Glitch (20)

Glitch was a Rapcore/Nu Metal Band from Cebu City, Philippines. The Five-Piece Band consisted of Ryan "Cyanide" Sison on Vocals, Simon "Boobop" Nuñez on Bass, Christian "Bang'n'" Atienza on Guitar and Effects Sampler, RJ "Karate Kid" Galgo on Guitar, John "John-D" Mendoza on Drums and Abe "Spindikato" Rostaph on Turntables. With influences like Sepultura, Korn, Dilated Peoples, Weezer, and Arsonists they called their music "Hardcore Gangsta Metal". After they sent their demo tape to Octoarts EMI Music Inc., the Metro Manila-based Label signed the band and were able to release their Debut Album called Illementz in 2000. Illementz is described as a "contemplative album from the current Kings of Alternative Rock in the South, which fuses the ferocity of rock music with the infectious beats of hip-hop. This is just the beginning of a never-ending development in experimental sound and harmonics." "Glitch started out with four skateboarder friends (Cyanide, Boobop, Christian, John-D) some time early '99 after the original members' attempts to carry on had failed. Equipped with their Discmans every time they had skateboarding sessions, each found motivation in the music that they listened to--Korn, Sepultura, Limp Bizkit, etc. Until one day they decided among themselves, Why not push harder to make the band work? Rapcore was a new genre that, although it had already taken the rest of the world by storm, was somewhat unheard of here in Cebu, and it was what these B-boys found very appealing and interesting so they picked up on it. Although they never got to stage an actual performance yet, Cyanide and Boobop were already coordinating to come up with a couple of original compositions for the group. However, when they did get a chance to showcase their stuff for the first few times, majority of the Cebuano producers were skeptical about their style in sound. "In one of our early auditions (early to mid-last year), producers (for indoor rock gigs) would tell us that we were never going to make it to the scene with our style, with Rapcore," Boobop told Angelo Kangleon in an interview for a local daily's lifestyle section that came out November last year. "And then they'd s'ggest we play '80s songs--but we were, like, No f*ckin' way, man!" added Cyanide (unpublished in the article). As if to say, There's no way we're giving up. And they did just that. Over the next couple of days after that interview, they summoned a second 7-string guitarist into the group (RJ) and started to have even more aggressive rehearsal sessions. There were even brainstorming sessions, when they'd all sit together to discuss about coming up with more original songs. By the December of '99, Glitch already had five singles under their name--not bad for a start-up bunch who were only ridiculed by their contemporaries. After a couple of guest appearances towards the end of the year (mostly at Helium, now rebranded to become Jigers Bar), they were to become a new favorite among the younger (and less passive) rock enthusiasts. So it came as no surprise when they bagged First Place in the "NU107 Rock Assembly 1999" (Vis/Min), held early January of this year, winning over finalists from Davao and another from Cebu (Simon Gatecrash, Second Place). This achievement was what gave Glitch their notoriety, and they were to become one of the hottest-selling groups in town over the next few months, especially over the summer, at a number of beach parties (like the controversial "Jamaican Nights 2000") and other prestigious outdoor concerts (like the San Miguel Beer-sponsored "Summer Means Beer Music Festival"). Today, more or less a year later after that first interview where they'd shared their frustrations, Glitch are ten feet tall, bulletproof... It's hyperbole-speak, we know, but that's the only way we can put it. We're not about to give you a full account of their present roundabouts, just so we can let them speak for themselves. Allow us to announce, though (just in case some of you guys have been in hiding for the past couple of months), that Glitch has just released their debut album Illementz, which contains remastered versions of their initial five numbers plus seven new tracks (a total of twelve!), weeks ago, and on no less than Virgin/EMI! What seemed impossible only a year ago has made itself manifest now. And now you wonder what would have happened if they gave in to those bias, pseudo-intellectual producers who falsely reckoned Glitch were better off playing '80s stuff." Members: Ryan "Cyanide" Sison - Mic Boy Simon "Boobop" Nunez - Bass Buster Christian "Bang'n" Atienza - Geetarz/EFX RJ Galgo - Geetarz, 2 John Dean Mendoza - Skinslapper Abe "Spindikato" Pastor - Turntablez