To those who already have a copy of Bread and Circuses EP we are grateful for your support. But you might like to know, there’s a bonus hidden track after the last song — an instrumental version of track two — “My Life’s Arithmetic Means“. Listen to the original track below:
My Life’s Arithmetic Means – The Camerawalls
Kate Torralba, our guest musician on the record, made impromptu contributions to the song. She was very kind enough to appear in the studio even on a very short notice without the benefit of a song study, and record piano and keyboard sections on the spot. She was amazing!
Kate Torralba at home with her piano. Photo by Aldwin Aspillera.
Before actual takes we sat down to review her on the chord progressions and sections of the song while catching up and exchanging talks about love and relationship failures. A conversation that somehow led us to a conclusion that we would both fare better with a foreign prospect. Kate even funnily suggested to hook me up with her friends. “I am a good matchmaker!” she quips. To which I just plainly shrugged.
Robert Javier was the one on board the console at Sonicstate Audio, recording and guiding her as our producer. The clip below is the exact recording of a portion of the short bonus track which you can hear after a two-minute silence preceded by the last track “Bread and Circuses” in the EP.
Kate Torralba is a singer-songwriter-pianist and a fashion designer. She is currently working on her solo debut album.
Another leaf has turned as I spent my birthday week preparing and hosting a musical event. The traditional get together at Lilystars Records’ HQ on the 9th culminated with the launch of The Camerawalls EP “Bread and Circuses” at the Ayala Museum on the 11th.
I bought a whole crispy chicken for the potluck party only to become easily ignored by the wealth of food and alcohol brought along by each one who came. Some were homemade like the dishes prepared by Antonette, our wonder dinner-party hostess. Everyone from the label was present with some surprise guests – good friends who are helping us with our artists and events.
Sharing my chocolate cake.
When they brought in the cakes (there were two, one for Eric Po of Your Imaginary Friends whose birthday falls on the 12th), it’s when I realized it’s official — I’m thirty four! And loving it.
Last year, we had the same party at the exact same date. The following day when I tried to blog about it, I ended up writing a very insightful tune about my birthday wishes. Indulgent with the momentum, I readily posted a song demo for everyone to hear. You can listen/read about it HERE>>>
The song was realized and published on a proper record a year after and is included in “Bread and Circuses” EP as the only acoustic track in the collection. A simple one with a haunting melody over a root Am chord. To make the song extra special, I tied up with a couple musicians from Australia. Dan Shepherd (a slide guitarist), whom I met during his visit in the Manila, together with his friend Perrin Walker (a violinist), wrote and performed string sections and eventually bounced the recordings to me via email. You can hear their contribution beginning at 1:45 in the player below.
Robert Javier recorded my acoustic guitar and vocal takes, while the rest of the orchestrations that you will hear from beginning to end is produced and performed by Jonathan Ong of Sonicstate Audio, who is also responsible for mixing and mastering the track.
Birthday Wishes – The Camerawalls
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“…a lovely haunting tune, powerful in its Lennon-like lyricism. It has the gravitas of a prayer and the bittersweet insights of a songwriter on the eve of his birthday, reflecting on his life and then-current events (he refers to a female President).” Johanna Poblete, BusinessWorld
Birthday Wishes Words and Music by Clementine
I call upon the Universe To never take the shine off common people Whose eyes are still gleaming with hope I call upon the President To limit her ambitions There are far more greater things in life than power
I wish for peace and love A better country and a happy coexistence Longevity of the people I love All these years I think of nothing, no one but myself In birthday wishes Now I think of you. Now I think of you
I pray to you my sweetest Lord Paint us a portrait of your Love I sing to you my dearest friends Never cease believing Dreams do come true
I wish for peace and love A better country and a happy coexistence Longevity of the people I love All these years I think of nothing, no one but myself In birthday wishes Now I think of you. Now I think of you
Oh, grant me these wishes Oh, grant me these wishes Something good ends, something better will begin Something good ends, something better will begin And in this fog i use my heart as a compass And in the darkness, my faith is my lamp And in depression I learn the real value of living
Here’s a live clip taken during the EP launch, with Carlo Gaa sessioning on keyboards.
Birthday Wishes – The Camerawalls (Live at Ayala Museum)
All in all it has been a great week. Stressful and tiring, but for the most part fulfilling. (And) I’m grateful to all who contributed and made all these things happen. I leave you with my eternal, yearly birthday wishes. As eternal as I am an optimist, something better will always begin.
I did a little math. It’s been 226 days since our last release (The Sight Of Love Digital Single), 794 days since our last album (Pocket Guide To The Otherworld CD Album), and 389 days since we last recorded in a studio. Last September 10, The Camerawalls turned 3 years old and we really think it’s about time to come out with a new record. This time in an EP format. A collection of 5 songs to close the year.
Tuesday of last week we diligently and officially begun recording new songs, some of them not quite new and has been waiting to be handpicked from a modest collection of materials I wrote over the past year. Things are on a roll with my record label this year and I’m guilty of neglecting my own progress in song-writing. Nevertheless we feel these new batch of songs will not disappoint (ourselves and our current listeners).
Law and I were joined in the studio by our current live session player from label mate The Gentle Isolation. His name is Bachie Rudica, a drummer, whom we believe has adeptly forged a bond with the music of The Camerawalls after five months of gigging together. Also in the studio are award-winning producers and engineers, Jonathan Ong and Robert Javier, to assist us once more in molding our new release. I’ve been personally working with them for over five years and they never fail to produce amazing recordings each time. The two of them are the main figures behind Sonic State Audio situated in Mandaluyong City. The best in the land if I may say so judging on the quality of releases Lilystars have so far.
Below are some hazy pics during the first day of recording our title track Bread & Circuses.
Inside the drum room.
Law's turn on the bass.
Trying out my old Telecaster.
The recording team. The Camerawalls + Sonic State. From L-R: Jonathan Ong, Bachie Rudica, Clementine, Robert Javier, and Law Santiago.
Incorporating Rondalla instruments on records has been a trademark of mine for quite sometime now. Very evident in the last two records I arranged and co-produced: Orange & Lemon’s last album “Moonlane Gardens” and The Camerawalls debut “Pocket Guide To The Otherword.” From time to time I receive quite interesting feedbacks and inquiries about it. So I decided to apprise everyone with some historical and relevant information.
What is a Rondalla? A quick search from wisegeek.com gave me this:
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The Banduria (source: reflectionsofasia.com)
A rondalla is an ensemble of plectrum instruments, stringed instruments played with a plectrum or pick. It originated in Spain, but became one of the traditional forms of Philippine folk music after its introduction to the islands in the 19th century. Philippine rondalla instruments are made of native Philippine wood and played with a tortoise-shell plectrum.
The word rondalla is from the Spanish ronda, meaning “serenade.” The core instruments of a Spanish rondalla are the guitar, the mandolin, and the lute. The musicians are accompanied by at least one singer, and sometimes also by handheld percussion instruments. Though the ensemble of stringed instruments existed in some form in Spain since at least the 16th century, the rondalla dates from the early 19th century. It soon thereafter traveled to the Philippines, at the time a Spanish colony.
The major Philippine rondalla instruments are the banduria, the guitar, the octavina, the laud, and the bass guitar or double bass. The banduria is the central instrument of the ensemble and, along with the octavina and laud, unique to the Philippines. The guitar and double bass each have six strings, while all other rondalla instruments have 14 strings grouped into six tuning units to produce a richer sound.
The Octavina (source: relectionsofasia.com)
An eight-piece rondalla should have four bandurias and one of each of the guitar, octavina, laud, and double bass. Many rondallas are quite large, with 30 or 40 members, especially for important social events. A 30-piece rondalla has 16 bandurias, three piccolo bandurias, three guitars, three octavinas, three lauds, two double basses. The number and type of percussion instruments is optional for any size rondalla.
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My father has been a Rondalla instructor since 1965. It is no wonder why I’m fascinated with the instruments especially my intent on its application on contemporary music. I grew up tagging along with him and experiencing at a very early age the aesthetics to appreciate such, listening to Philippine folk songs and kundiman (serenades) arranged for a Rondalla ensemble. I took a certain liking for the Octavina. It gives out a rich mellow sound comparable to the effect of the Cello in a string quartet, apparent in the instrumental section of our single “Clinically Dead For 16 Hours.”
Other songs in Pocket Guide To The Otherworld where i threw in some octavina and banduria sections includes the following from subtle to the obvious:
1. Markers Of Beautiful Memories – a single high note tremolo attack of the banduria towards the end of each chorus.
2. I Love You Natalie – a simple banduria instrumental sequence followed by a clean electric guitar solo.
3. Canto De Maria Clara – the most relevant piece for a rondalla arrangement would be none other than a poem from our National Hero – Dr. Jose Rizal. The combination of banduria and octavina gives a very rich texture to the song with a vintage and patriotic feel over acoustic guitar jangles.
4. Lizards Hiding Under Rock – a perfect example of how powerful and effective the banduria is with call and answer solos over a semi rock tune.
To listen to the songs visit our MySpace account. Enjoy! – Clementine
The Camerawalls 