Ultraelectromagneticpop! is the debut studio album by the Philippine alternative rock band Eraserheads, first released on July 1, 1993 by BMG Records (Pilipinas) Inc. It was produced by the band (credited as “Dem”) and Ed Formoso.
Eraserheads formed in 1989 at University of the Philippines Diliman and signed a recording contract with BMG in 1992. They recorded Ultraelectromagneticpop! from July 1992 to April 1993. The recording was hampered by several reasons such as frequent brownouts and Formoso leaving the studio for undisclosed reasons.
The album spawned hit singles such as "Ligaya”, “Toyang”, and “Pare Ko”, best known for its explicit lyrics. It is often credited with revitalizing the alternative rock genre in the Philippines during the 1990s.
On January 26, 1991, the band recorded a nine-song demo tape at Marasigan's garage in Candelaria, Quezon. The demos were said to be influenced by the Cure as well as ska and reggae genres.[3] The band shopped the demo tape around record labels, clubs, and radio stations only to be met with rejection; one record label commented that the demos were “not pop enough”. Marasigan gave a copy of the demo tape to his humanities professor Robin Rivera, who helped them re-record and mix better versions of the demos. The new demo tape was named Pop-U! as an irreverent response to those who turned them down. [4]
Pop-U! earned the band a spot at Club Dredd, where they initially had little success playing covers. They decided to write their own material which soon earned them a cult following. One song, "Pare Ko", became popular for its explicit lyrics. The band soon landed an out-of-town gig opening for Introvoys in Cebu. Buendia wrote the song “Combo on the Run” about their experiences there.[2]
Meanwhile, Buendia worked as an copywriter for BMG and wrote songs with the band at night. Their material later caught the attention of BMG A&R director Vic Valenciano, who commented that they were technically very raw but that there was something promising in them.[5] In 1992, BMG signed the band into a three-year record deal.
Recording
Eraserheads recorded Ultraelectromagneticpop! from July 1992 to April 1993.[6] They initially worked with Ed Formoso for production duties.
The recording sessions were hampered by several incidents, such as brownouts and the recording equipment breaking down. Midway through a session, Formoso abruptly left the studio for undisclosed reasons, forcing the band to finish producing the rest of the album. They expressed their displeasure by inserting a backmasked message (“Formoso sucks!”) into “Combo on the Run”.[7][8]
The album title is a pun on the ultraelectromagnetic tops, a fictional weapon from the Japanese anime television series Voltes V, which was popular in the Philippines at the time. Working titles included Lutong Bahay, Pekaloid, The Klasik Kapums Konsert Kookout, and Eraserheads Greatest Hits Vol. 5.[9]
Some of the tracks such as “Pare Ko”, “Tindahan ni Aling Nena”, and “Toyang” were rerecorded from Pop-U!. “Pare Ko” is a ballad[12] and became notable for its explicit lyrics, which was unheard of in Philippine music at the time.[14] The album's initial release included both original and censored versions, with the latter named “Walang Hiyang Pare Ko” (later excluded from the album’s 25th anniversary remaster).[13] Buendia described “Tindahan ni Aling Nena” as a “shameless Beatles parody”.[9] “Toyang” features interpolations of Filipino folk songs as well as the popular song “Too Young” (composed by Sidney Lippman and written by Sylvia Dee) and “Silly Love Songs” by Paul McCartney's band Wings; the band credited Lippman, Dee and McCartney in the album liner notes. Marasigan described the song as “an anti-pop statement against the people who said we couldn’t do a pop song.”[9]
"Easy Ka Lang" is influenced by the local Manila Sound genre. "Maling Akala" has reggae elements, while the final track "Combo on the Run" is an attempt at funk according to Marasigan.[9] The album also features two filler tracks, “Ganjazz” and “Honky-Toinks Granny”, which feature vocals from producer Jojo Bacasmas.
BMG initially printed 5,000 copies of the album for its release. It ended up selling 300,000 copies by the end of the year.[15]
Reissues
In 2008, BMG reissued Eraserheads's back catalogue, including Ultraelectromagneticpop![16]
In November 2018, Buendia's record label Offshore Music and Sony Music Philippines released a 25th anniversary reissue of the album, which was remastered by Bernie Grundman.[17] The reissue was later released on vinyl in November 2019, limited to 2,500 copies.[18] After the band's reunion concert in 2022, it was re-released on streaming services to include 360-degree spatial sound.[19]
Legacy
The success of Ultraelectromagneticpop! paved the way for other Filipino rock bands such as Rivermaya, Siakol, Yano, Teeth, Rizal Underground, and Color It Red to similar mainstream prominence in the Philippines.[20] Its master tapes are currently in archive at the University of the Philippines Center for Ethnomusicology for its cultural importance.
^schizo's Eraserheads Video Vault. "Combo on the Run" backmasking revealed!". YouTube. Retrieved December 19, 2021. The uploader erroneously says the backmask is "Ed Formoso sucks!" despite it lacking an "Ed."
^Del Mundo, Jessica. "Eheads sa Amerika". Philmusic.com. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
