FEATURE: Inside the dreamworld of Sound Architects

MANILA, Philippines - The established rule among music snobs is that you don’t call post-rock “post-rock.” It’s an umbrella term, anyway. Music critic Simon Reynolds put that rather clearly when he named the genre in the pages of Mojo magazine back in 1994, describing it as a musical form that appropriates “rock instrumentation for non-rock purposes, using guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures rather than riffs and power chords.” In short, it’s a genre that shouldn’t be put in a box. When music revels in ambiguity, building soundscapes that turn our gaze toward the infinite and the weightless, it draws up feelings that are hard to define with words.

But allow me to try. Post-rock brings me into the dreamier little world of sound, embracing language-less poetry that speaks of doom, innocence, narcotic subtlety and hope; it’s a conversation of instruments that transpires in deep slumber. And Filipinos do it so well. Local post-rock has been gaining international attention since the turn of the decade. Notable for their intricate, math-rock instrumentals and dreamy soundscapes, Tom’s Story recently made it to Arctic Drones’ 50 Best Post-Rock releases of 2016 and emerged as one of the go-to festival favorites over the past two years. Bands such as Tide/edit, Legarda, Earthmover, AOUI, and Encounters with a Yeti have built a sizeable following in their respective communities.

In this tradition comes Sound Architects, a young, post-rock outfit whose sound pushes farther than what you expect of their contemporaries. While most of the local instrumental acts churn out spatial spectacles filled with infectious grooves and melodic elements, this band doesn’t. “Our sound is really atmospheric,” says drummer Felix Cordova. “And I’d like to describe it that way kasi kung post-rock, it sounds vague and limiting. I guess our sound is very layered and textural, and at the same time, very heavy.” Bassist Rjay Concepcion adds, “medyo dark and nakaka-high siya, but not tokhang-high.”

An Aural Narrative

On initial listens, listeners will find themselves at home with the band’s aural narrative. Their remarkable display of technique and subtlety actually plays second fiddle to the cinematic canvas that bleeds straight through their songs. The music comes from a vulnerable place: dark, lost, melancholic, heading toward a more glacial direction. “Thematically speaking, it’s a very personal album. It brings that side of us that we don’t really show,” guitarist Johann Mendoza tells Supreme. “Hopefully, ganun din yung mangyari to people who would listen to the new record na hindi lang ito sad-sad, but we also covered stuff like disaster, turmoil, war, loss and isolation. Ganung klaseng themes. The stuff that people ignore kasi masyadong deep at intense so we just put it out in the open.”

Cordova explains that the upcoming album, “In Time of Need,” aims to interpret and expound on feelings that people go through during trying times and depression. “Gusto naming ipakita na music is not just about sensual pleasure; it’s a form of expression. We want to show na it’s the kind of darkness that’s necessary. It’s the kind of things that you have to identify with and evaluate for yourself. It eventually came to something like that.”

Recorded at Point Bee Multimedia, the six-track debut release is a compelling showcase of dynamic arrangements, genre-crossing experiments, and sonic ambition, qualities that separate Sound Architects from the usual suspects. Earthmover’s Daniel Garcia is involved in the production and mixing of the album, ensuring that the sound is in top form without sacrificing the manic energy and restraint of the band’s live sound. Johann could attest to Daniel’s contribution, claiming that “Daniel had so much input on the music. He knew what sort of sound we wanted to achieve. It went beyond the recording, pati sa arrangements he had input. It was a fulfilling experience kasi there was a healthy environment of criticism.” Given the murky and aggressive nature of Sound Architects, they also sought the technical expertise of Beast Jesus’ Raphael Pulgar, a music pundit who is no stranger to mastering locally produced records that fall under the punk/hardcore/metal/modern rock subgenres. The result is an album capable of twerking ears and pushing creativity to wandering curiosity, drawing both beauty and doom in equal measure.

Picking Faves

When asked to name their favorite songs from the new record, Sound Architects’ Rjay Concepcion beams with excitement, sharing in detail how proud he is of the six-minute epic Omens.  “For me, siya yung pinakadelikadong move na ginawa namin as songwriters. Andami naming napaglaruan na bagong elements. Mas exaggerated compared to the usual. It’s supposed to be a filler track, but as it progressed over time, we were able to incorporate a lot of layers and nuances in the mix.” The track deconstructs the improvisational strut of jazz with a steady and subtle rhythmic feel in background, and as it slowly reaches for its final moment, it flows with symphonic grace amid dissonant layers of noise.

Felix considers Mabaya as his top pick, a moody tune that ascends to a hypnotic finish. “It doesn’t contain as much hysteria as the other tracks, but it still maintains the nitty-gritty, dark aggressiveness of our sound.” Patrick, on the other hand, enjoys the simplicity of first single, Icarus, while Johann thinks that the doom metal tendencies of 1972 make it a cut above the rest.

Exploring the greater unknown with the absence of words might be a difficult undertaking, but Sound Architects’ upcoming release is sonic proof that emotions are best felt when you say nothing at all and let the instruments do the talking for you. It takes imagination to come up with compelling instrumental sounds that stir one’s soul and change the way you look at things. Perhaps that is the beauty of Sound Architects’ music: despite its imperfections, it makes you feel completely naked, emotionally. It’s a compositional triumph whose honesty is something that you can’t fake, whose darkness allows you to see what’s within.

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Sound Architects will be launching their highly anticipated debut album, ‘In Time of Need,’ on June 3 at Mow’s Bar, Quezon City. Co-presented by Polaris Project and Continent Records, the event will also feature performances by Musical O, Lindenwood, Beast Jesus, and Local Disk (C:.)