Manila Sound, remixed

MANILA, Philippines - It might be strange to imagine the smooth-jazzy, light-funky sound of the “Manila Sound” as epitomized by Hotdog as the soundtrack to martial law. But this nebulous era of original Pilipino music also spawned counter-cultural rock musicians who sang with social consciousness, creating songs that today still stand for nationalism.

Fifty contemporary designers, many of whom never even saw the ’70s but possibly grew up on its music via formerly jeprox parents, were tasked to revisualize record cover art from rock legends for an exhibit during Manila Design Week. In a digitized culture that has pretty much done away with the need for album art, this project brought designers and audiences back to the craft of the sleeve, the impact of a full 12-inch square, and the sound that defined an emergent mind of state.

Designer: JP Cuison

Album: The Boyfriends, Dahil Mahal Kita

“The artwork is inspired by The Boyfriends’ song Dahil Mahal Kita which is obviously an ‘against all odds’ kind of love song. I just veered myself away from human to human love and played with a different kind of love story to make it more interesting (monster and human).”

 “I’m a fan of old school ‘barya lang po sa umaga’ jeepney/tricycle stickers. This work is sort of a tribute to that. As if you’re printing with silk-screen with low budget which also means you have to deal with limited colors. ‘Pa-lowfi effect’ as I call it.”

Designer: Lala Gallardo

Album: Hotdog

“I equate Manila Sound with my childhood. I grew up listening to these songs on the radio and my parent’s record player. When I hear them I experience an almost synesthetic flashback to warmer, lazier, baby powder-and Nido-filled days of endless street games and imposed siestas. I chose Hotdog’s Pers Lab because of the childlike quality of the lyrics: ‘Parang ice cream na bilad, sa ilalim ng araw.’ I thought a rough, paper cutout style would evoke childhood art projects and innocent play.”

Designer: Clarissa Gonzales of 27+20 Design Studio

Album: Juan Dela Cruz Band, Himig Natin

“My piece was inspired by the track the album was named after and the old vinyl cover. When I heard the song, I was struck by its breathtaking simplicity and expression of emotion. I felt that that the song and the album cover coincided in this idea so I decided to do an abstract minimalist design to represent what I believe the song, the album, and the band as a whole is about — simplicity and the beauty of raw emotion.”

Designer: Gigi Lapid 

Album: Maria Cafra, Kamusta Mga Kaibigan?

“For my digitally rendered piece I wanted to reinvent the iconic agila logo of rock band Maria Cafra. To make it more modern but faithful to the original, I used geometric shapes and lettering while keeping the original color scheme of the logo. I wanted the eagle to look somewhat like a phoenix, rising out of the ashes to captivate the world once more by way of rock music!”

Designer: Inksurge

Album: Maria Cafra, Kamusta Mga Kaibigan?

“In Inksurge’s digitally reworked Maria Cafra cover, the band’s iconic eagle logo is given a modern makeover. The logo exudes regal simplicity with its earthy colors and carefully positioned flourishes. As a whole, the entire sleeve somehow represents the timelessness of the band and their valuable contribution to the history of Pinoy rock.” —Gigi Lapid

Designer: Paolo Paredes

Album: Maria Cafra

“I have always been interested in organic shapes which led me to the works of Alphonse Mucha and the other artists of the Art Nouveau movement.

“My idea for the Maria Cafra piece went along the lines of Art Nouveau. I also had the idea of incorporating late ’70s/early ’80s adult animation aesthetics. I vividly remember watching my father’s collection of VHS tapes such as Wizards, The Last Unicorn, and The Hobbit which I tend to relate to my vision of ’70s design. All of these animated films had a psychedelic use of color and flowing organic forms.

“I see the process of drawing repetitive patterns as a form of meditation. A sort of mantra, wherein one needs to block out one’s surroundings to be able to do precise work.”

Designer: Kai Huang and KC Leyco

Album: Manila Sound

“It all came about when Team Manila’s Jowee invited us to be part of Manila Design Week 2010 with the theme of Manila Sound. Given the theme, format and tight deadline, we came up with this concept of slick, and modern yet with a distinct look — like if the movement of Manila Sound were still active today, this is how they might look.

“So our stylist, KC Leyco, came up with the modern, slick outfits while our grooming team, Claire and Ricky Diokno, brought us back with the retro look and the ‘manyak bigote.’

“We would like to thank our friends, the DJs of Boys Night Out and Earl Semitara, for helping out with this fun shoot and Jowee of TM for helping out with the album layout.”