Ultraelectromagneticpop!

Ultraelectromagneticpop!
Studio album by Eraserheads
Released	July 1993
Recorded	JR Recording Studios (tracks 5, 6, 9, 12) and Ad & Ad Recording Studio (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11), 1992- 1993
Genre	OPM
Length	43:32
Label	Musiko Records & BMG Records (Pilipinas) Inc.
Producer	Eraserheads (credited as Dem), Ed Formoso
Eraserheads chronology
Pop U! (1991) Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993) Circus (1994)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link

Ultraelectromagneticpop! (officially written as ultraelectromagneticpop!) is the debut studio album of the Filipino alternative rock band Eraserheads, released by Sony BMG Music Philippines Inc. (Formerly BMG Records Pilipinas, Inc.) in 1993. Ultraelectromagneticpop! spawned hit songs such as "Ligaya," "Toyang," and "Pare Ko." The album brought the underground Philippine college rock scene into public awareness and the emergence of "Eraserheadsmania" because of successive hit singles and sold-out concerts. The CD version of the album comes with lyrics but the cassette tape version does not.

Background

Though Ultraelectromagneticpop! was their debut album, most of the songs were recycled from original compositions that were written since their college days in 1989. Hoping to have their songs published, the band recorded a demo tape in 1991 and shopped around record labels and radio stations, only to be rejected at every turn. A friend-professor from their school, UP Diliman, helped them record an improved version of the demo tape which was named Pop U!, a play on the invective "fuck you," in response to the people who turned them down. After a year of being passed around the underground music scene, the demo tape made its way to the hands of BMG Records (Philippines), who signed a three-year contract with the band.

The title of the album is a pun on ultraelectromagnetic tops, one of the weapons of the Japanese anime serial Voltes V, which was massively broadcast in the Philippines.

Recording

The recording of Ultraelectromagneticpop started on July 1992 to April 1993 with crazy working titles like "Lutong Bahay", "Pekaloid", "The Klasik Kapums Konsert Kookout", and "Eraserheads Greatest Hits Vol. 5". at Ad & Ad Recording Studio and JR Recording Studio.

Based on their production notes, they somewhat had a hard time during their recording sessions. It was stated that there are two things on their recording sessions : Heaven and Hell.

Hell: Ac and Ad. Brownouts, floods, rain, wait ancient equipment, No DAT, Ed Formoso, master recording machine kept slowing down and breaking up.

Heaven: JR Recording. Groovy engineer, Mr. Willie (the screen) Munji. Freedom! Experimentation. Everything we wanted. Good food, sound, equipment (d-drums! effects! sofa!)

Release

The album was released by BMG Records ( Pilipinas ) under the label's local division, Musiko Records in July 1993. The album was originally issued on both compact disc and cassette tape formats with the respective catalog numbers: MRCD-032 and MRMC-032. Original issue cassettes featured full-color sticker labels on both sides.

In 2008, the album was re-released together with the band's other albums.

Track listing

1. "Easy Ka Lang" (Ely Buendia)
2. "Maling Akala"(*) (Ely Buendia & Raimund Marasigan)
3. "Pare Ko" (Ely Buendia)
4. "Shake Yer Head" (Ely Buendia)
5. "Ganjazz"(*) (Ely Buendia, Marcus Adoro, Hector Zabala, Raimund Marasigan & Jojo Bacasmas)
6. "Toyang"(*) (Ely Buendia & Marcus Adoro)
7. "Ligaya" (Ely Buendia)
8. "Tindahan Ni Aling Nena" (Ely Buendia)
9. "Honky-Toinks Granny"(*) (Marcus Adoro)
10. "Shirley"(*) (Ely Buendia & Raimund Marasigan)
11. "Walang Hiyang Pare Ko" (Ely Buendia)
12. "Combo On The Run"(*) (Ely Buendia & Raimund Marasigan)

All Tracks Produced by Ed Formoso.

While songs with this sign (*) are produced by Dem.

Legacy

The release of Ultraelectromagneticpop! gave way to other Filipino bands to splash onto the Philippine Alternative Music Scene and also saw the emergence of the so-called "90's Rock Revolution" in the Philippines.

In 2016, rumors were spread about re-recording the album because of its sheer rawness.

Notes

• "Pare Ko" and "Walang Hiyang Pare Ko" are actually the same song. The latter is a clean, radio-friendly version of the former.
• "Toyang" was slightly inspired by "Too Young," a composition written by Sylvia Dee and Sidney Lippman which was well known for Nat King Cole's rendition. The song also makes reference to several Filipino folk songs and as well as the Paul McCartney-penned "Silly Love Songs." Buendia's inspiration behind the song was his then long time college girlfriend, Victoria Cayago.
• "Ganjazz" was a jazz version of "Honky-Toinks Granny" and was recorded with Jojo Bacasmas on vocals.
• "Honky-Toinks Granny" was a country version of "Ganjazz".
• The album has a modified version of the Parental Advisory sticker. (See the cover art at the infobox.) It reads:
  • "Parental Advisory: Some songs may not be suitable for children (but there isn't anything in this album that your kids haven't heard before!)"

References

• Allmusic Review
• schizo-archives.com
• ultraelectromagneticpop! Cassette Inlay