30-year-old album enjoys ‘resurgence’

MANILA, Philippines — When the Alert Level compilation album that featured four young bands three decades ago came out, the members didn’t have the slightest idea their album would have a musical resurgence at this time.

Stephen Lu of Rizal Underground and the original producer of Alert Level, Charlie Ysmael of The Breed, Barbi Paraguya of Color It Red and Lawrence “Bong Lennon” Eudela of Tropical Depression regrouped anew for the recent vinyl release of Alert Level.

The vinyl edition happened when the “fan” of all the four bands, New York-based businessman Bong Cabral, the executive producer for Plaka Express, pushed for the re-release. It is timed for the 30th anniversary of the compilation album that helped launch the recording careers of the four bands.

“Way back when I was still in Naga City, I never expected that this day would come that I would be producing this landmark release of the compilation album,” Bong enthused. “I’m really very excited and this is our first foray into producing vinyl. I think we started with the biggest bang possible for this Alert Level.”

Stephen admitted, “I am so excited to share this with my four other bandmates, as well as guys from Tropical Depression, Color It Red and The Breed. You know how hard we worked for this album.”

When Alert Level was recorded, Rizal Underground was bannered by Stephen with Harley Alarcon, Mike Villegas and Jay Dimalanta.

Interestingly, Alert Level was produced at the time of the 12-hour brownouts in Manila in 1992. “Our recording sessions started at 2 in the morning,” Stephen recalled. “To me, Alert Level was really very fruitful. Thank you for all your sacrifices. I’m going to cherish this.”

Barbi attested Alert Level is one album that’s close to her heart. “Thank you for this chance to revisit our youth,” she said. “This was the first time the band went inside a recording studio. After this, we were signed up for our recording contract at a major level.”

A lot of things have happened since then. “Iba na ang members ng band ngayon.,” Barbi said. “At that time, naka-tambay lang kami sa Loud House waiting for our time to record. But it was really a memorable time for us.”

Color It Red’s original members, aside from Barbi, were Cooky Chua, Manny Paraguya, Buddy Zabala and Hank Palenzuela.

Charlie got excited anew after Stephen told him Bong was going to produce a vinyl album for Alert Level. “All the memories started coming back. Luckily, for me, I lived very close to Loud House at that time. So even if the recording was at 4 in the morning, I was okay with that.

“Being part of a compilation album that was new back then was really, really fulfilling. This group of new bands was really going to make a mark in the industry then. So the wave of rock musicians was really new.”

The recordings were done in a studio that Stephen built on top of the warehouse of his brother’s business. “It was nice to perform in a rather kind of rustic situation or architecture, if I may call it,” Charlie recalled.

“It was really very memorable from start to finish. Some songs were unfortunately not included in Alert Level, but made it to our first album and were written in that studio during those sessions. It was really very memorable from start to finish.

“I’ll never forget that. There were no fights among the members. Everybody was nice to each other. Everything went well. It was such an honor to be part of that compilation.”

Among all the bands, The Breed was the last one to sign a recording contract with a major level. “Thanks to Alert Level, it really opened the doors for us,” Charlie said.

Bong Lennon is nonetheless thrilled Tropical Depression will soon have a vinyl release. Among the original members were vocalist Dominic “Papadom” Gamboa, guitarist Lito Crisostomo, bassist Pex Holigores, keyboardists TJ Espinola and Mike Llacar, drummer Omnie Saroca.

The four bands became like “family,” as Charlie described them. “We came from different walks of life here in Manila, but after Alert Level was released, we had this connection among all of us. Classmates namin ang isa’t-isa sa recording.”

The original members of The Breed were Charlie on vocals, Manny Amador on “very loud” guitars, Johnny Besa on bass and Larry Villaco, the original drummer whose only recording with The Breed was Alert Level.

The bands are looking forward to reaching a new market and audience with the vinyl release, like the millennials, Gen Z and the social media savvy generation with the vinyl release of Alert Level. Even the old-time collectors.

“I really hope we have a young audience that is open to alternative music,” Charlie said. “That will tell the future for bands and the music we love. I hope the resurgence of vinyl records will really continue. It’s so easy to find equipment to play vinyl records. There’s nothing like getting a vinyl, putting it on the turntable and sinking the needle on it.”

Stephen remains hopeful the release of Alert Level on vinyl will enhance their musical careers. “We are still, after all, musicians up to this day. I will go out of my way to promote something that is very close to my heart. I really have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”