Lutong Pinoy, lasang Pinoy. For the Filipino who loves to eat and enjoy life, the band SKABECHE strikes a chord of familiarity not just because its name alludes to the humble adaptation of the sweet and sour fish dish Escabeche, but because, though influence by the foreign sound of SKA, Skabeche is very much Filipino as this bunch of true-blue Pinoy musicians have added their own touch into the genre. Ska is dance music first and foremost. Having originated from the island of Jamaica, the sound of Ska has captured the hearts of many people in different parts of the world with its invigorating beat. Ska was a Jamaicans dance music form that swept out of Jamaica in the early 1960’s to shake the butts of working and middle-class Jamaicans before going on, via the West Indian immigrant connection, to the UK, and into the world. Skabeche’s 10-member gang of musicians who has been milling the music scene for 8 years now prides themselves as sons of Baliuag, Bulacan and such a troupe is uncommon in the Philippines. Their individual influences, yes all ten of them are all tossed and turned into their sound, a mix of Punk, Blues, Jazz, Classical and What-You-Have into the melting pot that is SKABECHE. And aside from their influences, the variety of musical instruments they play also add depth to their sound- 3 saxophone, a trombone, trumpet, and percussions spice up the usual sound of guitars, bass, drums and vocals. Yes, indeed flavorful!. Just like the people of Jamaica who have undergone a lot of struggles in their time, the Pinoy sentiments are very well triggered by this music form. Skabeche mirrors the Filipino heart and soul in their romance with Ska and ventures deep into present-day realities of the land in their songs. Like their composition “LAMOK”, which talks about Pinoy Politicians, is sensible, street smart and humorous - very Pinoy in the sense that it has the ability to pock fun at serious stuff. (Perhaps the very same reason why the genre came about). In fact, their voice has been loud enough to earn them a spot in a foreign release representing the country in a CD Compilation of Ska and Reggae music from around the globe. The group now has performed hundreds of gigs, done several recordings and appeared on TV as well. Currently, Skabeche, hailed by FHM/For Him Magazine as one of the TOP INDEPENDENT ARTISTS in the Philippines, is a regular house band of Ka-toque, ”Lutong Barkada” - a cooking show aired every Saturday at QTV11. Two of their songs Lamok and Part of Me are also included in the album Island Riddims, released under Galaxy Records. The band today continues to enjoy life, love, music and dream on. A full album is now under works and maybe through their musical concoctions, SKABECHE may flavor our lives as well.
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SKABECHE
 Post subject: SKABECHE ALBUM REVIEW - PULP
PostPosted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 12:52 am 
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Joined: Mon May 05, 2008 4:59 pm
Posts: 78
Album Title : TABLE FOR TEN
Artist : SKABECHE
Produced by : PINEAPPLE RIDDIMS RECORDING COMPANY
Distributed by : VIVA RECORDS
Launched at : Metrowalk, Ortigas Pasig City / April 15, 2009
REVIEWED BY : PULP MAGAZINE (Ms. Karen Sy)
Ratings : 4 out of 5 Oranges


“SKABECHE’s DEBUT ALBUM IS QUIRKY, FUN AND INFECTIOUS”

One main characteristic of Skabeche’s debut album Table for Ten is “infectious.” The band managed to maintain its infectious energy throughout the record – even those who don’t really listen to ska will find themselves moving along to the beat. After ten years of being in the music scene, Skabeche finally came out with this very upbeat album and it definitely doesn’t disappoint fans, making this debut worth the wait. Another thing is that Skabeche isn’t too much on the extremes and they make their ska relatable to those who are not familiar with the genre. From their melodies, to their beats and rhythms, Skabeche’s album still has that Pinoy flavor that opens the genre to new boundaries.

They open Table for Ten with an instrumental track with quirky bass lines and horns, and head bobbing beats. This track is entitled “Table No. 10,” and being a ten-member band with ten years of existence in the music scene, I wonder if number 10 really does have a significant meaning to the band? Beats me. But besides that, track number one has the energy and eccentricity that put any listener into a good mood. Well, when you hear lyrics like “I love the sunshine in the sky,” and “I love the joy that you bring” in their next track “Good Day”, why wouldn’t you be in a good mood?. “Kaibigang Hangin” starts with a lively full-scale intro and this track also displays exemplary vocal work – nothing too impressive but I just find the singer’s voice appealing on this one. Whenever I hear anyone sing with a certain “swing” that’s not really noticeable, that definitely deserves one more orange on its own from me. The tracks also highlights horn section solos, which just simply boost the charm of the song entirely.

Skabeche’s lyrics can easily relate to many listeners as they tackle everything from love, to having a good day, and to politics, track 5 is a perfect example of their political awareness with lines such as “Hindi naba magbabago ang taong nakaupo?” Sarap buhay na sumusubo’t walang magawang matino.” They then top it off with a chorus that compares the negative members of the society to a mosquito, hence the title, “LAMOK”. This is probably the best sounding political song, I’ve heard so far.

Other noticeable tracks are “Turuan Mong Umibig ang mga Bata,” “Kaba,” “Pagbabago,” and “Baby It’s All Wrong” – forgive me for the description but I can’t find any other appropriate word for it other than “CUTE”. Phrasing is also absolutely captivating; watch out for the line “Let’s go to Manila, Cebu and Davao.” Actually, I find all the tracks appealing and this album is definitely worth the trip to the music store. I imagine that not only Pinoys will love this because several of the tracks do sound better than foreign ska records I’ve heard before.



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