6 cyclemind

Despite several worthy tunes from Barbie’s Cradle, Sugarfree and Parokya Ni Edgar, critics blasted 2003 as one of the worst and most unproductive years in local recording music history.

We’re living in the age of acoustic love and the adoration for the musically inept; it is the triumph of the no-talent and packaging over sound. Granted that a Nyoy Volante act will produce sweet, relaxing songs, it won’t go beyond that because acoustic sets have plenty of musical limitations.

The public, however, seems to dig this repetitious style. And with the success of novelty jingles from the Sex Bomb Girls (Ispageti Song) and Bayani Agbayani (Ocho-Ocho), analysts warn that this could mean the beginning of the end of OPM’s creativity.

So is time to hang up that electric guitar? Has the luster of rock dimmed? Is it already a bygone era that will soon be a mere memory?

Fortunately, the answer is no.

You see, the great thing about rock & roll is that it never really dies. Although it may fade in and out of style, a hot new artist will always come out of nowhere to keep it alive.

So hopefully, the arrival of the band 6cyclemind means that rock and alternative have finally found new saviors. An while it’s still a bit too early to tell, these fresh faces are already creating a buzz.

Ronel Dimaculangan (lead vocals), Ryan Sarmiento (rhythm & vocals), Roberto Canamo (bass), Gilbert Magat (drums), and Chuck Isidro (lead guitar) recently held the top spot on NU107’s Midnight Countdown for several weeks with Biglaan, the first single from their debut album "Permission to Shine".

The song, which, quite frankly, sounds like a Goo Goo Dolls filler, also reached number one in the RX93.1 Weekly Countdown recently. And now the group has released Paba as its follow up, an upbeat number seasoned with a Moonstar88 flavor. Not entirely surprising, too, since it’s penned by Darwin Hernandez, the group’s manager and chief songwriter (he is also the former manager of Moonstar88).

"Our original songs fall under the alternative-pop crossover sound," Darwin shares during the band’s album launch at Hard Rock Café in Makati. "But we also do covers of modern rock anthems."

These "covers" include standards from Incubus, Matchbox Twenty, U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Puddle of Mud and yes, even the Beatles.

He adds: "We’re very diverse, and the music sounds young and fresh with a cutting edge. They are very commercial and after listening to our songs a few times, you’ll definitely get hooked. But they’re more than just radio-friendly because the songs also convey positive themes with the hope of alleviating our plight in these difficult times."

It is definitely quite a bold statement in their profile, considering that most of their lyrics deal with the simplest and most general ideas and situations–from getting drunk to saying sorry to flying in "a special place". Naturally, this outcome has its good and bad sides.

For one, the words are uncomplicated and candid, and listeners will easily relate to the group’s thoughts. "Come fly with me / Across the sea / To a place where / We can be free..." writes Chuck Isidro in the track Fly (to those unfamiliar, Chuck was also the lead guitarist for the now defunct AfterImage).

That exact line, however, also tends to sound a little lazy. And the same goes for several others in the album. Verses are a bit weak and lack originality, as they touch on the most common and the clichéd.

Fortunately, the band’s energetic playing make up for it–Ronel’s in particular. His vocals give their sound a second dimension, and this is evident at their Hard Rock performance. In the opening song, 6cyclemind comes out in full-swing, but also needed more intensity to get the crowd really moving. And in an instant, the frontman’s vigorous singing takes over, and it blends well with their rich melodies.

And sans their pang-masa appeal, the band actually has the chops to bring Philippine rock music back to a higher level. Pulp headwriter Joey Dizon agrees with this take, but adds that 6cyclemind will probably always sound better on record than in live gigs–"whether they like it or not". If that holds true, then the group will at least learn to make heavier and more innovative tracks.

It’s not that 6cyclemind made a sloppy debut album, mind you. In fact, "Permission to Shine" is an accomplished gem with its well-polished string sections, percussion and additional overdubs. The chemistry is also watertight, and the members don’t try to outshine each other. Clearly leaving their egos behind, their attitude is reminiscent of the good-natured super group The Travelling Wilburys. And this makes their songs a whole lot better.

Aside from Darwin, Ryan also contributes a couple of songs, one of which is Gaya ng Noon. Ryan or Rye, was a high school classmate of Ronel’s back in their hometown of Tarlac. He shares some of the vocal duties in their repertoire, but he is far better off as a guitar player.

Roberto, meanwhile, is a long-time friend of Darwin’s, and used to play with Ronel in a former band. He puts in a lot of impressive bass lines in the album. And Gilbert, their gifted drummer who can whallop a tom-tom off the stage and still make it look and sound cool, was the last one to join the group.

Although it sometimes takes a band years to get the right chemistry, 6cyclemind’s members jived well quickly because of their similar musical tastes. And this shows in their album, as the tunes display heavy influences from foreign alternative bands, The Goo Goo Dolls especially. "Permission to Shine" is filled with so much borrowed licks and bars that fans of the genre will surely have a lot to talk about in this one.

"We had a lot of support while making this 12-track record. We’re lucky because everybody cheered us on. I just hope people enjoy listening to this album as much as 6cyclemind enjoyed making it," Darwin says.

But why the name? "You can call the birth of this band a twist of fate," Darwin explains. "Six people crossing paths, brought together by common musical influences and a common desire for expressing themselves through music, hence the name. It was a unanimous decision."

6cyclemind actually started only last June 2001 after Darwin recruited the members for a new alternative band. He had then just come back from a short break in the music scene after his relationship with Moonstar88 soured. And it wasn’t long before they signed a contract with bmg Records (terms of the deal were not disclosed).

Naturally, it is expected that some will say 6cyclemind had it too easy in getting a recording contract. And yynics unfairly link this to the group’s connections with sought-after record producers and friendships with other rock bands. But it should be put into record that Ronel, Ryan, Roberto, Gilber, and Carlos, have paid their dues.

Just like anyone starting out, they began playing in bars, hubs, and universities in Metro Manila. They’ve also traveled as far as Pampanga and Baguio. Their hard work soon paid off when 6cyclemind was included in the "Bands To Watch" citation for 2003. Darwin says that is what convinced bmg to sign them up.

"We just love making music. And it doesn’t matter what others say because we’ve had one hell of a ride this year," Darwin smiles after 6cyclemind wows the crowd with another ditty at the Hard Rock stage. "I just can’t wait to see what’s instore next!"