Mistula
Encyclopedia
Mistula is the first Filipino
virtual band
, and is composed of four customized ball-jointed doll
s. They fuse music, graphic art, literature, photography, and other art forms, built around themes of Catholic
idolatry
and cultural commentary.
The band disseminates information and releases songs as well as other creative projects through their official website, and their online presence is maintained through their regularly updated blog
s chronicling the band's virtual lives.
Since its formation, Mistula has received recognition from various music websites, such as PhilMusic.com, the Philippine music source; Rakista.com, the online community of Pinoy rock
; and PinoyRadio.com, a New Jersey-based web station. The band has also been featured in magazines such as RockNation and Sense&Style, both Philippine publications; Fashion Doll Quarterly, a U.S.-based doll magazine; and German publications, Mangaszene, and Cho². Their official fansite, The Black Rosary, has gained membership from all parts of the globe since the site's launch.
Mistula has garnered international recognition by being the first Filipino band to win a place in the International Play & Rate Competition of the UK-based site, Overplay.
In 2007 and 2008, Mistula was featured on Philippine TV programs, such as Lovely Day
, Mel and Joey
, The Sweet Life, and G-Cube.
term that translates to "in the likeness of", "resembling closely", or "similar to". The name pertains to the virtual aspect of the band. It is also reflective of the veneration of idealized images of Catholic saints which is prevalent in the Philippines.
Their second single, "Baptized", was launched on November 30, 2004, along with a major update in the official website and the addition of a new rhythm guitarist from the UK, Dragan. It was also during this time that Pinoy Radio invited Mistula to have their songs available for listening on the Pinoy Radio website. Their songs "Mulat" and "Baptized" have consistently been in the Pinoy Radio bestseller charts. Mistula also released its first line of merchandise which consisted of band shirts and souvenir items for ball-jointed doll
s. The band was recognized by RockBand.com.
and Cutud.
From October 2005 to December 2005, Mistula featured several different updates. Mistula released their first ever music video: Mulat. It was during this time that Black Rosary: the official Mistula fanclub was launched, and it featured exclusive merchandise, such as behind-the-scenes images from the making of Mulat.
Mistula's foray into the graphic novel genre with their piece, "In Likeness Of", earned them a finalist place in the 1st Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards sponsored by Neil Gaiman
and Fully Booked.
Mistula released their single called "Pista ng Patay" (Feast Day of the Dead) on November 17, 2006. This song was not made available for download on the official Mistula website, but was released through the website Overplay as "an Overplay exclusive". The official website itself underwent a major update, featuring artwork by Fabo and his Second design crew. "Pista ng Patay" has consistently been on top of the Overplay Overall and Rock Charts since its release.
's AMP (Asian Music Platform) website.
On April 12, 2009, Mistula released "Salamat sa Iyo, Manikako" ("Thank you, Manikako") as a "gift" to Manikako, a charity project focused on helping less fortunate children hone their creativity through doll-making. The song is a collaboration between the band and the children involved in the Manikako project, and was first performed live at an event on February 23, 2008. The song was also the first track that was made available for download on Overplay.com for a donation of 1 US Dollar. All the proceeds from the song downloads go to funding Manikako's free doll-making workshops.
. Some bands they have frequently mentioned as their influences include the heavy metal bands Metallica
and Pantera
, and early Pinoy rock
bands such as Mutiny, and Dahong Palay.
s by Volks Inc.
from Japan and Cerberus Project from Korea. The dolls' virtual lives and profiles are documented on their official websites.
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
virtual band
Virtual band
In music, a virtual band is any group whose members are not corporeal musicians, but animated characters...
, and is composed of four customized ball-jointed doll
Ball-jointed doll
A ball-jointed doll is any doll that is articulated with ball and socket joints. In contemporary usage when referring to modern dolls, and particularly when using the acronyms BJD or ABJD, it usually refers to modern Asian ball-jointed dolls. These are cast in polyurethane synthetic resin, a hard,...
s. They fuse music, graphic art, literature, photography, and other art forms, built around themes of Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
idolatry
Idolatry
Idolatry is a pejorative term for the worship of an idol, a physical object such as a cult image, as a god, or practices believed to verge on worship, such as giving undue honour and regard to created forms other than God. In all the Abrahamic religions idolatry is strongly forbidden, although...
and cultural commentary.
The band disseminates information and releases songs as well as other creative projects through their official website, and their online presence is maintained through their regularly updated blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s chronicling the band's virtual lives.
Since its formation, Mistula has received recognition from various music websites, such as PhilMusic.com, the Philippine music source; Rakista.com, the online community of Pinoy rock
Pinoy rock
Pinoy rock, or Filipino rock, is the brand of rock music produced in the Philippines or by Filipinos. It has become as diverse as the rock music genre itself, and bands adopting this style are now further classified under more specific genres or combinations of genres like alternative rock,...
; and PinoyRadio.com, a New Jersey-based web station. The band has also been featured in magazines such as RockNation and Sense&Style, both Philippine publications; Fashion Doll Quarterly, a U.S.-based doll magazine; and German publications, Mangaszene, and Cho². Their official fansite, The Black Rosary, has gained membership from all parts of the globe since the site's launch.
Mistula has garnered international recognition by being the first Filipino band to win a place in the International Play & Rate Competition of the UK-based site, Overplay.
In 2007 and 2008, Mistula was featured on Philippine TV programs, such as Lovely Day
Lovely Day (TV series)
Lovely Day: LD Force of the Guardians is an informative news and public affairs television show in the Philippines hosted by Love Añover, Jacob Raterta and the StarStruck Kids finalists, Bea Binene and Gabriel Roxas...
, Mel and Joey
Mel and Joey
Mel & Joey is a Filipino television talk and lifestyle show that airs every Sunday evenings by GMA Network.It replaced the previous talk show, Partners with Mel Tiangco, where Mel Tiangco hosted when Jay Sonza ran for election to the Senate of the Philippines under the party, Aksyon Demokratiko,...
, The Sweet Life, and G-Cube.
History
Mistula was conceptualized by Joey David and her husband, Rey Tiempo, in 2004. They came up with the idea for the band upon fusing David's ideas for a website devoted to Catholic iconography with Tiempo's ideas for a website for his rock band. "Mistula" is a FilipinoFilipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
term that translates to "in the likeness of", "resembling closely", or "similar to". The name pertains to the virtual aspect of the band. It is also reflective of the veneration of idealized images of Catholic saints which is prevalent in the Philippines.
Baptized and Mulat (2004)
Mistula was formed with Bella Lugosi, Manx Minuet and Uno on August 30, 2004. On September 2, 2004, their official website was launched, along with their first single, "Mulat".Their second single, "Baptized", was launched on November 30, 2004, along with a major update in the official website and the addition of a new rhythm guitarist from the UK, Dragan. It was also during this time that Pinoy Radio invited Mistula to have their songs available for listening on the Pinoy Radio website. Their songs "Mulat" and "Baptized" have consistently been in the Pinoy Radio bestseller charts. Mistula also released its first line of merchandise which consisted of band shirts and souvenir items for ball-jointed doll
Ball-jointed doll
A ball-jointed doll is any doll that is articulated with ball and socket joints. In contemporary usage when referring to modern dolls, and particularly when using the acronyms BJD or ABJD, it usually refers to modern Asian ball-jointed dolls. These are cast in polyurethane synthetic resin, a hard,...
s. The band was recognized by RockBand.com.
The Last Supper, Mulat music video, and Black Rosary (2005)
On March 27, 2005, Mistula released their third single: The Last Supper; which features both Manx Minuet and Uno on vocals. The Mistula website featured images of the band's custom instruments, created by renowned Filipino guitar maker, Lumanog. The instruments are named after historic Philippine landmarks, such as CebuCebu
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...
and Cutud.
From October 2005 to December 2005, Mistula featured several different updates. Mistula released their first ever music video: Mulat. It was during this time that Black Rosary: the official Mistula fanclub was launched, and it featured exclusive merchandise, such as behind-the-scenes images from the making of Mulat.
Dolorosa and Pista ng Patay (2006)
On April 16, 2006, Mistula launched their Holy Week presentation entitled Dolorosa. This featured a solo guitar and vocal piece by Manx Minuet entitled "Nuestra Señora Dolorosa" as a farewell to their rhythm guitarist, Dragan, who left the band on February 19, 2006.Mistula's foray into the graphic novel genre with their piece, "In Likeness Of", earned them a finalist place in the 1st Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards sponsored by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
and Fully Booked.
Mistula released their single called "Pista ng Patay" (Feast Day of the Dead) on November 17, 2006. This song was not made available for download on the official Mistula website, but was released through the website Overplay as "an Overplay exclusive". The official website itself underwent a major update, featuring artwork by Fabo and his Second design crew. "Pista ng Patay" has consistently been on top of the Overplay Overall and Rock Charts since its release.
Baptized video and Salamat sa Iyo, Manikako (2007-2009)
On November 3, 2007, Mistula released their music video for a new version of the song "Baptized" through Channel VChannel V
Channel [V] is the brand name for multiple international music television networks owned by STAR TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation.-Channel [V] International:...
's AMP (Asian Music Platform) website.
On April 12, 2009, Mistula released "Salamat sa Iyo, Manikako" ("Thank you, Manikako") as a "gift" to Manikako, a charity project focused on helping less fortunate children hone their creativity through doll-making. The song is a collaboration between the band and the children involved in the Manikako project, and was first performed live at an event on February 23, 2008. The song was also the first track that was made available for download on Overplay.com for a donation of 1 US Dollar. All the proceeds from the song downloads go to funding Manikako's free doll-making workshops.
Influences
Apart from Filipino Catholic-culture, the band has stated that their musical influence is mainly heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy 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...
. Some bands they have frequently mentioned as their influences include the heavy metal bands 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 ...
and Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
, and early Pinoy rock
Pinoy rock
Pinoy rock, or Filipino rock, is the brand of rock music produced in the Philippines or by Filipinos. It has become as diverse as the rock music genre itself, and bands adopting this style are now further classified under more specific genres or combinations of genres like alternative rock,...
bands such as Mutiny, and Dahong Palay.
Fictional band members
Mistula's members are four Asian ball-jointed dollBall-jointed doll
A ball-jointed doll is any doll that is articulated with ball and socket joints. In contemporary usage when referring to modern dolls, and particularly when using the acronyms BJD or ABJD, it usually refers to modern Asian ball-jointed dolls. These are cast in polyurethane synthetic resin, a hard,...
s by Volks Inc.
Volks
is a Japan-based corporation that produces garage kits and mecha kits as well as the Dollfie, Super Dollfie and Dollfie Dream lines of dolls. The company's headquarters is in Kyoto, with some 30 shops worldwide, and annual sales of about $50 million, as of 2008....
from Japan and Cerberus Project from Korea. The dolls' virtual lives and profiles are documented on their official websites.
- Uno (vocals and bass) - Uno was invited into Mistula by Bella Lugosi, after the latter noted his online following through his blogBlogA blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
. Uno works for an advertising agency and is a frequent traveler. He chronicles all of his bandmates' lives through an online journal called Fully Articulated. Uno is a customized Volks Limited Edition Super DollfieSuper Dollfie, often abbreviated SD, is a brand of ball-jointed doll, or BJD, made by the Japanese company Volks. They are made to be easy to customize and are primarily marketed to adult doll collectors and customizers. They are cast in polyurethane resin, a porcelain-like, hard, dense plastic...
13 Tsukasa Konoe.
- Manx Minuet (vocals and guitars/lyricist and composer) - A former pornstar, Manx Minuet joined the band with Uno after receiving an invitation from Bella Lugosi. The song, "Nuestra Señora Dolorosa", is her solo work, made during a bout with depressionDepression (mood)Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
after Dragan decided to quit the band. Manx Minuet is a Cerberus Project Limited Edition DELF Sweety Lingerie Lishe.
- Bella Lugosi (drums/lyricist and composer)- Bella Lugosi is the band's founder and leader, and was named after the actor Bela LugosiBéla LugosiBéla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
because of his habit of sleeping all day and writing songs at night. He is a customized Volks Limited Edition Super Dollfie 13 Tsukasa Konoe.
- Lobo (rhythm guitar) - Lobo arrived as a replacement for former rhythm guitarist, Dragan, on April 4, 2006, but was not recruited into the band until after the Mistula auditions. Lobo left school at a relatively young age, hitting the streets to seek his fortune and earn money to support himself and his younger sister, Veritas. His abuse of a drug that he and his comrades called "Full Moon" has caused severe damage to his memory, and he now sports two personalities: the wild, violent Lobo with the red hair, and the meeker Lobo with dark hair. The wild Lobo is a customized Volks Limited Edition Super Dollfie 13 Shiro Tachibana, while the tame Lobo is a customized Volks Limited Edition Super Dollfie 13 Shiro Tachibana After School Version.
- Dragan (former rhythm guitarist) - Bella Lugosi recruited Dragan for before the release of "Baptized" to bring British influence to Mistula, and to exploit the advantages of being an InternetInternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
-based band. Dragan used the Internet to send his musical contributions to Mistula, until he was compelled to physically join the band during the Mysteries update to shoot a music video for the single, "Mulat". On February 19, 2006, after experiencing the band's tumultuous life, he quit in favor of a more peaceful existence in the UK. He continues to correspond with Mistula through the Internet. Dragan is a customized Volks Super Dollfie 13 FCS-28.
Other collaborators
A group of musicians, artists, writers and web designers referred to as the "Mistula Disciples" also work behind Mistula.Song Releases
- (2004.09.02) Mulat
- (2004.11.30) Baptized
- (2005.03.27) The Last Supper
- (2006.04.16) Nuestra Señora Dolorosa
- (2006.11.17) Pista ng Patay