The return of Inner Visions

I thought the name of the group sounded familiar. And I was right. Inner Visions was first around a few decades ago. How nice to find a Filipino band on the comeback trail. And so to refresh our memories.

Inner Visions started out as a school band made up of feshmen students from Letran College and they almost made it to the top. Inner Visions was in an exciting whirl during the mid-’90s band era. I do not know if they ever got to record an album but they sure made good original tunes, did great covers and got to perform with the biggest stars of the time.

But unlike their contemporaries, the South Border, True Faith or Rivermaya, Inner Visions chose not to sustain its momentum. In other words, the members gave up the music in favor of their studies and of a stable future with a career away from entertainment. And this is the reason why Inner Visions turned out to be one of the most diploma-studded bands ever. Just take a look at the resumé of the members.

Inner Visions is composed of Nants del Rosario, vocalist, occasional keyboard player and composer who has a degree in BS Electrical Engineering from the University of Santo Tomas. He works as a sales supervisor at Edgeworth Laguna, Inc., which services semicon industries.

Rey Roland Bergado, frontman, keyboard player and composer is the founding member of the group. He has a Bachelor of Laws degree from San Beda College and is a member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. He works at the Bureau of Customs.

Ruben Tecson, drummer and percussionist. He owns the TMT Information Technology Solutions, a pioneer in the security and surveillance industry. He is an Electronics and Communications Engineer who is also a sound engineer and photographer by hobby.

Rene Tecson, lead guitarist. He is a marketing executive for the Robust Integrated System, Inc. He juggles his time among his office job, Inner Visions and being a much sought-after guitarist for various TV shows, Pilipinas Got Talent and Wowowee and session player for many years for popular artists like Randy Santiago and Rachel Alejandro.

Alvin Pelina Herbon, bassist. He is the only member of Inner Visions who does not lead a double life. He is a music major from the University of Santo Tomas and has no other career separate from music. He has gone on tour with other bands and done studio session work for many artists.

They have been friends for the past 22 years and it has now been 15 years since they last performed together. While a solid future through one’s career is the goal of many, the guys of Inner Visions reached a point when they had to admit to themselves that they will never feel complete without the music. And that is why the band got together again and recorded an album.

And now we have the next important step in the band’s comeback plans. The album Find A Way by Inner Visions includes Hayaan, Find A Way, Paano, Please Stay, Shining Armor, Buti Pa Sila, Angel In My Dreams and Sige Lang. All songs were composed by Bergado except for Shining Armor and Buti Pa Sila, which are by Del Rosario.

Thanks to guidance from two prolific names in the local music industry, producer Vehnee Saturno and vocal coach Tito Cayamanda, the album puts Inner Visions on the right track. The eight original songs are very commercial and boast of a ’90s era vibe that is very sweet. Here are new songs that come with a wealth of memories. The sound is simple boy band pop you could listen to for hours and that would have been right at home inside the old Music Hall in Greenhills.

There is a tendency for the songs to sound similar but that is just fine because the melodies are pretty. Title track Find A Way with its Side A echoes has the makings of an excellent single. So have Paano and Hayaan. Bergado is a good songwriter and it would be nice to find out what he could come up with if asked to write for other artists.

Still on Pinoy bands. Pop group 1:43, the guys behind the hit song Sa Isang Sulyap Mo, scored another hit with its third all-original album titled KalyePop or Kpop, which usually means Korean Pop but has now been appropriated by a Pinoy group and turned into KalyePop. Very inventive. The 1:43 band is made up of Anjo Resurreccion, Argee Golding, Gold Aquino and Yuki Sakamoto.

1:43’s KalyePop songs in the album are the novelty tunes Ang Saya-Saya and Istambay Me, the pop ballads Langit, Pwede Bang Malaman, Ikaw at Ako and the killer single Hayop Sa Ganda, which has already received over half a million views on YouTube. It was composed by the band’s road manager Urie Tesorio.

And to close, here are some good news. 1:43 is giving its fans something extra when they buy the KalyePop album. Aside from the music, it also features special codes for in-game items of popular Level Up! online games like Audition Dance Battle, Cabal and Ragnarok.