Hastang
Encyclopedia
Hastang is a modern rock
band based in Cebu City
, Cebu
, Philippines
. It is composed of members Ara Chawdhury (vocals), Raul Luche Jr (guitars), Murray Suson (guitars), Guile Canencia (bass), and Mark Austin Ladanan (drums).
act Squirrel Talk) began jamming with Tessa and Roy with the sole purpose of writing all-original material.
The band’s first big break came in May 2005 when they made it to the finals of the MTV
Hits Cebu band showdown held at the SM City Cebu Parking Lot. With their hard rocking song Oblivion, Hastang went on to win second place over-all in the band competition. Since then, the band’s popularity in the indie scene increased as they made frequent appearances in music bars.
In 2006, the single Random began enjoying regular air play - even rising to the top 4 of a local station's weekly countdown.
Hastang also proved to be instrumental in reviving POST NO BILL, a series of gigs that showcases the best acts of the local music scene. Along with indie veterans Sheila and the Insects, Hastang has become a mainstay of this bi-monthly musical event held in various venues in Cebu.
Hastang has undergone some line-up changes in the last few years, notably in the addition of new singer Ara Chawdhury in 2009.
band Eve’s Garden) joined in to complete the dual-guitar format.
During this time, the band recorded 10 songs in Phoenix Glide Studios with the exception of Random
, which was recorded earlier in the summer of 2005 at the same studio. The said song was later re-mastered with Guile doing minor bass guitar re-dubs.
In early 2006, after four months of studio tracking and mixing, the band wrapped up the recording of the album.
Prior to joining Hastang:
debuted in MYX
on February 3, 2007. The music video features all band members performing in an old, run-down house. The video was conceptualized and directed by Rember Gelera.
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
band based in Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
, Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It is composed of members Ara Chawdhury (vocals), Raul Luche Jr (guitars), Murray Suson (guitars), Guile Canencia (bass), and Mark Austin Ladanan (drums).
History
Hastang was formed in February 2005 when Mark and Guile (remnants of the now-defunct indie rockIndie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
act Squirrel Talk) began jamming with Tessa and Roy with the sole purpose of writing all-original material.
The band’s first big break came in May 2005 when they made it to the finals of the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Hits Cebu band showdown held at the SM City Cebu Parking Lot. With their hard rocking song Oblivion, Hastang went on to win second place over-all in the band competition. Since then, the band’s popularity in the indie scene increased as they made frequent appearances in music bars.
In 2006, the single Random began enjoying regular air play - even rising to the top 4 of a local station's weekly countdown.
Hastang also proved to be instrumental in reviving POST NO BILL, a series of gigs that showcases the best acts of the local music scene. Along with indie veterans Sheila and the Insects, Hastang has become a mainstay of this bi-monthly musical event held in various venues in Cebu.
Hastang has undergone some line-up changes in the last few years, notably in the addition of new singer Ara Chawdhury in 2009.
Album Recording
In late 2005, Hastang commenced the recording of their debut album, which contains 11 original tracks they’ve written and arranged in the last eight months. It was at this time that guitar player Raul (formerly of hard rockHard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Eve’s Garden) joined in to complete the dual-guitar format.
During this time, the band recorded 10 songs in Phoenix Glide Studios with the exception of Random
Random (song)
"Random" is a song by the Cebuano rock band Hastang. The song's lyrics was written by Julie Ann "Yanyan" Redoble, with the melody and music written by lead singer Tessa Manto and bass player Guile Canencia. The musical arrangement of the song is credited to Hastang...
, which was recorded earlier in the summer of 2005 at the same studio. The said song was later re-mastered with Guile doing minor bass guitar re-dubs.
In early 2006, after four months of studio tracking and mixing, the band wrapped up the recording of the album.
Band members
- Ara Chawdhury - lead vocals
- Murray Suson - guitars
- Raul Luche Jr - guitars
- Mark Austin Ladanan - drums
- Guile Canencia - bass
Prior to joining Hastang:
- Current guitarist Raul played lead guitars for Eve's Garden.
- Current singer Ara sang for Dama de Noche.
Music video
The music video for OblivionOblivion (song)
"Oblivion" is a song by the Cebuano rock band Hastang. The song's lyrics was written by Julie Ann "Yanyan" Redoble, with the melody and music written by lead singer Tessa Manto and bass player Guile Canencia. The musical arrangement of the song is credited to Hastang.-Music video:The music video...
debuted in MYX
Myx
myx or MYX is the music channel of ABS-CBN brand and the #1 music channel in the Philippines. It is also a part of Studio 23's program line-up. In 2007, MYX North America was launched in the United States....
on February 3, 2007. The music video features all band members performing in an old, run-down house. The video was conceptualized and directed by Rember Gelera.