Long before we all have come to believe in the music of Raymond "Mondoy" Arsenal (vox), Reynaldo "Ryan" Cuizon, Jr. (drummer), Renan Cuizon (lead guitarist) and Ronan de Guzman (bassist) and have come to love them a degree higher for every time they perform on stage for those series of "rock-rakan" in countless venues, there was Rolando (father of Ronan) whose gift of music had inspired the direction that Indephums has recently taken.
March of this year, I met the quartet in a late night interview at the Cuizon residence in Sunrise Village, barangay Pardo, Cebu City. According to them, Indephums is derived from the words "Indep" for independent and "hums" for humans.
Thirteen tracks delivered in hardcore rock with astounding drumplay (I still root for Ryan my crush; no other drummer has yet snatched his place in my Bisrockin' heart and my "husband" approves of that!) contained in the "Rated R" album talk of a potpourri of subjects from matters of the heart written by incurable romantics, to plain silly-goofiness, down to the subliminal look at socio-political issues. Songs mirror the beautiful minds of four men passionate about their music and whose diverse methods of upbringing and musical influences collide to produce songs that from the very first time I heard 'em already carried in 'em the ability to jolt and bolt, audio-wise, even the dissensitized critics of Bisaya rock music.
Negatibo, for example, which was the carrier track of their 2005 Extended Play album, opens with "kinsa kadtong magpa-ubos bulahan, kung ikaw tawo palabi ra kaayo, tan-aw nimo ikaw ang gamhanan, sige padayon sa imong pagtoo kay ikaw mahulog sa kayo". And then Indephums underlines the message how negativism corrupts man's innate goodness in "ikaw ang bulahan, ikaw ang gitagaan; ikaw unta'y makahupay pero imahe sa kaayo gipatay, imong gihatag ang kalipay pero gibawi kay nagmahay".
Hukom (Suya), which is a personal pick, is a creative approach on delving into the psychology of "suya" (envy). "Ngano man gyud ang tawo masuya, kung masuya ka ikaw ang ala-ot, kalmahi ug atimana imoha, ngano man makatabang ba na?...Magkahiusa kita mga igsoon, panag-amigo palamboon...Sakto ang giingon dili ka makabasa sa huna-huna sa isig katawo mao nga ayaw dali-dali og hukom..."
Four other songs could be streamed at www.myspace. com/indephums as samplers. Performance starts at 8pm in Handuraw with P80 entrance fee that comes with either a free bottle of cold beer or a slice of Handuraw pizza.
"Rated R" stands for the first letters of their names. With help on the mixing and recording aspect provided by siblings Jun and Jay Abasanta of fellow Bisrock band, Makadawa, other tracks such as Angay Na Ba, Hulmigas, Insakto, Limitasyon, Buak (Candy), Plastik, and Bisrock (With DJ Ram and Bré) are all given clearer, crispier, crunchier sound. Hmmmm... hope you're not launching soda crackers, dudes!
Avid fans who'll troop on Saturday will also get the chance to win premium items from this paper and its sister BANAT News as our gesture of gratitude for your unwavering support to local independent music and the articles we had featured. Rock on, Bisdaks!