Lokomotiv (band)
Encyclopedia
Lokomotiv was a Southern California
-based rock band which counted among its line-up, the key members of some of the most successful hard rock bands in the Philippines
during the 1990s -- Wolfgang
and Razorback
.
.
Lokomotiv first came together in January 2003 in Orange County
, California
, with Gemora, California native Danny Gonzales and guitarist James MacDonnell forming the initial line-up. A year later, David Aguirre of Razorback was recruited into the band. A few months after, Artadi, who was then living in San Francisco, was offered the job of fronting the band; he accepted. At this point, MacDonnell opted to leave the band.
. A music video was filmed for one of the album's tracks -- Five Alive. This music video saw heavy rotation in the Philippines through MYX
Music Channel and MTV
Asia. The debut album was released in the Philippines in September 2006.
Basti Artadi left the band on June 24, 2006, due to "musical and creative differences". In late August 2006 singer/songwriter Ryan Hudson, hailing from Norman, Oklahoma
was recruited to front the band.
Lokomotiv returned to the Philippines late in 2006 to tour in support of their debut album. One of the venues they played was the MTV
Music Summit 2006 for HIV/AIDS held December 2006 at the Bonifacio Global City Open Field, Taguig, Metro Manila
. The quartet then went back to the United States to continue performing and recording new material for their second album, which was tentatively scheduled for release in the fall of 2007. But in a recent online interview, drummer Wolf Gemora announced that the band had broken up soon after the Philippine tour due to financial difficulty with keeping the band going. As of now, González, Gemora, and Aguirre are performing under the name 3 Headed Dog. Ryan Hudson is now fronting Los Angeles-based band, Love And A .38.
, Led Zeppelin
, AC/DC
, Thin Lizzy
, The Ramones, Judas Priest
, Iron Maiden
, Metallica
, Soundgarden
, the Rollins Band
, Audioslave
and Velvet Revolver
among its musical influences.
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
-based rock band which counted among its line-up, the key members of some of the most successful hard rock bands in the 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...
during the 1990s -- Wolfgang
Wolfgang (Filipino band)
Wolfgang is a Filipino heavy metal, hard rock and grunge band formed around 1992 in Manila, Philippines. Wolfgang is notable for being the only Filipino rock band to release albums in Japan and the United States and for realizing Platinum record sales in their home country...
and Razorback
Razorback (band)
Razorback is a Filipino hard rock band formed in 1990. Originally known for being regulars at the now-defunct Kalye, a club in Makati, the band had proven their onstage mettle many times over, via their own club gigs to full-scale concerts as well as for having opened for Rage Against the Machine...
.
History
In 2002, Basti Artadi and Wolf Gemora of Wolfgang decided to leave the Philippines as they became disillusioned with the future of hard rock in the country's music industry and settled in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Lokomotiv first came together in January 2003 in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, with Gemora, California native Danny Gonzales and guitarist James MacDonnell forming the initial line-up. A year later, David Aguirre of Razorback was recruited into the band. A few months after, Artadi, who was then living in San Francisco, was offered the job of fronting the band; he accepted. At this point, MacDonnell opted to leave the band.
Debut album, new vocalist and break-up
In October 2005, the band recorded their debut album, entitled Rock N' Roll Death TollRock N' Roll Death Toll
Rock N' Roll Death Toll is the first album by Lokomotiv, released in 2006.-Track listing:# "House of Lies" - # "Ride With Me" - # "State of Mind" - # "Ashes of Home" - # "Inert Passerby" - # "Slow Grind" -...
. A music video was filmed for one of the album's tracks -- Five Alive. This music video saw heavy rotation in the Philippines through 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....
Music Channel and 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....
Asia. The debut album was released in the Philippines in September 2006.
Basti Artadi left the band on June 24, 2006, due to "musical and creative differences". In late August 2006 singer/songwriter Ryan Hudson, hailing from Norman, Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
was recruited to front the band.
Lokomotiv returned to the Philippines late in 2006 to tour in support of their debut album. One of the venues they played was 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....
Music Summit 2006 for HIV/AIDS held December 2006 at the Bonifacio Global City Open Field, Taguig, Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
. The quartet then went back to the United States to continue performing and recording new material for their second album, which was tentatively scheduled for release in the fall of 2007. But in a recent online interview, drummer Wolf Gemora announced that the band had broken up soon after the Philippine tour due to financial difficulty with keeping the band going. As of now, González, Gemora, and Aguirre are performing under the name 3 Headed Dog. Ryan Hudson is now fronting Los Angeles-based band, Love And A .38.
Influences
Lokomotiv counts Jimi HendrixJimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
, The Ramones, Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, the Rollins Band
Rollins Band
Rollins Band was an American rock band led by singer and songwriter Henry Rollins.They are best known for the songs "Low Self Opinion" and "Liar", which both earned heavy airplay on MTV in the early 1990s...
, Audioslave
Audioslave
Audioslave was an American rock supergroup that formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001. It consisted of former Soundgarden lead singer/rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell and the former instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine: Tom Morello , Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk...
and Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
among its musical influences.
Trivia
- Danny Gonzales played bass for the experimental metal group B.K.S. from 1991 until 1996. He later was in the acoustic/electric duo, Face Down from 2001 - 2003.
- Before fronting for Lokomotiv, Basti Artadi was with a San Francisco-based band called Kitaan and a Manila-based heavy metalHeavy metal musicHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band WolfgangWolfgangWolfgang is a German male given name traditionally popular in Germany and Austria. Its earliest known bearer was a tenth century saint. The name is a combination of the Old High German word wulf, meaning "wolf" and gang, meaning "path". Grimm interpreted the name as that of a hero in front of...
. - Ryan Hudson was singer/songwriter and guitarist for Norman, Oklahoma-based rock group Lazarus IV from 2001 until 2005.