Monsterbot: New kids on the butt, er, block

Here’s the not-so-fairy-tale story of Monsterbot from their website (www.netjunk.com/users/monsterbot):

• Monsterbot members Glenn San Agustin, Diego Mapa, Karl Claudio, Ryan Magsumbol and Carlo Navarro all studied in La Salle and live in Antipolo.

• Monsterbot’s first jamming session didn’t quite gel (bassist Karl Claudio likes Japanese rock, drummer Ryan Magsumbol like Mudhoney, and keyboardist Carlo Navarro prefers music from computer games), so one day, they decided to do a free jam. One would start a riff and another would follow with whatever he thought fit and whatever was his own style. Till now, they follow the same principle in their songwriting.

• Monsterbot is a transformer who didn’t quite make it. The concept is the same as any other transformer — different kinds getting together and changing into one kick-ass being. That’s how the Monsterbot members feel about getting together to create their music.

• The first demo they gave to Francis Brew (of The Dawn) for his radio show, In The Raw (NU 107.5 Sundays 6-8 p.m.), a program that airs unsigned bands from the local scene were all recorded on an answering machine. This includes the very first versions of Magnet, I Can Fake It, Attitude, Not My Scene, Sickly Are, 100% Nothing, and Waterdog. The latter was recorded for the show’s first album release NU 107.5’s "In The Raw Compilation" from Sony Music Phil., which featured local acts like Itchy Worms, Pin-Up Girls, BadBurn, Brownbeat All-Stars, Loads of Motherhood, Garlic, Cherry Bomb and Battery. Earning a few bucks from that, they invested on a real studio recording at Sound Creation, Tandang Sora under Shinji Tanaka’s expertise. They came up with a six-song demo CD, jokingly christened the Malfunction E.P., which includes Explosive, a band favorite currently part of NU’s playlist.

• Monsterbot’s first gig was in Yosh Café, which closed down soon after. And except for Mayric’s, all the other bars and cages Monsterbot has played in like Bud Boys, Inner Space, and Gotham have shut down an average of two to three weeks after they played their gig. Hmmmm. . .

• Three years and about five closed bars later, Monsterbot recorded their first album, "Destroy! Destroy!" under MCA Universal, produced by Raimund Marasigan. They decided on "Destroy! Destroy!" Because it’s the band’s credo. Look for it in your favorite music store.

• Lest we forget, Monsterbot has a music video for the song Explosive described by NU’s and UNTV’s Quark Henares as "a little morbid, a little tongue-in-cheek comedy and really, really baduy!" Watch out for it on TV.

Name: Diego Mapa

Age: 21

Plays: The guitar

Foreign: Hey Mercedes, Kid Koala, The Kinks

Local: Twisted Halo, Ciudad, Sandwich, Chico Science, Sugar Free, Xfeudx, Marty Mcfly, On a Day Like Today, Girl in Park, Too Late the Hero, Comets Tale, The Greeting Cards, Wagitay, Ascension

Other job: Student, Manic Pop Thrill

Other interests: Home recording, biking

Favorite song in album: Bury the Oreo

Best gig: Don Bosco Makati

Last movie seen: 13 Ghosts

Asado o bola-bola?: Asado

Sweet and sour or spicy?: Spicy

Nora or Vilma?: Nora

May kapeng… : Oo

You see a giant …: Because!

* * *

Name: Carlo Navarro

Age: 21

Plays: The keyboards

Foreign: Smashing Pumpkins

Local: Radioactive Sago Project

Other job: Student

Other interests: Video games, Basketball, ukay-ukay

Favorite song in album: Bury the Oreo

Best gig: Village East Cainta

Last movie seen: Rugrats

Asado o bola-bola?: Asado, di pa ako nakatikim ng bola-bola.

Sweet and sour or spicy?: Spicy

Nora or Vilma?: Vilma

May kapeng mainit . . .: Oo.

Why?: Gusto ko.

* * *

Name: Ryan Magsumbol

Age: 21

Plays: The drums

Foreign: Pixies, Mudhoney, Helmet, Tool, Eels, Smashing Pumpkins, BeastieBoys, Counting Crows, Weezer, Get up Kids

Local: Sandwich, Ciudad

Other job: Student

Other interests: Basketball and other sports, network games

Favorite song in album: Display

Best gig: Don Bosco Makati

Last movie seen: Shallow Hal

Asado o bola-bola?: Asado

Sweet and sour or spicy?: Sweet and sour

Nora or Vilma?: Pepsi Paloma

May kapeng maiinit...: Depende

Why?: Why not!

* * *

Name: Glenn San Agustin

Age: 21

Plays: The mic

Foreign influences: Dave Matthews Band, Incubus, Puddle of Mud

Local influences: Chico Science, Girl in Park

Other job: Proprietor

Other interests: Lying around

Favorite song in album: Everything You

Best gig: Pag walang mali

Last movie seen: Queen of the Damned

Asado o bola-bola?: Asado

Sweet and sour or spicy?: Sweet and sour

Nora or Vilma?: Ewan ko

Kung may kapeng mainit inumin mo ba o hindi?: Hipan muna.

You see a giant "why?" painted on a wall, what do you say?: Well…

* * *

Name: Karl Claudio

Age: 23

Plays: The bass

Foreign: Japanese pop, Powerman 5000, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Mudhoney, Nirvana

Local: Sandwich, Chico Science, Ciudad, Bad Burn

Other job: Special effects graphic artist for Toie Animation Phils.

Other interests: Drawing, painting, computer graphics

Favorite song in album: Display

Best gig: Don Bosco Makati

Last movie seen: Lord of the Rings

Asado o bola-bola?: Asado

Sweet and sour or spicy?: Sweet and sour

Nora or Vilma?: Vilma

May kapeng maiinit… : ’Wag kape, allergic ako sa kape

Why?: Kasi maraming problema.