke among friends slang for "drugs bunny" and Mapa just thought that it would be a hilarious title for a sonic drenched electronic album.

The “Dragzbanny E.P.” although recalls electro, techno, house, avant beats, big beat, and other electronic jargons; Mapa hasn't left the Eggboy sound he built. You can still hear his signature “wreckless-abandon” experimentation and unique style of guitar playing. Some tracks of “Dragzbanny” sounds familiar yet there are moments that Mapa threads on something that hasn't been done before. Fans who know his earlier stuff will notice a big leap from the lo-fi Eggboy we know, but Mapa just picked up where he left off from tracks like "Sequential" and "Strength of a bird" (from “Everyday Starting Today”).


Buy Dragzbanny E.P.

Visit:

myspace.com/eggboynation


Special thanks to: Marc Conaco, Ge Mapa, Vito, Stella, Diego Castillo, Mong Alcaraz, Chi Castaneda, Fluxxe, Future Cafe, Erwin Edralin, Lokal E, Shinji Tanaka, Monsterbot, Pedicab, Cambio, and Dayuhan.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Eggboy Vs. Bagetsafonik


In 2007, an independent Philippine band named Bagetsafonik put together an album called Travelogue which fused indiepop with electronica. One year later, they got fellow artists and producers to reinterpret those tracks. This is the result.

Travel Agents: Bagetsafonik Travelogue Detours is a 12-track album containing reinterpretations of each of the tracks on Bagetsafonik’s debut album. So enjoy the ride. Feel free to share this journey. We’ve reserved a seat for you.

Artists/Producers: Caliph8, MoodJunkie, PaoChec, FluxusSyndrom, DJ Ponga, Names Are For Tombstones, Squid9, Spazzkid, Waking Up The Sunrise, Eggboy feat. Analog MC, Rlyn & Big Daddy J-Dibbs, N:ua, M.A.

Moreover, you can download this album for free from the generous QED records.

Click here to download.