MANILA | What happens when the country’s most promising indie folk band joins forces with legendary musicians specializing in loud, riveting hard rock?
With no less than fellow reputable musicians Raimund Marasigan and Buddy Zabala acting as music producers, the summit between The Ransom Collective and Urbandub’s Gabby Alipe and John Dinopol for this week’s edition of “Coke Studio” should be an exciting collaboration to look forward to.
“We all grew up listening to Urbandub, and it’s very heavy and it differs so much from our sound because ours is way lighter,” exclaimed Jermaine Choa Peck of the acoustic alternative group.
Unbeknownst to one of OPM’s rising sensations, Alipe and Dinopol are equally fascinated with The Ransom Collective.
“The new generation of bands now are very eclectic with the choice of genres they pursue, even with the way they write and express themselves,” Alipe noted.
The second in a series of “mashups we never thought we needed,” the team-up of the Urbandub boys and the Ransom Collective follows the unlikely tandem of folk legend Noel Cabangon and rapper Curtismith that formally launched “Coke Studio.”
A musical platform driven by the theme of no boundaries in a constant search for diversity and creativity in human talent anywhere it abounds, “Coke Studio” aims to elevate an already resurgent Original Pilipino Music scene.
It hopes to achieve this with its unique concept of pitting talented musicians identified with varying genres for the challenging task of creating exciting new sounds for the present and next generation of music fans.
Founded in 2013 and influenced by Western acts like Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers and Local Natives, The Ransom Collective won the grand prize of the Wanderband competition in 2014. Since then, they have performed alongside local and international acts. Composed of six members, four of whom are female, the band is known for instruments that are not normally used by pop and rock acts like the violin and the xylophone.
Alipe and Dinopol were founding members of the Cebu-based Urbandub, founded at the start of the new millennium in 2000. Between 2001 and 2013, the band released six studio albums and over a dozen hit singles including anthemic tunes like “First of Summer,” “Guillotine,” “Evidence,” “The Fight is Over,” and “Gravity.” Even though they held a “farewell concert” in 2015, Urbandub continues to perform actively as a trio.
For their collaboration, the two groups worked on the basic arrangement initiated by Kian Ransom. Despite being the more senior and experienced musicians of the lot, Alipe and Dinopol were both okay with deferring to their younger counterparts.
“When we were offered this project, we took a stance that they [Ransom Collective] should be the highlight of this event because it’s their time,” Alipe pointed out.
In addition to the actual collaboration, “Coke Studio” will also feature performances by The Ransom Collective, including a cover of an Urbandub classic. Alipe and Dinopol will return the favor by interpreting a Ransom Collective tune with the help of guest musicians.
With an intriguing mix of sought-after musicians and rising newcomers, “Coke Studio” hopes to inspire the creation of fresh and exciting musical content that will influence impressionable young audiences into appreciating Original Pilipino Music like they never did before.
Succeeding episodes of “Coke Studio” will also feature Raymund Marasigan and Myrene Academia of Sandwich, Reese Lansangan, Jensen Gomez of Jensen and the Flips, BP Valenzuela, Josh Villena of Autotelic, Eunice Jorge of Gracenote, Franco Reyes of FRANCO, Ebe Dancel, Maysh Baay of Moonstar 88, and Abra.
“Coke Studio” airs every Saturday at 7PM on TV5. For social media updates, subscribe to the show’s YouTube channel and follow the Coca Cola Facebook page.
