STOP AAPI HATE: The Benefit Album

Posted by May 27, 2021No comments

Our friends Ted and Sheryl cut the idea to put together this compilation during all the hate and attacks against us. We were very honored to be asked to join and contribute.

https://www.tedreyes.com/post/stop-aapi-hate-the-benefit-album-is-here

We’ve had our song, Fault Lines, in a unfinished format for a while, but could never quite figure out how to center the lyrics. Only after witnessing all these attacks against our elders, and our community did it help coalesce the idea properly.

My parents met in America, went back to the Philippines to start their life, and had me and my brother. They weren’t cowed by the legend of an American existence, because they had already experienced it. Unlike my peers, we were never told that we had to shut up and just get along. So I’m thankful for that. Growing up in America, I assumed that Asians weren’t meant to be part of the conversation. It was weird enough to just grow up here but not be born here.

I’m worried that nobody cares about us here, and that we only have ourselves in the Asian community that cares. I’m hopeful, but don’t expect it.

Mix/Master Work

Posted by October 23, 2020No comments

Bang bang

Yay! Both big projects that I have been working on have released this past week. My extended brother Mike (not me Mike but other Mike) and his band Forgotten Favorite have put out their 2nd album, and I got to do a little production work on it.

This was also my first full master attempt, so nice of the boys to let me use them as a guinea pig. I’ve had the Fabfilter suite for a while, but never really got try it out and put it through basic paces until now.

I had to do a few revisions of the master, but I was really happy to put my ears to work. Even though these VSTs are renowned for their beautiful GUI, I would just flip back and forth between the presets and really focus. Afterwards, I would pick the ranges for the bands and just listen. Anyway, nerd stuff, but a great use of my COVID time.

Definitely pick this one up. Not only was I shouting along to all the songs, but they are donating all proceeds towards the local DC / MD Black Lives Matter org. Win win!

A Cover + Remixes forthcoming!

Posted by July 2, 2020No comments

Ok, to be honest, I just wanted to throw in ‘forthcoming’ into a post. I mean, there is one coming up, but it didn’t have to be announced like a ball. Anyway….

I did a little cover with my friend Sean Urban this week just for fun. He had told me about a little tribute series done on bandcamp, where they have a bunch of bands do interpretations of a band every month. Sean had the guitar ready, so I just threw some vocals and arrangements on top of it. You can find it here: https://prfmonthlytributeseries.bandcamp.com/album/june-2020-smashing-pumpkins

I’m not that into covers, just because they require an organization which I don’t have the effort for. But it was nice to do this for a second. I’m going to leave BC’s current political views off this post, and just pretend I’m still under 30 and loving this.

Most of my week and the previous weekend have been spent working on a remix for some friends of ours in DC. I’m very pumped! Emil threw on some excellent riffs already, and you can hear some of it on our Instagram.

I don’t know when that will be out, but it’s due next week, so I’ll be a little under the rader (ok, except for IG). Feel free to ping us there, and see if you can guess who its for.

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