Names Are For Tombstones
Encyclopedia
Names Are For Tombstones (or simply NAFT) is a Filipino
electronic music
project started in 1997 by Noel “Nono” Acosta (born June 2, 1971). NAFT evolved as an extension of Nono’s creative writing upon discovery of recording, sampling and sequencing using computers. Prior to starting his solo project, Nono had been in a garage band fondly called Wash Tub Fill with friends. NAFT and Nono are used interchangeably by Acosta and his peers in music.
The music of NAFT is an amalgam of different genres primarily post-punk
and electronic music
. Starting as an experiment on turning poems into songs from 1997 to 2000, the project solidified with the recording of the album Phantoms in 2001 where Nono did everything from guitars, vocals, synth and drum programming to recording, mixing and mastering. In September 2003 NAFT started performing his music by encouragement of colleagues.
in 2003 prompted NAFT to venture into performing. The first few months of doing live gigs included Wash Tub Fill band mates Arwin Tolentino (guitars, backing vocals) and Vener Valerio (guitars, backing vocals) as supporting musicians. Due to change in priorities of his band mates, Nono started performing solo armed with just a laptop and a single instrument (either a guitar or a keyboard). NAFT has also shared the stage with Boy Ramos (electronic percussions, synthesizers, vocals) on a couple of occasions who is also his band mate in the synthpop
band Watari’s Machine. 2003 also saw NAFT submitting the song Exasperated Machine to the Halloween gig/compilation Ever After.
The period 2004-2006 was fondly referred by Nono as the Watari Period as he obsessed with the personal mythology character Watari who symbolized Nono’s personal struggles. It started with a chord progression that reared four different interpretations. This culminated with the recording of the Swans
EP that was launched through a listening party at the cultish and defunct Chunky Far Flung in Cubao X.
In 2007 the producer of 8 Track recommended NAFT to the production company High In Chai / Kingsworld from Singapore. They contacted Nono and asked Dreams of Grandeur to be included in the benefit CD [ Rock In Asia]. This is NAFT’s first international commercial release feature.
Marking his 5th year in the live music scene, and technically 11 years into his music project, Nono chose to concentrate on composing and honing his production skills. This meant lesser live performances to allow more music to be created. The period also included drawing the line between NAFT’s and Watari’s Machine’s identities that previously overlapped. Some of the new NAFT demos, Pyre, and Swan Song (Farewell) [Radio Edit] were included in the online compilation Overtune Project Vol. 4: Execute Transmission.
NAFT also contributed remixes to Bagetsafonik’s Halogen (Incandescent Version) and FoodShelterAndClothing’s Meet The Dead (Reanimation). Towards the end of the year, NAFT gathered a number of his music contemporaries for an online collaboration of remixes to be released January 2009.
2009 started busy for NAFT with Restart 9: The Watari’s Machine Remix Project. It is a compilation of 17 remixes / interpretations of the NAFT cult song Watari’s Machine done by NAFT and his colleagues in the electronic music scene. It was released as a free download in the NAFT website. Also pleasant news was the inclusion of NAFT and a couple other entities from the Philippines
in Mick Mercer’s
goth catalog book Music To Die For.
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...
electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
project started in 1997 by Noel “Nono” Acosta (born June 2, 1971). NAFT evolved as an extension of Nono’s creative writing upon discovery of recording, sampling and sequencing using computers. Prior to starting his solo project, Nono had been in a garage band fondly called Wash Tub Fill with friends. NAFT and Nono are used interchangeably by Acosta and his peers in music.
The music of NAFT is an amalgam of different genres primarily post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
and electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
. Starting as an experiment on turning poems into songs from 1997 to 2000, the project solidified with the recording of the album Phantoms in 2001 where Nono did everything from guitars, vocals, synth and drum programming to recording, mixing and mastering. In September 2003 NAFT started performing his music by encouragement of colleagues.
Bedroom to Stage
A feature written by Giselle Roque for the Philippine music magazine PULPPulp
-Films and television:* Pulp * Pulp -Publications:* Pulp * Pulp magazine , inexpensive fiction magazines or paperbacks* Pulp , a monthly manga anthology...
in 2003 prompted NAFT to venture into performing. The first few months of doing live gigs included Wash Tub Fill band mates Arwin Tolentino (guitars, backing vocals) and Vener Valerio (guitars, backing vocals) as supporting musicians. Due to change in priorities of his band mates, Nono started performing solo armed with just a laptop and a single instrument (either a guitar or a keyboard). NAFT has also shared the stage with Boy Ramos (electronic percussions, synthesizers, vocals) on a couple of occasions who is also his band mate in the synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
band Watari’s Machine. 2003 also saw NAFT submitting the song Exasperated Machine to the Halloween gig/compilation Ever After.
Five More Years
In 2005 NAFT participated in an online compilation Electronica Manila: One of the music consortium Electronica Manila with the track Watari’s Machine. In the same year NAFT was also included in the Philippine independent music compilation [ 8 Track] (produced by Boom Unida) with a special version of the song Watari’s Machine (Paranoid Droid Remix) together with contemporaries in the music movement Back To The Edge. This marked NAFT’s first commercial recording feature. The success of the song Watari’s Machine prompted the creation of a synthpop project of the same name. NAFT also contributed Swan Song (Farewell) to the Halloween gig/compilation Echoes In Dead Air in the same year.The period 2004-2006 was fondly referred by Nono as the Watari Period as he obsessed with the personal mythology character Watari who symbolized Nono’s personal struggles. It started with a chord progression that reared four different interpretations. This culminated with the recording of the Swans
Swans
Swans can refer to:*Swan, the birdMusic*Swans , an American band formed in 1982*Swans , an EP by the above band*Swans, an EP by the Filipino electronic act Names Are For Tombstones...
EP that was launched through a listening party at the cultish and defunct Chunky Far Flung in Cubao X.
In 2007 the producer of 8 Track recommended NAFT to the production company High In Chai / Kingsworld from Singapore. They contacted Nono and asked Dreams of Grandeur to be included in the benefit CD [ Rock In Asia]. This is NAFT’s first international commercial release feature.
Marking his 5th year in the live music scene, and technically 11 years into his music project, Nono chose to concentrate on composing and honing his production skills. This meant lesser live performances to allow more music to be created. The period also included drawing the line between NAFT’s and Watari’s Machine’s identities that previously overlapped. Some of the new NAFT demos, Pyre, and Swan Song (Farewell) [Radio Edit] were included in the online compilation Overtune Project Vol. 4: Execute Transmission.
NAFT also contributed remixes to Bagetsafonik’s Halogen (Incandescent Version) and FoodShelterAndClothing’s Meet The Dead (Reanimation). Towards the end of the year, NAFT gathered a number of his music contemporaries for an online collaboration of remixes to be released January 2009.
2009 started busy for NAFT with Restart 9: The Watari’s Machine Remix Project. It is a compilation of 17 remixes / interpretations of the NAFT cult song Watari’s Machine done by NAFT and his colleagues in the electronic music scene. It was released as a free download in the NAFT website. Also pleasant news was the inclusion of NAFT and a couple other entities from 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...
in Mick Mercer’s
Mick Mercer
Mick Mercer is a journalist and author best known for his photos and reviews of the goth, punk, and indie music scenes. He has photographed the bands Tragic Venus and Blondie in the UK and Europe.He publishes a monthly online magazine called "The Mick"....
goth catalog book Music To Die For.
External links
- www.namesarefortombstones.com - NAFT website
- www.myspace.com/tombstones - NAFT in MySpace
- www.soundclick.com/namesarefortombstones - NAFT in Soundclick
- www.last.fm/music/Names+Are+For+Tombstones - NAFT in LastFM