Positive funkhop in 2 languages - Filipino and English.

Bangon (Demo)

It was one of two roughly published works - I really only had two back then - I submitted to the iconic Mercury Lounge in New York City which earned for me a performance on its hallowed stage that launched the likes of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran and Radiohead. Ecstasy, which is dance music I finished just weeks before the eerily quiet new year of 2021, is my first venture into EDM and the first commercially produced single from the Pearl Drive Project. Pulsating and steamy, it talks about the ecstasy of being around someone you deeply feel for.

Ecstasy

When I asked Paul Yap (bassist of the famed Pinoy band, Up Dharma Down) to refer me to a good mixing person for Ecstasy, little did I know that he was hooking me up with a remarkable music creator himself. Francis Lorenzo of the multi-awarded indie band, Sleepwalk Circus, was not only an amazing engineer but a wonderful creative collaborator. This is his chill house remix of Ecstasy.

Ecstasy (Ringmaster Mix)

What do you get when you put together the talents of the original guitarist of South Border, Butch Victoriano, the bass sessionist of Journey frontman Arnel Pineda, Ian Maniquiz, the drummer of the late Filipino music icon Francis Magalona, Boyet Carlos Aquino, and this singer-songwriter's unfinished tune from more than a decade ago? Hudas! Apparently, you get Hudas. 😈 😁 But seriously, I'm blessed and humbled by the tremendous talents I worked with on this project. Enjoy this edgy, gritty, and funky song about betrayal with Filipino lyrics.

Hudas

Because one great collaboration deserves another! Here’s my new rock single from the Pearl Drive Project, which is a second with the dream crew of  Butch Victoriano (original guitarist of South Border), Ian Maniquiz (bass sessionist of Arnel Pineda), and Boyet Carlos Aquino (drummer of the late great Francis Magalona). Fueled by a hard guitar riff that’s an ode to the great rock classics, it speaks of the journey a man must take for no higher reason except that he is called.

                              

Walk On

I still remember back in my days as an ad man when the unassuming clubs of Nakpil, Manila introduced me to electronic dance music. The fascination was instant, and it is perhaps this ongoing love for the genre that has inspired me to create some of my own. My latest single release from the Pearl Drive Project is deep house music that talks about a “mistake that masquerade as sweet escape".

Sweet Escape

The first time I heard “Still A Friend of Mine”, I was instantly captivated by the sound and artistry of the band Incognito. It sparked a connection that led me and fellow enthusiasts in college to put up our own acid jazz ensemble. And though we never took off because the genre was way ahead of its time in Manila, those days were some of the purest and most inspiring moments of my musical odyssey. My latest single from the Pearl Drive Project is a tribute to this band which has profoundly influenced me, to a genre that continues to fascinate me, and to a group of people who crafted the finest music alongside me. “Incognito” is a story of love at first sight infused with the enticing vibes of acid groove.

Incognito

Chill R&B in the style of Maxwell and Simply Red

iamilustrado

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