Urbandub
Encyclopedia
Urbandub is a Filipino
rock band from Cebu City
, Philippines
. Since its inception in 2000, the band's line-up has consisted of Gabby Alipe (vocals, guitar
), John Dinopol (guitar
, vocals), and Lalay Lim (bass, vocals). The band's current drummer
is Janjan Mendoza, who has been with the band since 2003.
Urbandub is the first indie band who has released albums nationwide thru EMI
’s help. EMI also featured Urbandub in a Pinoy rock compilation entitled FULL VOLUME with a remake of Sade
’s No Ordinary Love. The band recently garnered the attention of fans throughout Southeast Asia
with a recent tour in Singapore
.
and other experimental rock bands. Unique, timely and yet experimental, it was something that entertainment scenes around the Philippines needed: a kick start into the future of original music.
During this time, the band also experienced the dangers brought by rival frat/gang wars in Cebu as guitarist John Dinopol was mistakenly shot at by a motorcycle riding headhunter of an undisclosed fraternity. He wasn't in critical condition but his left arm was injured and had to recover for a few months. But Urbandub went on, enlisting Faspitch guitarist Russell Manaloto & Mong Alcaraz of Chicosci to fill in for John, who was still active with the band despite the injury. John recovered in less than a year and even went on to shoot the "A New Tattoo" video and perform live with metal braces on his arm.
“We experimented a lot on this album. We also tried to write songs far from the specific genre our fans are used to hearing from us. On this album we challenged ourselves musically in terms of creativity with the riffs, beats and melodies,” Alipe says. “The past albums we worked with a formula, writing songs inside our musical comfort zone, but for this album we tried to personally push the envelope a bit.”
Under Southern Lights, the latest album, boasts 10 tracks of Urbandub’s new approach to their own brand—their brilliance shines throughout a melodious rock tune and diverse songwriting. Alipe shares “We retreated to Cebu City for 2 months just to focus on writing. Then came back to Manila, did some fine tuning to the songs before recording them.”
“The recording was a great learning experience for the band. It was our first time to record with 2 inch tape rather than digitally which we were used to when we were still recording in Cebu. We also were privileged enough to be able to use specific types of equipment that we felt were needed for the songs, like different kinds of amplifiers or synthesizers,” Lalay Lim shared.
Asked about the album title, “The name is our tribute to Cebu City where we come from and where we did most of the writing for the album. It’s also a metaphor for our families in Cebu, being that they’re our inspiration and guiding light,” Alipe said.
The album starts with a shot, with that first single “Guillotine” – an indelible guitar hook and ferocious drums charge forth as Urbandub’s trademark mix of airtight vocal harmonies.
If you have compiled all Urbandub songs into your own greatest hits album, you probably get the impression of “change.” For a band like them, change is never that good. Urbandub is growing but not changing. They may be going to perform in a bigger arena, but they’ll still going to sweat the same. And still be going to produce the songs like we’ve known them for. “We wanna try to reach out to more people with this album,” says Gabby.
The writing took place again in Cebu, the band's homecourt, with the band renting a house up the mountains and turning it into a home studio for 2 months. after which, they returned to Manila and recorded again in Tracks Studio with their Under Southern Lights producer Angee Rozul. The first few prints of the album included a cover of Depeche Mode's song "Home", which, along with their cover of Sade's "No Ordinary Love", exhibited the band's eclectic taste in music. The first single off the album was the song "Gravity", a song that carries the band's trademark heavy riffing balanced with melodies and harmonies that are rarely found in Pinoy pop and rock music.
Rock Awards
OTHER AWARDS:
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...
rock band from 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...
, 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...
. Since its inception in 2000, the band's line-up has consisted of Gabby Alipe (vocals, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), John Dinopol (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals), and Lalay Lim (bass, vocals). The band's current drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
is Janjan Mendoza, who has been with the band since 2003.
Urbandub is the first indie band who has released albums nationwide thru EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
’s help. EMI also featured Urbandub in a Pinoy rock compilation entitled FULL VOLUME with a remake of Sade
Sade (band)
Sade is a British smooth jazz band that formed in 1983, named for Nigerian lead singer Sade Adu. Their music features elements of R&B, soul, jazz, and soft rock....
’s No Ordinary Love. The band recently garnered the attention of fans throughout Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
with a recent tour in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Birth (2001)
Urbandub was first forced to be independent due to the lack of support coming from major record companies. They released their debut album, Birth in 2001. Off of this album, the hit tracks “Come”, "Boy", “Give”, and “Would You Go” would serve as surprise hits in the Philippine music scene. Birth is raw and heavy, with obvious influences of DeftonesDeftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
and other experimental rock bands. Unique, timely and yet experimental, it was something that entertainment scenes around the Philippines needed: a kick start into the future of original music.
Influence (2003)
With the release of their sophomore effort, INFLUENCE (Lighter Records), Urbandub took on a new form, changing their sound with a new drummer (From Jed Honrado to Jerros Dolino). Jerros continued to record tracks with band, but left sometime in 2003 when he decided to leave for undisclosed reasons. The band then recruited JanJan Mendoza. It was the sound in this album that clearly defined the steps that Urbandub would start to take. INFLUENCE includes radio-released singles such as “Gone” and, their most famous release to date, “Soul Searching”, which won the award as Best Song of the Year in the NU107 Rock Awards 2003. The album also won as the Album Of The Year Award in the NU107 Rock Awards 2004. They also released a single called “A New Tattoo”. They dedicate this song to a former friend Juan Paulo Hidalgo.During this time, the band also experienced the dangers brought by rival frat/gang wars in Cebu as guitarist John Dinopol was mistakenly shot at by a motorcycle riding headhunter of an undisclosed fraternity. He wasn't in critical condition but his left arm was injured and had to recover for a few months. But Urbandub went on, enlisting Faspitch guitarist Russell Manaloto & Mong Alcaraz of Chicosci to fill in for John, who was still active with the band despite the injury. John recovered in less than a year and even went on to shoot the "A New Tattoo" video and perform live with metal braces on his arm.
Embrace (2005)
With the 2005 release of the album entitled 'Embrace', Urbandub has proven that there is hope for the struggling artist. With help from their community and the noise they have created, they were able to grab the attention of EMI Music Philippines (now PolyEast Records). Not one to take chances, the band has kept Lighter Records as their management arm and guide. In line with their ideals, EMI allowed them the creative freedom to record their album on their home soil of Cebu. Added to that, they have been able to maintain their independent principles while taking major steps into the scene that has awaited their new sound. Embrace’s singles, “Alert The Armory”, "Frailty", "Endless, A Silent Whisper" and the pop anthem “First of Summer” culled from the third album Embrace, became one of the most played songs on local radio. Serving up the band’s usual host of poetic metaphors through guitar riffs and screaming drums single after single came rolling like Urbandub’s name is glued on top of the charts.Under Southern Lights (2007)
After more than 10,000 albums sold, thousands of miles traveled around the country and some dizzying highs and lows, an energized Urbandub returned with Under Southern Lights in 2007.“We experimented a lot on this album. We also tried to write songs far from the specific genre our fans are used to hearing from us. On this album we challenged ourselves musically in terms of creativity with the riffs, beats and melodies,” Alipe says. “The past albums we worked with a formula, writing songs inside our musical comfort zone, but for this album we tried to personally push the envelope a bit.”
Under Southern Lights, the latest album, boasts 10 tracks of Urbandub’s new approach to their own brand—their brilliance shines throughout a melodious rock tune and diverse songwriting. Alipe shares “We retreated to Cebu City for 2 months just to focus on writing. Then came back to Manila, did some fine tuning to the songs before recording them.”
“The recording was a great learning experience for the band. It was our first time to record with 2 inch tape rather than digitally which we were used to when we were still recording in Cebu. We also were privileged enough to be able to use specific types of equipment that we felt were needed for the songs, like different kinds of amplifiers or synthesizers,” Lalay Lim shared.
Asked about the album title, “The name is our tribute to Cebu City where we come from and where we did most of the writing for the album. It’s also a metaphor for our families in Cebu, being that they’re our inspiration and guiding light,” Alipe said.
The album starts with a shot, with that first single “Guillotine” – an indelible guitar hook and ferocious drums charge forth as Urbandub’s trademark mix of airtight vocal harmonies.
If you have compiled all Urbandub songs into your own greatest hits album, you probably get the impression of “change.” For a band like them, change is never that good. Urbandub is growing but not changing. They may be going to perform in a bigger arena, but they’ll still going to sweat the same. And still be going to produce the songs like we’ve known them for. “We wanna try to reach out to more people with this album,” says Gabby.
The Apparition (2009)
In 2009, after ending their contract with EMI, urbandub signed with a new label MCA MUSIC and released their fifth and most experimental album entitled "The Apparition".The writing took place again in Cebu, the band's homecourt, with the band renting a house up the mountains and turning it into a home studio for 2 months. after which, they returned to Manila and recorded again in Tracks Studio with their Under Southern Lights producer Angee Rozul. The first few prints of the album included a cover of Depeche Mode's song "Home", which, along with their cover of Sade's "No Ordinary Love", exhibited the band's eclectic taste in music. The first single off the album was the song "Gravity", a song that carries the band's trademark heavy riffing balanced with melodies and harmonies that are rarely found in Pinoy pop and rock music.
Studio albums
| Album | Tracks | Year | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | Boy Breakdown Would You Go Dissect Eating Me Picture Give Come It's Over Two Things Apart (a collaboration with Dice & K9) Give (acoustic version) |
2001 | Lighter Records |
| Influence | Fallen On Deaf Ears Under Crisis Soul Searching Runaway Versus Gone Sailing Quiet Poetic A New Tattoo Lover Among Ruins |
2003 | Lighter Records |
| Embrace | Alert The Armory Frailty First of Summer When Heroes Die Reveal The Remedy The Arsonist Endless, A Silent Whisper Safety In Number A City of Sleeping Hearts The End of Something |
2005 | Lighter Records |
| Under Southern Lights | An Invitation Anthem The Fight Is Over Guillotine Cebuana Life Is Easy Evidence A Method To Chaos Inside The Mind of A Killer (a collaboration with Kat Agarrado of Sinosikat? Sinosikat? SinoSikat? is a Filipino band that started September 2004, performing music influenced by a number of musical genres, but which has been described as "Pinoy Soul," reflecting a recent expansion of genres active within the Philippine music industry... ) She Keeps Me Warm |
2007 | PolyEast Records PolyEast Records PolyEast Records is a record label in the Philippines. It is the international licensee of EMI Internationa and is a member of the Philippine Association of the Record Industry.-History:... |
| The Apparition | Meneurs De Loup The Apparition Face In The Woods Gravity When Shadows Have Eyes What This Night Brings A Call To Arms Arrows Tongues Like Knives Bright City Kids Stars & The Sun Over The Hill & Back We Kept It Hidden Good Morning Bones Mountains Tell Stories |
2009 | MCA Music, Inc. |
Singles
| Year | Single | MYX Hit Chart Position |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Come | — | Birth |
| Give | — | ||
| Would You Go | — | ||
| 2003 | Gone | — | Influence |
| Soul Searching | — | ||
| A New Tattoo | — | ||
| 2005 | Alert The Armory | — | Embrace |
| Frailty | — | ||
| 2006 | Endless, A Silent Whisper | 11 | |
| First of Summer | 7 | ||
| 2007 | Guillotine | 1 | Under Southern Lights |
| 2008 | Evidence | 1 | |
| The Fight is Over | 1 | ||
| 2009 | Gravity | — | The Apparition |
| 2010 | A Call To Arms | — | |
| 2011 | Sending a Message | — | — |
Videography
- From Birth
- "Come"
- From Influence
- "A New Tattoo"
- From Embrace
- "Alert the Armory"
- "First of Summer"
- "Endless, A Silent Whisper"
- "Frailty"
- From Under Southern Lights
- "Guillotine"
- "Evidence"
- "The Fight is Over"
- From The Apparition
- "Gravity"
- "A Call To Arms"
- "Sending a Message"
Awards
NU 107NU 107
NU107 was the flagship radio station of Progressive Broadcasting Corporation in the Philippines. The station's last studio was located at the ground floor, AIC Gold Tower, F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City....
Rock Awards
- "Best Song of the Year" - "Soul Searching" (2003)
- "Album of the Year" - "Influence" (2004)
- "Listener's Choice Award" (2008)
- "Vocalist of the Year" - "Gabby Alipe" (2010)
- "Bassist of the Year" - "Lalay Lim" (2010)
OTHER AWARDS:
- Gold Record Award for Outstanding sales (2007) - "EMBRACE" album (EMI)
- "Best Group" - Junk Magazine Regional Music Awards (Malaysia) - (2008)
- "Best New Artist" - 2nd SMB Cebu Music Awards (2002)
Additional information
- According to the lead vocalist Gabby Alipe, behind the band's name:
- Urbandub's music video "First of Summer" is about a girl rebelliously going out with her boyfriend. The band later released "Endless, A Silent Whisper", which shows the events that happened before and after what was shown in "First of Summer". Both videos were directed by Marie Jamora and were shot in three days.
- Urbandub was interviewed in AnimaxAnimaxis a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
and later on performed in a show aired on Animax called Mad Mad FunMad Mad FunMad Mad Fun was a youth lifestyle/music show produced by Animax Asia for Philippines. This weekly half hour show is hosted by Lupin star Rhian Ramos and features interviews and wacky stunts with top Pinoy bands. Bands on the show have include Sandwich, Up Dharma Down, Sugarfree, Imago, Chicosci,...
.
- The mark on Gabby Alipe's right eye isn't a scar nor a tattoo. In an interview, he stated that it is a birthmark shaped like Cebu island.
- In their second live performance on MYXMyxmyx 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....
, Gabby Alipe stated that the Urbandub way of making their album is to put exactly ten songs.
- For a short term of their name, they are labeled as "Udub", short for Urbandub.
External links
- Urbandub profile at EMI Music Philippines
- Urbandub's official site.