bios
SATORI
also known as popsmear before is not a band. Or perhaps not "just".
It is a collective vision of five semi-adults under one passion---to play
music that they want and love.
Like your typical group, they started out as
small town mates from Calamba jamming and figuring out covers from
typical bands that graced the airwaves back in the mid-90s. Well, the only
problem is they can't just do it right or so to speak, they can't deliver it
in perfect showband swagger. That's maybe the reason why this lads opted on
playing originals.
Back in the days it was just Jotay on drums,
Mike( current roady) on guitars, Jeboy on vocals/second guitars and Mabeng on
bass. After blissful kicks out of playing music and not to mention,
pissing off neighbors, they decided to take it further. Yes, further: from
their shitty neighborhood to more shittier neighborhoods.
Jotay found out he love guitars more than
bashing skins. Mike booted out. Mabeng and Jeboy stayed. Venver, a resident
hanger-on , filled in for drums to be replaced later by Jotay's cousin,
LJ. With nervous anticipation, the then nameless group debuted as Popsmear on
an anti-war gig aptly called "Concert for Peace" at Calamba Town Plaza on
April 6, 2003. The gig wasn't much a groundbreaking performance but again, the
kicks stuck enough for them to want to play more, anywhere, anytime and
anyhow.
After countless invitational jams, birthday
parties, debuts, wedding celebrations and even funeral wakes the band just got
burned out. Members come and members, go or in some case, gone sour.
Mabeng took a break after a stone-throwing incident committed by a drunk and
irritated neighbor making Jotay concentrate on his bleeding forehead than his
guitar solos. The period from 2003 to 2004 was really a depressing time. It
seems like nothing's going on much save perhaps internal scuffles inside the
group.
With a genuine resolve to continue what
they have started, the remaining three recruited a regular bystander to
fill-in for Mabeng. Elmo had a short stint playing bass for Popsmear. Going
AWOL before a Muziklaban gig in 2003, Mabeng came back only to leave the band
later. Edan, a longtime band mate and childhood sweetheart of LJ manned
the low-end from then on. Jeboy never loved the idea that much and internal
problems gone acute so the pioneering "singer" chose to concentrate more on
motorbikes and his family. Good thing before the band got stucked into a
temporary limbo, they had managed to pull-out a demo with Edan's constant
prodding.
The demo got a not-so-bad review from NU 107's
In The Raw despite the ubberly amateurish production. Not bad. The band
got it's waning drive back. And as if things are really meant for them,
Mabeng rejoined and also Elmo minus the substance abuse problem.
New songs took shape out of their incestuous
musical orgies as usual at Jotay's crib. The band's sound is living out
what their name suggested--- dirty pop music.
Fusing elements of generic pop( e-heads,
rivermaya et al) and not so digestible sounds of Sonic Youth, The Pixies
and Dischord supergroups like Fugazi, their new materials
came out thousand miles away from their old sound. Instead of rehashing covers
from rapcore artists (then popular among local bands) or cutting their
bangs and growing mullets strutting like showbands at Padi's Point or other
trendy hang-outs. Popsmear led the road less traveled--- being your self.
This attitude towards music gained them friends
and rabid detractors in their hometown . You can't please everyone indeed.
Enjoying bite-sized fame after their sophomore
demo aptly titled "Going Nowhere... Still Going" got reviewed positively on In
The Raw at NU 107 (yup, it's the second time), the band continued rehearsing
furiously and playing at any venues available, most times spending a lot
without any return of investment. In result, internal friction and burn-out
lurks the band again anywhere they go.
A Muziklaban gig at Lucena in 2004 blew Elmo's
fuse. Depression gobbled him into oblivion. He left to join another group
forcing his bandmates to grab Thuts by the wrist as a replacement. LJ kept
fucking up during practices and gigs too busy concentrating on his "new"
family so Ramille, Turndown's skinbasher called the shots..
Life goes on for Popsmear. Until one gig at San
Pedro with critically acclaimed outfits like Typecast, Pile Driver,
MyLastStand, local legends A.D.A. and Spenglers, Elmo hanging out with
Typecast and quite fucked-up , joined Popsmear for an impromptu and
spastic jam with Thuts on drums leaving him with a bleeding finger and a
resolve to rejoin the band for good.
2005 turned out nice. The band got a manager,
some out of town gigs and a fresh vigor to make music that they love no matter
what. Robert Villafuerte of Torn Ticket Productions played a major role in
motivating the band to play their best resulting a five-song demo consisting
of three originals and a couple of their manager's own composition. The disk,
tentatively titled "The Blender e.p." got another shot from NU's In The Raw
last April 3 but this time a live interview instead of just a plain airplay.
At this point the band's on their feet as usual
constantly searching and concocting a sound they can call their own
instead of subverting themselves into sick trends and other people's dictates.
They may not be as big as your favorite bands hogging airplay on some
so-and-so radio station or as posh and good looking as any celebrity-rubbing
pop combo, but one thing for sure, they will continue making and playing music
whether you like it or not.