Women, with painted faces, caterwauling in distinctive falsettos. A tribe of young men, standing blithely aside, nods in silent approval. The lights glimmer. A wineglass shatters. A chant drones ever onward. That lone, unwavering voice, echoing through the occasional darkness. All in accordance with pulsating, four-on-the-floor drumming that threatens to overwhelm those of us not in synch with the communal heartbeat. THIS is the unadulterated essence of a Pedicab live performance: a near-religious experience with all the idiosyncrasies of a shaman’s ritual. And why not? For the last two years, this group has specialized in producing a riotous form Disco-Punk Music that has, quite often, induced even the most avowed non-believers to convert…to the dogma of the dance floor. Some have jokingly dubbed this unique sound “dunk.” I call it “drunk.” With ecstasy, that is. Being a notorious wallflower, it is hard for me even to BEGIN fathoming WHY the sound Pedicab makes is so intoxicating. Could it be the quirky lyrics? The (almost) call-and-response dynamic that makes an exchange of energy between patron and performer so effortless? The “wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am” immediacy of each simplified guitar lick…every streamlined synth line…and all the Spartan austerity of a, nonetheless, ingenious cadence? Or could it be something else? A certain “X” factor? A kind of magic? A bit of “je-ne-sais-fucking-quoi?” We will never find the appropriate words.

What fans DO understand, however, is that this Music is a joyous assault on the senses. Like a skilled boxer, it bobs, weaves and strikes when you least expect. A tremendous part of this aural alchemy is, admittedly, down to the elements each Pedicab member provides. Multimedia artist RA Rivera, also known as “Just Tony,” is a cult hero among visually inclined artists. Mike Dizon, a.k.a. “Masterbeat (Extra Service),” is revered as the drummer of Pinoy Rock legends Teeth and Sandwich. Guitarist “J. Sonic,” baptized Jason Caballa, is best known for his riff-mongering with Indie stalwarts Twisted Halo. Lead vocalist and digital percussionist Diego Mapa, who plays for Monsterbot AND Cambio, is “Mappy”…or, alternately, “Daddy Maps” (having recently become a father). And “Sugar Raims?” Well, the synth player/vocoder experimentalist/backing vocalist really needs no introduction. Aside from his work with Cambio and Sandwich, he is a real live Eraserhead! Not a lineup to take lightly. Their 2005 debut album, the sensational “Tugish Takish,” speaks for itself. In addition, tracks have been laid down for a Jam 88.3 Christmas compilation, along with a “Musicians Against WTO” collection. The “intimidation” factor is at an all-time high. Indeed, how does one describe musicians who have written their own place in the (listen closely Atom and NU 107!) Pinoy Rock Hall of Fame? And although I have painstakingly crafted THREE disparate “profiles” in my attempt to describe Pedicab, I have come to realize that their own words would more than suffice:

Chris Carlos: I’ve spoken with A LOT of your rabid fans and a common point of contention seems to be the beginnings of Pedicab. Some people say it was 2004. Others argue it was as recently as 2005. When did you guys hook up?
J. Sonic: Raims, Mike and I started jamming in August 2004 and then Diego and RA joined soon after. We played our first show in September of that same year in BigSkyMind. The first Revolver at saGuijo was one of our earliest gigs, as was Wolfmann’s first and only saGuijo birthday party in November ’04, which was a lot of fun. By January ’05, we were already in the studio recording “Tugish Takish.”
Daddy Maps: We were formed in 2004 and released an album (in) 2005.

CC: I’ve been told that the name “Pedicab” was chosen because, like the popular mode of transport, your sound is easy to get and “madaling sakyan.” Is this correct?
JS: Actually, a member of our mailing list came up with that line of reasoning, and we thought it was cool, so we started using it. The real reason is simpler than that. Mike and I were standing on a sidewalk thinking of a band name and a pedicab passed by. The driver, thinking we were waiting for a ride, said, “Sir, pedicab?” We thought, “Pedicab! ‘Yun na ‘yon!”

CC: Your “other” bands are quite well known throughout the scene. What made you decide to form a group completely antithetical to your other “gigs?” Do you, as musicians, sometimes feel that you are spreading yourselves too thin?
DM: We’re just addicted to Music and just have to make more… and sometimes it’s fun to play with other musicians. Iba rin yung feeling, satisfaction and output.

CC: With regards to the songwriting process, is it a meeting of minds or does one person usually come up with the basic structure? Who is the primary composer?
JS: For the 10 songs that are included in “Tugish,” Raimund, Mike and I jammed and came up with the music from scratch, then recorded a demo in Raims’ PC, which we later gave Diego to put words on. We actually wrote AROUND Mike's beats. He came up with all these drum patterns he wanted to use, so we wrote riffs around them or matched an existing riff to a certain beat. For our new material, some of us already have fully formed songs, especially Diego, who now contributes to writing the Music.

CC: I gotta ask…what’s the deal with the identical costumes?
JS: When we came up with the idea, it was in response to the fact that we all had other bands and we wanted to have this mindset that whenever we would play with Pedicab, we would be on “Pedicab mode,” so to speak. We wanted to be in this frame of mind that would differentiate us from our other bands. It even got to the point that we wouldn’t reveal ourselves during our earliest radio interviews. As for the costumes, we only have a couple of completely identical uniforms; most times we just try to look similar at best. But we still love doing it and we try to make the effort to do so because, deep down, it’s an excuse for us to do Devo’s shtick (laughs).

CC: Do you find it difficult to “transform” into Pedicab when all your other bands are so different in terms of image and sound? Don’t you get confused at times?
DM: Not really. With me, when I make a song, I rate it if it would go with Pedicab, Monsterbot or Cambio. Sometimes I’ll try it with all the bands and for some cosmic reason, a song works for Pedicab when WE feel it.
JS: Nowadays, we find ourselves having more than one gig on the same night, usually with all our other bands. It really just boils down to playing the songs right and giving the kids a good show.

CC: Here’s something everyone’s dying to know – what’s up with the stage names? Do you feel like somebody else…a different musician… during Pedicab gigs?
JS: Actually, in a sense that’s true, although in some cases it’s just a matter of playing a different instrument (as in Raims’ situation), but really it’s just that we’re playing a different style of Music. I guess that’s why most musicians form or join side bands anyway. DM: Wala lang, we’re just playing. We never had pseudo-names before so I think it’s just our shtick to do with this band.
JS: Speaking for myself, being the only guitar player in Pedicab (whereas my other bands have 2 or 3 guitarists), there was a conscious effort on my part to keep my guitar lines simple (i.e. repetitive riffs and/or power chords) to keep the band’s sound as tight and full as possible. I’m not saying that I didn’t put a lot of thought into my guitar parts for Pedicab as compared to my parts in Twisted Halo; rather, it was imperative for me to come up with riffs and sounds that I can replicate live on my own, hence the simplicity. But in reality, my guitar playing in both bands is within the parameters of what I’m capable of as a guitarist, which isn’t much (laughs). But seriously, there are a few Gang of Four-ish or Interpol-like moments in some Twisted Halo songs (“Breakable” and “Solace” from “Bolo Brigade”) which probably wouldn’t sound out of place in Pedicab’s Music.

CC: While we’re on the subject of influences, I hear brief allusions to certain bands when listening to “Tugish”…Franz Ferdinand. Modest Mouse. The Hives. The B52s. Devo. New Order. We Are Scientists. MorningWood. Blur. The Talking Heads. Elastica. Am I missing anyone else who MAY have served as an inspiration?
DM: The Faint.
JS: Most of those bands are spot-on, but we never heard MorningWood or We Are Scientists (on that note, even Bloc Party) before we recorded the album. But one influence we never forget is the Juan De La Cruz band, especially on our Filipino songs. Actually, I had even more abstract pegs for Pedicab when we were starting out like Q and Not U (because both bands had a guitar/synth/drums lineup) or The Dismemberment Plan. But the songs ended up being ‘poppier’ than I expected, so there. The Cure (at least the early, angular stuff) are also an influence, as are Gang of Four, the Clash and The Fall.

CC: On the subject of “influences,” a lot of “serious” artists from more “ethnic” sounding bands accuse newer Pinoy groups of, too consciously, emulating Western sounds and trends. Ano ba talaga ang “Original Pilipino Music” as you see it?
DM: Okay lang, eh trip nila mag-ganun eh, di ako mag aapekto. I think OPM is literally a piece of Music made by a Filipino. But I remember Buddy Zabala saying it could be anything about Filipino topics.
JS: (Laughs) Ewan. Older listeners say that we remind them of Devo, while younger fans mention more recent bands like Bloc Party. We won’t deny that we’re inspired by all these groups, so if they judge us as such, so be it. Personally, hindi rin naman ako mahilig sa “world Music” eh. But I won’t waste the effort at being a hater. Basta orig yung kanta, at sinulat, kinanta, at tinugtog ng Pinoy artist, OPM na ‘yun. ‘Nuff said.

CC: We, in saGuijo, LOVE it when you bands have the opportunity to play larger gigs. However, I always get the impression that the “energy” is different in “cozier” venues…parang mas-malakas ang dating ninyo sa mas-maliit na lugar. Care to comment?
DM: Iba rin yung feeling sa big shows. May times na binabato kami at meron din rock out dancing to the max talaga. Pero ang saya din sa bar gigs. You have more time to extend the sets.
JS: In the clubs, we get to play longer sets, which is why there’s more time for that “energy” to build up. It’s true that there are some bands that are more “club” bands than “arena” bands or vice versa. But I don’ think that has anything to do with the nature of the Music; I think it depends more on how a band would react or be driven by the kind of audience they have. Some bands prefer the intimate, “in-your-face” nature of club audiences, while other bands would rather get worked up by massive, albeit distant, crowds. Only the most experienced performers don’t make the distinction, I guess.

CC: But the sole purpose of your performances seems to be to MAKE people get up off their asses and move to the Music. Why do you feel dancing is important in gigs…and Music in general?
DM: It’s fun! Iba rin yung satisfaction niya with moshing.
JS: In my opinion, all forms of Music elicit some kind of bodily reaction, even in the most abstract sense. Only geeks like me stand still and watch every detail (laughs). Not that it’s of extreme importance to us, but our Music is all about having a good time, and it just so happens that dancing to our Music is how our audience naturally reacts to us.

CC: That’s an understatement if I’ve ever heard one! Have you SEEN the look of absolute rapture the crowd has when your band starts playing? I’ve also noticed that you guys seem to be enjoying yourselves during these gigs. In your opinion, why is “FUN” element so important in these gigs?
JS: It’s quite simple really – there’s no point in playing Music, or doing anything for that matter, if you don’t derive enjoyment from it, even in the smallest degree possible. I’ve always said to myself that the moment I don’t have fun playing anymore is when I quit…be it from a particular band…or performing as a whole.

So there it is, really. All that verbose rationalizing by highfalutin critics can finally be laid to rest. Pedicab is NOT a “concept” band…at least not in any grandiose way. You see, the thing about “artsy-fartsy” acts is that they often have their heads stuck so far up their asses that they forget WHY Music is the most vital and vibrant of ALL the art forms. It can be simple… and still get a point across. It can be mind-numbingly celebratory… without being hedonistically epicurean. Philosophical discourse set to sound is all well and good. How else would you explain the commercial success of the Radioheads and the Pink Floyds of the Music industry? But ideas and intelligence aren’t always packaged in 10-minute epic treatises lambasting the cruelties of society. No. They can hit you at an angle. Pedicab lack the pretension of the world that they exist in. This, perhaps, is why they can only shake their heads in amusement when any number of “experts” attempt to find some sort of underlying message in the Music. Whether there are deeper motivations to each composition is, in the end, irrelevant. Take these songs for what they are: a joyous excuse for raging the night away. Enjoying oneself doesn’t necessarily imply an utter lack of substance. You CAN find poignancy on the dance floor. Because, in a world that grows grimmer by the second, even pleasure has a purpose. And sometimes…just sometimes… “having a good time” is a “meaning” all on its own.

-C.C.-