MANILA, Philippines — The much-loved American rock band Incubus, whose return engagement to Manila has been eagerly awaited, is performing on February 17, 2018, Saturday, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The band is known for its rock anthems “Wish You Were Here,” “Megalomaniac,” “Anna Molly,” “Drive,” “Pardon Me,” “Are You In?,” “Nice To Know You,” among others. The concert is produced by Ovation Productions, the group that also did Incubus’ previous concerts in Manila; the last was in 2015.
Since their formation in 1991, iconic multi-platinum Los Angeles rock band Incubus have consciously and continually shifted their perspective with each subsequent album, preserving the spirit that initially drove them and simultaneously challenging themselves as artists and human beings. Their eighth full-length, the aptly titled 8 [Island Records], proudly upholds that tradition for the quintet—Brandon Boyd (vocals), Mike Einziger (guitar, piano, backing vocals), José Pasillas II (drums), Chris Kilmore (turntables, keyboards), and Ben Kenney (bass).
“As a band, we’re collectively interested in challenging ourselves and hopefully finding new, innovative ways of writing music,” asserts Boyd. “That ethos has kept things interesting for us.”
In the fall of 2016, the five musicians regrouped to flesh out ideas, recording at Jim Henson Studios and at Einziger’s personal studio. As the vision came into focus during early 2017, Incubus added another level by enlisting the perspective of longtime friend Skrillex (Justin Bieber, A$AP Rocky, Lady Gaga) for co-production and mixing.
Einziger had spent the past few years, exponentially expanding his personal musical palette. Not only did he oversee production for The Internet’s “Feel Good” and produce three songs for Tyler, The Creator’s chart-topping “Cherry Bomb,” but he also co-wrote Avicii’s six-times platinum smash “Wake Me Up” and served as musical director and performer for a much talked-about 2016 Graamy Awards performance of “Where Are Ü Now” by Skrillex, Diplo, and Justin Bieber. After lunch one day, Einziger played Skrillex some mixes, and “a whole new world opened up” as the producer added his magic to “8.”
“It evolved organically out of my friendship with Skrillex,” Einziger elaborates. “Incubus is all about friendship. We transferred the synergy of working together into what the band was doing. As we put the final touches on everything, Skrillex brought another level to the album.”
As a result, the 11 tracks comprising “8” assemble a mosaic reflective of the band’s current mindset. Unease translates to unpredictable guitar riffs that blur the lines between time signatures as cosmic rhythmic transmissions orbit around an epicenter of combustible emotion. Each lyric encodes a parable or what might be a hidden message.
The first single, “Nimble Bastard,” leapfrogs from a rattling guitar snap into an anthemic refrain. “Loneliest” echoes with an existential rumination on solitude over an airy beat and hypnotic guitars. “Undefeated” struts along via a bombastic stomp before culminating on an uplifting chant, while the spacey “Familiar Faces” instantly enchants.
The soothing instrumental soundscape of “Make No Sound In The Digital Forest” illuminates their cinematic side with delicate chimes, simmering drums, and warbling tones. A dial-up modem signals the explosion of “Love In A Time of Surveillance” as the one-two punch of “No Fun” and “Throw Out The Map” tap into a tsunami of distortion and punk-y freedom. “Glitterbomb” represents the glorious push-and-pull of 8, teetering between heavenly harmony and a dramatic twinge.
“8” arrives at a significant milestone for Incubus—releasing exactly 20 years since their major label debut “S.C.I.E.N.C.E.” landed back in 1997. A little older, a lot wiser, quite tighter, but equally ready to challenge themselves and rock music at large, Incubus change their perspective once more in 2017.