Stache August 2011 // Issue 05

I’m guessing that the change in font startled you, but we remodeled the whole magazine’s look and feel for this issue. We’ve been getting messages about our beloved Courier New and how hard it was to read so we changed it to Helvetica instead (because we all love Helvetica). Also: you can zoom the magazine in so that you can read it more clearly. We apologize for not settling that issue right away.

In the past four issues, we highlighted ‘art’ the most with our cover muses Afianne Cope, Everywhere We Shoot and Your Evil Twin. So I guess it’s time to finally let the ones on stage take the, well, stage. For our fifth issue, we present Julius, Diego, Idris and Ian of the band Bee Eyes. If you don’t know who they are yet, then you probably haven’t been to Meiday or have been living under a rock because they are currently the bee’s knees (no pun intended). We also have a lot of college bands in this issue and an exclusive interview with Jam 88.3’s veteran~ DJ, Lambert Cruz. The whole experience was so much fun and we also got to talk on the air! More on that on our website so don’t forget to check that out.

We also have Cheyser Pedregosa as OMFG and the amazing Regine David for A-muse. Koji Arboleda, one of our art contributors, will stun you with his set ‘Maria’. It is definitely not your ordinary fashion editorial. Gwilen Grace also graced our covers with her eye-popping vectors. Unfortunately, she chose not to show herself still but hey, a little mystery does not hurt. Saibh Egan, the first ever foreign contributor in Stache, also shared her photos through three sets: Garden Secrets, We Go To A Hidden Place and Vintage Dreams.

This month’s issue gave us more opportunities than the past four combined and we are nothing but thank-ful for all your support. Cue cliche: none of this is possible without you.

Maine Manalansan, EIC

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFMaine Manalansan

MARKETING DIRECTOREllie Centeno

LIFESTYLE EDITORMare Collantes

MUSIC EDITORMaan Bermudez

FASHION EDITOREcks Abitona

WEB EDITORMary Silvestre

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERPat Nabong

PHOTOGRAPHERSElisa Aquino

Jelito De LeonNikki Ruiz

Rae CabradillaAngel Castillo

WRITERSJared Carl MillanNessa Santos

Christine ExeveaForest Candelaria

Regina ReyesChelsea Olaya

Karen Dela Fuente

http://stachemagazineonline.comFacebook: Stache Magazine OnlineTwitter: @stachemagazineFor contributions: [email protected] advertising inquiries: [email protected]

CONTRIBUTORS:

Our first foreign contributor, Saibh Egan, hails from Ireland. Her photographs re-mind us of those from teen icons, Nirrimi and Ann He. She captures their emotions which much delicacy and delight that it vibrates right through the screens. Her photoblog Wild Cosmia ia a true aesthetic delight.

Gwilen Grace is taking up AB MMA in the Lyceum of the Philippines University. She;s also into digital and film photography, which is pretty kickass. Her influences are deftbeat, infelice, aseo, rizaldy catapang, mai evangelista, csj, hana bacasno and kdlg. Random fact: if you’re wondering what she looks like in person, you probably won’t know unless you really meet her in person. Heck, we’re not sure if Gwilen Grace is her real name (but she’s still amazing).

This month’s Most Emotionally In-tense Fashion Editorial Award goes to Koji Ar-boleda with his set ‘Maria’. He’s a film student from UP Diliman, which is quite obvious by now with how he handles the camera (no, not handle; how he makes love to the camera). His influences are Zhang Jingna and Elizaveta Porodina and on his spare time, he likes to watch films and fanboy on Harry Potter. His interest in big black-rimmed glass, gummies and the marvelous misadventures of flapjack only say that he’s part hipster, part Japanese.

GOING CRAZY FOR KATSUWords and photos by Maine Manalansan

If there is one thing Crazy Katsu is, it’s probably the ‘tumblr famous’ of all restaurants in Maginhawa St. considering the fact that the real ‘tumblr famous’ are talking about it con-stantly (i.e. Saab Magalona, Regina Belmonte). The online buzz that this restaurant created is astounding, and let me tell you why.

It started in a studio named Sound Creation, and at that time, their food was already a hit so they decided to take the risky road of actually building a restaurant. It is a collabora-tion between two musicians, Bryan Kong, drummer of Taken by Cars and Shinji Tanaka, drummer of Gaijin. With both owners coming from the music industry, we can’t expect crappy Jpop/Kpop music playing in their restaurant (despite the fact that Crazy Katsu is a Japanese restaurant). As soon as you enter the restaurant, the warm smiles and greetings of the extremely friendly crew will welcome you. You’ll probably also spot the big installation on the right with the irregular wooden shaped sticking out the wall, unless you get distracted by the food cooking in the kitchen. They also have wooden tables and chairs which gives you the right amount of Japanese vibe without going creepy and overboard.

We got to try one of their bestsellers, Chicken Katsu, and it was amazing. The breading on the meat was perfectly cooked to a crisp and the sauce brings it all together with a little

sour, sweet and spice. If you’re allergic to chicken, don’t fret. They also have their famed Katsudon, which is, hands down, the best one in town. They will give you a generous amount of egg (which is always good in a katsudon) and sauce with your dish so I guarantee that you will be a happy customer after din-ing. The Katsu Curry is a new addition to their menu and they did not disappoint. Do you know that out-of-the-packet taste you get in a curry when it’s artificial? Well, you don’t get that here because the taste is just perfect with the semi-sweet, spicy and curry flavour. The last dish that we got to try was the Gyoza, and they are bursting with flavor. Plus, they don’t break when you pick them up (unlike the other gyozas) because the wrap-ping has the right consistency.

With prices ranging from P140-P190, you will definitely get your money’s worth with their delectable dishes. They will also have new dishes coming before the year ends and plans about expansion are definitely a-brewing. Don’t forget to drop by Crazy Katsu to try some of their dishes (if you don’t end up buying all of them) and decide for yourself what the buzz is all about.

Crazy Katsu is located at 91-I Maginhawa St., Teachers Village, UP Diliman, Quezon City.

4 / Drive Thru

KATSUDON

GYOZA

5Drive Thru /

KATSU CURRY

CHICKEN KATSU

6 / Drive Thru

7Reviews /

BOOKNOOKTake a look at this month’s selection of books a la Oprah Book Club.by Jared Carl Millan

“Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends. The question of self-pity.” From one of America’s most iconic writers, Joan Didion explores the themes of death and grief following the death of her husband, acclaimed writer John Gregory Dunne, in this heartfelt memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking.

In her detached yet passionate report-age peculiar to her style, she delves deeper into the meaning of grief and loss and mourn-ing, and what it does to its host, most particu-larly, herself. This National Book Award Winner is not merely a book written in a yearlong ac-cess of grief; it is an embodiment of grief itself.

Abraham Stein, the first ever openly gay Jewish president of the United States of America has just been elected! For Duncan and most of America, this might possibly be one of the greatest things to have happened to their country. But their celebration, however, is short lived; the governor of Kansan puts the entire election into question and demands a recount. Meanwhile, Duncan has his own personal struggles to reconcile with, along with Stein’s appeal to gather all his supporters to go to Kansas to claim the election that they have rightfully won.

Levithan has masterfully incorporated the political and factual with the personal and imaginary, just as he has done with most of his works, in this novel. It gives the reader a glimpse of what could happen in the near fu-ture—especially now that gay marriage is legal-ized in New York—a world where homophobia is in the minority, equal rights to everyone has been given, and where AIDS is a pandemic no longer. In the surface the novel is about poli-tics, but on the very heart of it, it is about love, and standing up to what you believe in.

8 / Reviews

POPCORNBUCKETWho ever said that movies are all about moving pictures?by Christine Exevea

By definition, love is described as a passionate feeling or emotion drawn towards a non-living or living being. More than any other human senses, love is one thing that every person yearns to feel.

Showcasing love in its many dif-ferent ways, Across the Universe tells the story of young teenagers in the 1960’s amidst the turbulant anti-war protests, the struggle for civil rights and freedom of speech trough the use of the songs from the highly acclaimed band, the Beatles. From the direction of Julie Taynor, this 65th Golden Globe Award nominee for best motion picture for musi-cal shows the struggles and truimphs of the youth during the intolerant years for freedom and the quest for acceptance

and peace in the United States and finding the meaning of true love in the process.

Jim Sturgess plays as a young British man named Jude in search for his true identity. Leaving his girlfriend and his mother at Liverpool, Jude signs up as a merchant navy and sails on to New Jersey in search for his father. He then meets Max, played by Joe Anderson, an elite col-lege student from Princeton University who later introduces her to Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) The three then sets out on a quest for freedom and independence in New York where they later meet new friends Prudence (T.V. Carpio), Saddie (Dana Fuchs) and Jojo (Martin Luther Mccoy). Their friendship is then put on to different tests. Max had to enlist to the nmilitary and battle in Vietnam while his sister Lucy is left in New York to join other youth in rally for the stop the war between US and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Prudence suffer from identity crisis when she realizes she is falling in love with Saddie, and seeks acceptance to the group as well as to the community. Saddie was forced to leave Jojo and his band in order for her to continue her career as a musician leading to her break up with Jojo. In the end, the gang finds a way to get through with all the trials they are facing and witness how true love and friendship conquers all. Filled with rock and roll music from the Beatles and trippy scenes that will surely ignite the senses, Accross The Universe sets a whimsical feel to whoever is watching. With appearance from other highly acclaimed artists like Bono, Eddie Izzard, Joe Cocker and Salma Hayek, is as exciting as watching the Beatles itself.

In a world where musical renun-ciation reqiures great effort to achieve, how can a young man and his annoying laughter make it seem so easy and effort-less?

Amadeus is the musical adapta-tion of Peter Shaffer’s stage play of the same title. Directed by Milos Forman, this multi-awarded film shows the life of Wolf-gang Amadeus Mozart in the perspective of his murderer, Antonio Salieri.

The story begins after Salieri, played by F. Murray Abraham, attempted to commit suicide and was then place in an asylum. He was then visited by a young priest who seeks to take his confession. It is to this priest that Salieri confides all his secrets and dreams.

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Salieri was a devout follower of God. He offers his work to God and promises to worship him even more in exchange of his success in music. Then along came Mozart, played by Tom Hucle, who Salieri sees as a lewd and childish young man. Nevertheless, Mozart was able to get the attention of the people and showed to everyone an effortless kind of musical talent. Salieri then began to doubt his belief in God and started to develop a plan to murder Mozart.

Filled with comedy and sus-pense, the film Amadeus will not only entertain viewers but would also impart them with knowledge not only of music – but also of history and culture.

A lot has been said about a man from Nazareth, claiming to be the son of God and the salvation of all people. To everyone else, he is considered as God. But could this Son of God be anymore human?

Jesus Christ Superstar is a film adaptation of the rock and roll musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice. With the direction of Norman Jewison, this musical film tells the story of a legendary hero, Jesus Christ, during the last few weeks of his life.

The film shows the relationship of Jesus Christ (Ted Neeley) to his followers, particularly to Judas (Carl Anderson) and Mary Magdalene (Yvone Elliman). It shows how Jesus faced death, like any other

human being, and how he experienced pressure and fear. The film also em-phasized on the forbidden love of Mary Magdalene for Jesus and how she gathered all her courage for it to remain a secret so that Jesus’ plans for the people would not be ruined.

However, the film gained a few negative critcism from religous groups. Like the theatre show, the film gave rise to controversey. There were changes with the script in an attempt to make it more acceptable to the Christian audience and Catholic devotees. Nevertheless, the film turned out to be a success and was generally well recieved.

Jesus Christ Superstar has shown every aspect of how Jesus is the greatest hero of all time. Filled with rock and roll music that the youth would surely enjoy, this film is surely a unique and effective way of telling the story of our salvation.

In a world where musical renun-ciation reqiures great effort to achieve, how can a young man and his annoying laughter make it seem so easy and effort-less?

Amadeus is the musical adapta-tion of Peter Shaffer’s stage play of the same title. Directed by Milos Forman, this multi-awarded film shows the life of Wolf-gang Amadeus Mozart in the perspective of his murderer, Antonio Salieri.

The story begins after Salieri, played by F. Murray Abraham, attempted to commit suicide and was then place in an asylum. He was then visited by a young priest who seeks to take his confession. It is to this priest that Salieri confides all his secrets and dreams.

10 / Reviews

Pick yourself up off the sidewalk, this isn’t the nitty gritty garage rock your younger, more rebellious self was used to. Musical maturity, is what comes into play. You can only have so many combinations of chords and drumbeats before you decide to add more elements to your music. The Strokes’ new album, Angles definitely fosters that maturity. Think of the Strokes, and you remember Julian Casablanca’s dirty, wet voice shooting smug lines at you. Angles gives you a chance to take a step back so you can see the band as a whole. With a songwriting process that was collaborative instead of Julian Casablanca’s songs played by the Strokes, it really sheds light on the different aspects of the band’s music. This band has such soulful, me-lodic guitar lines, song-driving basslines, and drum fills that come just at the right time, that it’s kind of a relief that I don’t even remember what the vocalist is saying. You will miss the dark, drunk on a black and white New York street at 2 AM feel, but a few good listens will give you the light small party with all your friends in a small but fashionable apartment sensation. Try listening to them like you didn’t know them, then you’ll ap-preciate it.

MODERNVINYLSMixes within a mix. MIXEPTION.by Forest Candelaria

Shoulder-popping, head bobbing, homie you’ll feel like your driving down a Philippines highway the way this album makes you bounce. While not exactly new, this 2007 album is a must have that most people don’t have. They say you have to be in the mood to be able to listen to jazz, but this album says nay; jazz everyday. If making music was like painting a picture, Radio-active Sago Project’s bass and drum would be the outline, their guitars and brass instruments would add the splashes of color, and Lourd De Veyra’s spoken word would render this whole metaphor useless. I have to be honest, I’m hav-ing a hard time reviewing this album because of how amazing it is. The music boosts your self es-teem by making you feel like a bad ass, and the satire-ridden lyrics would make you smirk. This is definitely one of those cases where a musician becomes so adept at their instrument, that the only thing left to do is to have fun. Don’t even get me started on the ever-constant social commen-taries. Tangina Mo Ang Daming Nagugutom sa Mundo, Fashionista Ka Pa Rin by the Radioactive Sago Project; for a more colorful monochrome.

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Pick yourself up off the sidewalk, this isn’t the nitty gritty garage rock your younger, more rebellious self was used to. Musical maturity, is what comes into play. You can only have so many combinations of chords and drumbeats before you decide to add more elements to your music. The Strokes’ new album, Angles definitely fosters that maturity. Think of the Strokes, and you remember Julian Casablanca’s dirty, wet voice shooting smug lines at you. Angles gives you a chance to take a step back so you can see the band as a whole. With a songwriting process that was collaborative instead of Julian Casablanca’s songs played by the Strokes, it really sheds light on the different aspects of the band’s music. This band has such soulful, me-lodic guitar lines, song-driving basslines, and drum fills that come just at the right time, that it’s kind of a relief that I don’t even remember what the vocalist is saying. You will miss the dark, drunk on a black and white New York street at 2 AM feel, but a few good listens will give you the light small party with all your friends in a small but fashionable apartment sensation. Try listening to them like you didn’t know them, then you’ll ap-preciate it.

I think what really appealed to me about the Arc-tic Monkeys was how their music was full of gaps and how they’d fill it with a completely different el-ement. They created instrumental counterpoints. The gap left by the drums would be filled by a guitar chord. The disparity between the two in-struments kept your head bobbing and your ears waiting. I called it ballshaker rock because as a guy, I felt like I was being grabbed by my privates and shook by the music. Their newest album, Suck it and See, seems to have abandoned the ballshaking. Although the songs are still driven by bass and drum, the guitars seem to take a more constant, but less prominent sound. It takes a step into ambient rock with the band cradling the vocals instead of highlighting it. Definitely differ-ent from what you expect from your Arctic Mon-keys, but not disappointing. Gone are the days of play fast and play loud, and I guess for a band that played so well with every instrument playing against the other, the only step forward would be to be able to play together. It inches towards the Smiths and away from the Ramones. You should definitely grab a copy of the Arctic Monkeys’ Suck It and See, and you’ll find yourself saying “Wow. They used to make me want to punch a guy in the face, now, I just want to steal his girlfriend.”

12 / Audiophilia

Formed in July of 2010, Sugar Plum Fairy is a cheery indie pop rock quartet with its members all hailing from the UST Conserva-tory of Music. With Erryl Aguirre on vocals and rhythmic guitar, Macky dela Cruz on lead guitar, Adriane Macalipay on bass and Aaron Triñanes on drums, this band boasts of their music’s timelessness, catering to just about any age group. Fuelled by the influences of mainly The Beatles and the likes of Orange and Lemons, Two Door Cinema Club, Phoenix, The Smiths, The Cribs and The Strokes, Sugar Plum Fairy is not just another college band – they are here for the long run, and with talent like theirs, a future in the music industry looks very promising. Catch them live in the 2011 UST Soundcheck finals on Nov. 11th and other gigs posted in their Facebook page:

YAMI is a band that cannot be confined into a single definite word. They are passionate, they are performers, they are alternative, but most of all, they are true musicians. They dedicate their lives to music, a feat achieved by their passion to their craft. They describe their songs as “… a collective of topics you’d have over coffee; love, politics, discovery etc.” Something that they achieve as they perform not to gain fame or fortune but to get people to appreciate music—to let it fuel the lives of peope in the highway of life, as they say it.

MUSICCONTRIBUTORSUp and coming bands to watch out forby Maine Manalansan, Maan Bermudez and Ellie Centeno

Quick obvious fact about Mare Collan-tes: she’s our lifestyle editor. Quick random fact that most of you probably doesn’t know: she’s an amazing singer. It’s only reasonable that she’s the AMP President because her voice can lighten up a girl’s mood and make a boy fall in love. We had to (kind of) force her to sing for this month’s issue because she’s shy, but hey, what’s to be shy about? If I had her voice, I’d sing for anyone any day. Did I mention that she has the best laugh ever?

13Audiophilia /

DANCE, PLAY, CREATE

One thing you notice in teen movies that happen to include a band in it is that there’s always this sense of brother-hood between the members even though one of them is the super hipster lead singer, the other is the awkward punk bassist who looks like Michael Cera, and then there’s the long-haired quirky drummer who does all these crazy insane schemes. They may have different backgrounds and they may have personali-ties on the two opposite poles of the personality spectrum, but they all seem to be bonded by, cheesy as it seems, the su-perglue called music. This is what can be seen in Dance, Play, Create. Dance, Play, Create, also known as DPC, started out between some students in Ateneo High School who jam to-gether just for the fun of it. They created a distinct sound having a heavy rock sound and a fun and light pop hint to it. After some time jamming together, the boys started getting serious about the band and soon created Death Penalty Crew. However, the band changed their name since they wanted to reflect the pop-ness of their sound, and so they stringed together random words and thus, Dance, Play, Create was borne. The band, composed of Eric Trono on vocals, Bryan Moya on vocals/ guitars, Matt Azada on guitars, Richard del Rosario on bass, and Tim Odulio on drums, currently plays gigs all over the Metro (and even out of it) and has made a name for itself in the local scene. Stache Magazine has gotten the great opportunity to interview the band about the life of the band.

How did you guys form the band? How did you get to-gether?

We started out jamming in high school. We’re a part of Music Industry, a music organization in our school. So from there we started jamming. We caught a dead end though because of some commitment issues but despite this, we’re still good.

How did you find your sound?

Well, we like heavy beats of rock in the music we listened to before and we wanted to incorporate pop sounds to it. Actually, we were the emo kids in high schools, we listened to a lot of post- hardcpre music. So, we wanted to emulate the sound but not let go of our own sound. I guess it [their sound] describes our personality.

So, what makes your band different?

Our sound makes us different since we incorporate heavy rock beats with pop. Some bands have the same sound too, but I guess ours have a heavier rock sound to it.

Who are your musical influences?

A lot actually. Icy stars, Urbandub, Franco, Forever The Sickest

Words and photos by Maan Bermudez

Who writes the songs that you play?

Everyone does their thing but Brian is the one who writes a lot of our material.

How are you as a band? You said you guys started play-ing since high school. That must mean you guys are pretty close and all. How do you keep the professionalism in the group then?

We talked about it and ensured that the newer members un-derstand that there is professionalism in the band. It’s easier for them since like for Tim, music is his course so it’s his passion so he gives focus to it.

Do you have any plans of going pro and how do you try to get to that level?

For sure. It’s the DREAM—to get signed, expand our music, getting heard by many. We’re currently recording songs now actually.

Any memorable gigs?

Our recent gigs like the AMP Rites of Passage in Katips Bar, and there’s one we did in Headstock bar. Actually, all our gigs are memorable and nice because we like playing in new places, meeting new people, and making new friends.

Final question, do you have any upcoming gigs you want to promote?

We have one on Thursday in Headstock Bar, One on Friday in Casa Nami, and another one on Saturday in Quezon Province.

Check out the band and their upcoming gigs at: http://www.myspace.com/danceplaycreatehttp://www.reverbnation.com/danceplaycreatehttp://www.facebook.com/danceplaycreate

*photos from their Facebook account

14 / Audiophilia

15Tune-Up /

16 / Tune-Up

SHOULD PEOP LE BR ING CAMERAS TO CONCERTS?

Words and photos by Karen Dela Fuente

This, perhaps, is the hardest, if not the most gruelling decision to ever make before attending a concert – of course right after you’ve decided on what to wear. Concert photogra-phy, if truth be told, is a photographer’s own battle of Hogwarts. Requiring the skills of, pretty much, a ninja, one must be able to capture the heart, the soul, the lights, the music, and, if luck allows, the smoke, in under 1/100 of a second (and that’s de-pendent on whether the lighting is awesome or not).

So here’s a list of tips, pros, cons, and weird things about concert photography for amateur photogra-phers and avid concert goers like me:

1. Familiarize yourself with the location of the concert and whether or not the organizers allow the entry of SLRs or DSLRs – they usually don’t... but do not fret, point-and-shoot cameras are often approved in!2. Bringing a professional camera to a concert does not entail going home with awesome photos – make sure you know your gear! 3. Know where you are going to sit and from this assess whether or not you could adjust your gear – being seated too far back with a kit lens would probably just render bringing a camera useless. 4. Know the crowd. That is, if you do want to keep your camera from harm.

5. Be patient. Capturing good (clear & sharp) photos takes time and a truckload of patience. Take a few test shots first to get a good gauge of how the lights look in your shots and to, as well, anticipate good angles from the musicians – who usually jump and fly around the stage. 6. Remember that you are capturing awesome moments from awesome music makers. It is as well important that you get to capture the essence and character they are giving off and portraying. 7. Respect the people around you – the musicians, the event organizers, the crew, and most importantly, the other fans. Make sure that you don’t hog the space and block the view of those seated behind you with your camera. 8. Just enjoy. Have fun singing along the good music and bask in the awesome energy of the crowd.

NOTE: In deciding on bringing a camera to a concert (or not), you must never forget to be in tune with yourself. Know what you really want to get out of a concert – if you want to take photos, take awesome ones.

Just don’t ever forget that you have to take time and enjoy the music, as in the words of the astounding Pat Kirch, ‘Enjoy. Put down your camera and enjoy something.’

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THE B IGGEST MYSTERY IN THE ROCK N ’ ROLL INDUS -

TRY: THE 27 CLUB

The death of Amy Winehouse in late July sparked the general public’s interest again in the so-called ‘27 Club’. The 27 Club (also known as Forever 27, Club 27 or Curse of 27) is what most music enthusiasts collectively call influential rock n’ roll musicians who died at the age of 27.

The club was created following the death of Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones), Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison (The Doors). Now, a few musicians dying at the same age does not really sound mysterious, but unfortunately, the perplexing trail of this curse continues on, with Amy Winehouse being the latest victim.

Amy Winehouse’s inclusion to the Club has been a subject of artists and fans and other people in general over the past few weeks after her death. Personally, I don’t think she’s worthy enough to be in the 27 Club because she didn’t have the influence that the aforementioned musicians had. Well, she was a good singer-songwriter, but I think she lacked the mas-sive influence the others had on pop culture, on people and of course, on music today.

Several mysteries surround the Club, all adding to the general mystique of the group. Here are some of them:

1. Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hen-

drix all had white lighters in possession when their bodies were discovered.

2. Around 2 years ago, before the death of Amy Wine-house, when no one would have imagined that she will eventu-ally become the member of tragic 27 club, an unnamed woman who refused to disclose her identity claimed that all of these musicians were involved in Satanism, that they all signed a con-tract with the Devil in order to gain fame, wealth and skills. She also claimed that she was the high priestess and she herself is familiar with these types of activities.

3. The 27 club phenomena became insanely popu-lar when 4 notable and famous musicians Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison died within 2 years span of time and then this phenomena was hugely influenced in the music industry as many other musicians who were either of 27 years age or soon to be started fearing that this is curse and maybe they are next. The death of these 4 notable singers in-volving many resemblances like they all were addicted to drugs and alcohol, the mystery white lighter theory and other things did became the mysterious series of deaths in the world. These were the point which was felt by many people around the world.

by El l ie CentenoI l lustrat ion by Maine Manalansan

18 / Tune-Up

19Tune-Up /

4. Many writers and historians claim that all of these singers except Amy Winehouse who is a very fresh mem-ber of the 27 club, has revised this line atleast once in their lifetime which quotes “The music is reversible but Time is not”. This is also one of the mysterious facts related to the tragic 27 club.

5. A renowned biographer wrote “The number of musicians who passed away at 27 is truly remarkable by any standard. Humans die regularly at all ages, [but] there is a statistical spike for musicians who die at 27.” He is not saying that there is something supernatural involved in this case but he still has made a point that there is something mysterious.

A last word on Amy Winehouse: I despise the fact that most people overlook her music with the con-troversies she was in. She was really good at what she did, and no matter how crazy her lifestyle was, her music stayed the same: raw and real. Disregarding the queries of whether or not she deserves to be in the 27 Club, her music is beautiful because it is genuine. She may have had a drug-addled lifestyle, and impossible attitude, but I just wish people listened to the music. And by listen, I mean actually listen. Let her music stand on its own, and it’s amazing.

Needless to say, the existence of the 27 Club has made rock n’ roll a lot more colourful than it already is, and debates on who deserves to be included in the list are inevitable, and they’re going to go on forever. As Kurt Cobain once wrote in his suicide note, taken from Neil Young’s song, ‘Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)’: “It’s better to burn out to fade away...”

20 / A Day In The Life

DJ LAMBERT CRUZby Nessa Santos and Forest Villanueva

Photos by Pat Nabong

The front door says “Closed – Use the back door”; and so we walked through the pavement going to the back door of the building. Another sign: “Closed – Enter through the base-ment”. Wow, great. There’s no backing out, though, thus we decided to check out the parking lot under the old edifice. We found the dimly-lit stairs, which led us to the creepy, empty hall and somewhere was a light flickering. We were welcomed with chilly air as we entered the room, and then we heard a roaring – not to mention enticingly sexy – voice that said, “Heyaaaa guys! Welcome!”

The voice belonged to DJ Lambert Cruz, 26, although we are not sure if that is true. What we are sure about, however, is that the guy is full-packed with humor and wit (also, that he doesn’t want to talk about total years in the industry and that he’s teasingly touchy about his real age). Anyone wouldn’t ques-tion his expertise in his chosen career but surprisingly, he got into the business by accident. One day, his cousin tagged him to audition, and the rest is history. “I used to fear public speak-ing,” he says. He finally got the hang of it, fell in love with what he’s doing and his job became his passion. When asked when he sees himself being a DJ for the rest of his life, his answer was a thought-long-and-hard ‘yes’. And then he bursts out laughing afterwards - oh, the charm of this guy is impeccable.

We’ve always put people who are in media on

pedestals but, DJ Lambert really proves the forced cliche of “celebrities are just like us”, even though he would never con-sider himself a celebrity. He likes to laugh, and talk. He wakes up when he needs to, goes to the gym, goes to parties, and goes to work. Just like all of us. I guess he has an extra serving of charisma, but hey, if basketball players got an extra serving of height, then I guess it’s just fair for Radio DJs to have a little bit more wit and charm on their side. And that’s what he was: charming. Yes, we are lucky that instead of being a part of a big company after taking up Business in college, this fella became a mainstay in Jam 88.3. The glorious perks are nice – free movies, concert tickets, interviews with local and international bands – but he confesses that he really is fond of entertaining people. Apparently, he also likes playing some pranks on his friends. There was a time that they decided to give out another DJ’s address to some girl, and the girl ended up in his friend’s doorstep. Good thing nothing of that sort happened to him, yet. At least, it was just a couple of boxes of doughnuts personally delivered in the booth, which comes with girls, mostly we sup-pose. We laughed as he explained how he sometimes broke booth rules by bringing food in, and many escapades during his experience as a DJ that may have gotten him in trouble.

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It was particularly difficult to keep all the pieces of information about him together because we all just kept laugh-ing with his answers; nonetheless, there was only a specific instance when DJ Lambert turned all serious. “I remember going here because lights were out in my place, but then I walked in on Gang Badoy, asking if I could help her reach out to the victims of Ondoy,” was his response when asked about his best experience in the airwaves. “So I said yes, we could totally do that – for 24 hours it became a public service thing. There was this 40-year-old man who called us; he was scared and crying but he cannot go home. There were also kids who’re left alone, women giving birth… We did try to send help in any way that we can, us asking government agencies, even individuals, for donations. It was tiring, but also fulfilling. It feels good helping people,” he added.

It was around 9:45 AM when we finally decided that we had to force ourselves to leave the radio station, even though we didn’t really want to go. We were never asked to leave though. There was agreed upon time; 7:00-9:00 AM, and we went over that time because were having so much fun, and not once were we asked to leave or even reminded that we had an agreed upon time slot. It may have been politeness or just general niceness, but we felt like were welcome the whole time.

Check out his segment in Jam 88.3 FM from 6-9 AM, and you’re sure in for an eargasmic experience. Just be ready to be blown away either by his hilarity, or by the awesome mixes he plays in his show.

Also: he’s still single so you guys might want to check him out.

DJ LAMBERT’S SCHEDULE ON A NORMAL DAY:

11:00 Wake up.

11:30 Go to the gym.

13:00 Lunch time

14:00 FREE T IME!! ! !21:00 Go to work

00:00 Go home or party. Depends.

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24 / Web Retail

Photography: Patricia Nabongand Jelito De Leon

Modelling: Krish PayongStyling: Vince Ong

Make-up: Thea De RiveraAccesories by Elan BijouxClothes by Dainty Shop

Elan Bijoux x Dainty Shop

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OF TR INKETS AND TREASURES

At this day and age, having the right accessories is extremely crucial- it can make or break any outfit, one can have the most expensive dress but without the right accessories, it’s useless. And of course, accessories also serve as a gateway to express one’s personality through one of a kind designs.

Just barely a year old, Élan Bijoux has been able to cater to the needs of girls and boys alike for great accessories while being creative and price efficient. Reeese Lansangan, a 20 year old Information Design graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, conceived the brand identity, store design, and the whole aesthetic of the store with it being a place where she could put all the things she loved in mind. She wanted it to be a place filled with all sorts of tiny treasures and sweet trinkets that tug at the heartstrings. With their nostalgic interior that is filled with vintage dressers, wrought-iron body forms, and lace trimmed lamps, it brings out the once little girl in everyone’s hearts. With their wide range products from dainty rings of ice cream cones, castles and hot air balloons, Minnie Mouse bows, tulle and pearl headwraps, vintage boxes, neon paint-splattered tote bags, and Japanese dolls to paying homage to pop culture with Mr. Bean earrings, Audrey Hepburn rings, The Beatles badges, The Little Prince necklaces, and Lichtenstein cuff bracelets. Because of the variety in their products, there is virtually a product for everyone. Aside from that, they can also customize products such as espadrilles, tote bags, etc. and are open for inquiries about it. Élan has a sister company which

Reese’s mom with some of her cousins manage which manu-factures hats, all types of head gears and handbags which are displayed in the store as well. There are also a number of items in the store that are handmade.

Their prices ranging from Php 99 to Php 300 for smaller products, the products of Élan Bijoux is quite reasonable and compared to established stores are much cheaper. Located at the Lower Ground of North East Square Building along Con-necticut Street, Greenhills, San Juan, it is situated in the heart of the metro which makes it quite accessible. Moreover they are opening another branch at the Bridgeway of the Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall towards the last quarter of this year.

With a vision in mind, Reese only hopes for Élan Bijoux to find a place in their consumers’ hearts. It is a treasure trove of things, a harmonious blend of diverse “sugary sweet” designed items in bold with muted colours, some touch of street-inspired sensibilities with nostalgic vintage charm of childhood. Sche-matic artworks and graphical images will define our product lines of fashionable clothes, bags, jewelries and other fashion acces-sories. It is an eclectic mix of stuff, a wide assortment of trinkets and things where you can define your own sense of style. She also hopes for it to be an outlet where Reese and her cousins can channel their “creative juices” while developing their own brand of self- expression which will reflect in all their stores.

by Chelsea Olaya

Just a starter: This article is for both men and women! So if you’re a dude, keep reading on. You can also benefit from this!

I think everyone will have to agree with me on this one: Certainly a lot, if not most of the people these days want to look professional and sophisticated without sacrificing comfortability. Everyone wants to look presentable without giving the impres-sion that they’re too stiff and serious. Women especially, want to look chic and classy without having to suffer painful feet every single time they walk around in heels. Even when you’re going to a night out with friends, to school, or even when just running an errand, you can effortlessly look your best! And what other way is there to glam up a simple outfit other than incorporating a beautiful piece of leather to it?

For the ladies and women, there is absolutely a while lot of ways to include leather in your everyday outfits.

Leather backpack – It’s sturdy and fashionable at the same time. You just have to find the right style for you!

Belts – Tuck your white shirt in under an old pair of jeans, wrap a leather belt of any color around your waist and … Voila!

Leggings – If you’re going to a party and you don’t wanna face the hassle of wearing a skirt or a dress, leather leggings will

definitely work for you. Plus, your outfit will be a stand out!

Bracelets – Leather bracelets are usually used by people who have that glamrock/punk fashion sense. But nowadays you can see a lot of people wearing it along with their other accessories.

Shoes – No questions asked on leather flats, boat shoes, doll shoes and sneakers! They come in all styles and colors.

Jacket – Leather jacket made its comeback sometime around 2009. It makes people look fierce and badass. (However, this does not necessarily mean that you would look fierce and ba-dass once you wear this)

Combat boots – A really comfortable and practical item that also grabbed the scene around 2010. Miley Cyrus, yes? Think Party in the USA! You can wear it with shorts, jeans, dresses, whatever floats your boat.

Clutch – Cute little leather clutches and pouches are so useful. They come around in all styles and colors. You can even DIY for originality!

Leather bands – A good leather hairband is quite a rare find. But once you find something that looks really good and fits you well, you are one lucky girl!

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HOW TO INCORPORATE LEATHER INTO EVERYDAY LOOKS

by Regina Reyes

Body/shoulder bag – Little sling bags and big sturdy bags made of leather are bought by almost everyone today. It’s really useful and fashionable at the same time!

Men, on the other hand, has a short (as compared to the women’s ) list of ways on how to include leather in their everyday outfits. But these 6 and simple ways certainly are mind-blowing.

Jackets – A man would look more manly and protective when he can carry a good leather jacket well.

Belts – Every professional man would know how essential leather belts are.

Watch – These leather watches would not fit well on just anyone, but feel free to try one on and see for yourself! It would look amazing once you see that it looks good on you.

Shoes – Leather shoes are a no-brainer. It would look good on any guy on earth.

Bag – The messenger bag also made its come-back this year, and men are kicking it well! A manly leather backpack would be great as well.

Cellphone cases – Believe it or not, a guy would look more professional if his cellphone case is made out of leather. Imagine a guy pulling out his phone from a purple furry case or a plain red and thin linen cloth… And a guy pulling his phone out from a black or brown sturdy leather case. Which one looks better in your imagination? You give the verdict.

Leather certainly will surprise you as it is effective on a lot of aspects, a lot more than the lists given above. So ladies and gentlemen, feel free to try these things on and further expand your leather horizons!

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Lace andLeather

Photography: Rae Cabradilla

Styling/Make-up/Modelling: Charmaine Tara

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Photography/make-up: Angel CastilloModelling/styling: Pumkin Alcaraz

ILLEST, DOPEST, SICKEST

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Photography/make-up: Angel CastilloModelling/styling: Pumkin Alcaraz

ILLEST, DOPEST, SICKEST

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SHE SAID,SHE SAIDPhotography by Jelito De LeonModelling/Styling/Make-up by Keya Rocaverte

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SU-SU-SU-SU-SUGARTOWN

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Photography/Post-processing by Nikki RuizStyling/Modelling by Bea Benedicto and Jech Tiu

SU-SU-SU-SU-SUGARTOWN

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THE WALK ING RECESS IONISTA

It was hardly possible to get an interview with 21 year-old fashion blogger newcomer Cheyser Pedregosa. A fresh graduate of the Ateneo de Naga University, this Davao born and raised beauty is taking up her second degree at the De La Salle- College of Saint Benilde majoring in Interior Design. After a few months, she is soon to take up a more in depth study ofthe craft and transfer to the Philippine School of Interior Design.

In a room full of people, she isn’t hard to spot: her long, brown, wavy hair, wearing black liquid leggings, a graphic tee (sponsored, of course) and hardly any make-up on, she comes close, smiles and says sorry for taking long. Her afternoon class just ended and she traveled from school to the city to meet us. She looks young, fresh and vibrant amidst her stressful and busy day.

For someone who’s one of the most distinguished and promising fashion bloggers in the country (1182 readers on her blog, 8031 Lookbook fans, 1441 twitter followers, 359, 836 blog page views since January 2011) this reality hasn’t stained this lovely lady’s mind. She believes to have not (yet) established herself in the industry amidst a number of local and international features. NYLON Korea, anyone?

Her style is young, edgy yet very sophisticated. She is capable of making the most colorful to the most monotone

outfits look amazing.

With more features and outfit posts on the way, this stylishfashionista is sure to rock more pages of magazines and maybe, even the runway? We never know! This recessionista sure will walk the streets of Manila and Davao with style on a budget, of course.

1.) How did you come up with your name? Why “The Walking Recessionista?” It was a random afternoon and I was watching The Tyra Show. The episode was about being fashionable on a budget. It featured a fashionista from New York who happened to be a red-tag hunter! Tyra mentioned the word “recessionista” and I was struck by it, all the more when she explained what it meant: a person who can dress stylishly on a tight budget. It suited my personality and so I thought that “The Walking Recessioni-sta” –always walking to search for great finds—would make the perfect name!

2.) How did you start fashion blogging?

I never saw myself becoming a fashion blogger. I made my first blog hosted by tumblr (http://thedreamcheyser.tumblr.com/) to post some of the looks I posted on my Lookbook

Words and photos by Elisa Aquino

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“ B e i ng a b l o gger do e s n ’ t m a ke

yo u h i g her t h a n a nyo n e e l s e . ”

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account (http://lookbook.nu/thedreamcheyser)As time passed by, I got the hang of blogging. I posted more photographs of my outfits and the whole “blogosphere” got me real interested. For my 2011 New Year’s resolution, I promised to start a legitimate blog and so that’s how The Walking Recessionista was created (http://www.thewalking-recessionista.com/). 2.) Have you always been inclined to fashion?

Pretty much! I remember watching Fashion TV late at night when I was young—tried to hide from our helper because as a kid, being up at 12 mid-night was already a huge no-no! The models coming out and strutting on the runway with such wonderful clothing fascinated me. In addition to that, with all the magazines around, it was inevitable for me to be interested in the fashion world.

4.) Who are your fashion inspirations, locally and internationally? When I first landed on lookbook’s site, Andy Torres (http://lookbook.nu/andytorres) caught my attention. I remember saving her outfit photos on my iPod and looking back at them from time to time for inspiration. As I got more familiar with bloggers, I came across Rumi Neely’s blog (http://www.fash-iontoast.com/) and it was love at first sight. She has been my favorite and biggest fashion inspiration ever since. 5.) If we were to raid your closet, what would we find? What are your favorite brands? You’ll find a lot of loose tops and shorts. I just have this thing for clothing and accessories that look carefree! I am not brand conscious; most of my stuff come from the department store but I have to say, Forever 21 is my favorite.

6.) If you had the chance to raid someone fa-mous’ closet, who would it be and why? Rumi Neely may be my ultimate style Icon but I would love to raid Asami Shiba aka Pink Kitten’s (http://pink-kitten.chu.jp/) closet and get all of her Jeffrey Campbell’s!

7.) If you were given an unlimited shopping spree in any shop (online or not) or brand, what would it be? I would shop in Forever 21, without a doubt!

8.) What are your biggest fashion do’s and dont’s? Or any fashion rules or commandments you follow in life? I am not a big follower of fashion rules. I just wear whatever I think works and use different styling techniques may it be overlaying, excessorizing or overprinting! I do follow one rule though, which is to always balance your clothes. I choose not to wear clothes that make an outfit skimpy like wearing very short shorts and pair it with a low cut or hanging spaghetti strap top and 5-inch stilettos. 9.) Are you the type of girl who prepares her whole outfit the night before or the type to just throw on whatever she wants or feels like while dressing up? I don’t plan most of my outfits. I just get whatever clothing and shoes I feel like wearing from my closet and try to combine them together and make them work.

10.) Any tips and messages for bloggers out there who are inspired by you?

Fashion doesn’t always have to be pricy. You just have to be ingenious and practical. Also, always keep your feet on the ground. Being a blog-ger doesn’t make you higher than anyone else.

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C H E YS E R ’ S L O O K B O O K

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C H E YS E R ’ S L O O K B O O K

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THE BEE-TALESby Ellie Centeno

Photography: Pat Nabong

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THE BEE-TALESby Ellie Centeno

Photography: Pat Nabong

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“I ’m Jul ius and I play guitar and sing for Bee Eyes

and I ’m clearly the most handsomest one.”

“Hi I ’m Diego and I play bass

and that ’s pretty much it .”

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“I ’m Jul ius and I play guitar and sing for Bee Eyes

and I ’m clearly the most handsomest one.”

“My name’s Idris and I play guitar.”

“ H e l l o I ’ m I a n n a n d I p l ay t he

d r u m s ”

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People do not get how difficult it is to write about the day Stache met Bee Eyes. You see, a bunch of words does not do their crazy antics, humour and ultimately, their music any justice but we can try. As soon as we saw the boys of Bee Eyes arrive at Crazy Katsu in Maginhawa St., the first thought that darted through my brain was, “Man, these guys are too cool.” I initially thought approaching them would be too daunting since they all seemed pretty intimidating, but was I ever wrong. On that one rainy Saturday afternoon at Crazy Katsu, Stache was lucky enough to enjoy a few good laughs, eat awesome food and share crazy hilarious stories with Bee Eyes.

The idea of forming the band traces its roots from Julius Valledor and Diego Abad’s high school days in Ateneo (and later, in Reedley International School) back in 2003. Things didn’t really work out well then and after which, Julius moved to the States for a period of time.

When he came back to the Philippines, he brought along with him some new material, new songs and renewed vigour to start another band. He got in touch with Diego to play bass and met Idris Vicuña (who was, at that time, only fifteen years old) through MySpace as a lead guitarist and they all went under the name of ‘The Love Team.’

The Love Team went through a long string of different drummers, “and none of them worked out but we were still really good,” Julius and Diego remarked. In 2008, due to reasons that cannot be disclosed, they had to abandon the name ‘The Love Team’ and start brain-storming for another one. Eventually, they contacted their old high school friend from Ateneo, Iann Villamor, to play drums for their band which then sparked the birth during that same year of what we all collectively know as Bee Eyes today. With influences ranging from various genres and decades, from old school hip-hop to underground OPM, from pop punk to emo rock and from the 70’s classic rock to the 90’s grunge and soul, Bee Eyes delivers a style and sound that is completely unique and undeniable Bee Eyes.

Stache: Why ‘Bee Eyes’?Julius: Why not? [laughs] I don’t know, after ‘The Love Team,’ we were coming up with different band names, like on our MySpace, we would change it every day. And then ‘Bee Eyes,’ we just wanted something Filipino still, and we were kinda going through, uh, well, we thought we were badass, we were bad influences, so we were gonna be called ‘Bad Influences’ and then we just changed it to ‘BI’s’ [which eventually became ‘Bee Eyes’ –ed.]Diego: Not a lot of people get that trivia!Julius: Like a sari-sari store with how they change their names. Like ‘Peter Pandesal’. Diego: Or ‘Bread Kid’. [laughs]

Stache: Who are your main influences?Julius: Like musically? Well, we can start off with our “phases”. We had phases, You had an emo phase! [points to Diego]Diego: [laughs] I wouldn’t call it that, but yeah. Emo, pop-punk, I don’t know.Iann: We really try to stay away from labels, but we don’t actually know anymore. Okay, I would say Blink-182 is one of my biggest influences.Julius: Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Val-entine, Nirvana, the 90s—not just like, rock but also RnB, like TLC, Aaliyah... We like Aaliyah.Iann: Erykah Badu!Stache: How about some OPM?Julius: OPM? Eraserheads, I like Narda’s first EP, Diego Mapa.Diego: Kiko Machine.Julius: I like Cinderella. A lot.

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Stache: Can you give a couple of inspirational words for bands who are starting out, trying to make it into the scene?Julius: Just don’t copy.Diego: Don’t try too hard.Julius: Just find your own thing. And if your thing is copying, then that’s fine [laughs], as long as you stay true to being a copycat. Like that would give bands like us more credibility. The sh*ttier more bands look, the better we look. [laughs]

Stache: Where do you usually play?Julius: Meiday, Saguijo, B-Side, Route 196—not so much anymore, we played a couple of times at South, Al’s Bar. We’ve played everywhere. How about where do we wanna play?Stache Magazine Online: Alright, where do you guys want to play? Julius: We want to play out of town like Baguio, but we played in Naga once. We want to play in every school. We want to play in all-girls schools. [laughs]

Stache: Who writes the songs?Julius: Everyone writes the songs.Diego: But Julius writes most of them.

The boys of Bee Eyes have proven them-selves to be more than just talented and good-look-ing musicians (although they are, they really are) but they are all really quirky and absolutely hilarious guys, it makes one want to be smothered in their company for days on end. Bee Eyes is the epitome of what a band should be, with its members having perfected the right mixture of professionalism concocted with fun and games, and with their sunny, surf pop-esque, lo-fi garage-style music that gives hope and sheds light to the future of the local (and maybe soon, the international) music industry, these boys are here to stay.

Bandcamp: http://beeeyes.bandcamp.comSoundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/beeeyesFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bee-Eyes/375935172537

Catch them live on:September 10th – Meiday! Meiday! ArigatoHato EP Launch @ B-SideOctober 16th – SUM 41 Live in Manila @ the World Trade Center with Chicosci

Special thanks to:Saab Magalona, Carla Villanueva and Val TilosBistrio Café/Wish You Well Books & Crafts (81-J Maginhawa St., Teachers Village, UP Diliman, Qu-ezon City)Bryan Kong, drummer of Taken By Cars and co-owner of Crazy Katsu (81-I Maginhawa St., Teachers Village, UP Diliman, Quezon City)

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A-MUSE: REGINE DAVID

An hour of talking is enough to make you fall in love with THE Regine David - I assure you you’d even fall harder when you see her photography. This young, talented lass surely stands out in her chosen field, but what’s more striking is her attitude towards her craft. The moment she starts talking about her creative outlet is the time that she radiates passion and astounds you with her bravery to venture the unpopular. Read on and be amazed at how this girl does art like there is no box.

For those who have yet to discover your awe-inspiring work, how would you introduce Regine David? My name is Regine David, a 21-year old photographer born and raised in the Philippines. My love for the craft began when I was in first year high school, when my friends and I made a trip to the beach. My brother lent his small point-and-shoot camera, and while the photographs were simple, they did turn out a little nicer than usual; a lot of people thought it was good and they encouraged me to pursue it. It came at an opportune time, as I found myself at that time when all of my friends were talented at something – one was really good at writing, one was good at painting, and another was good at debate. I was the only one who didn’t know what I wanted to be, and then I found photography. It became something I couldn’t be separated from ever since. I’m now currently based in Hong Kong, taking up my BFA in Photography at Savannah College of Art and Design. I’m

in my sophomore year now!

Please tell us how it feels to pursue your passion by studying abroad. It’s amazing; nothing feels more amazing than being able to pursue what you really love, and have people you love support you. Studying abroad is a real eye-opener not only be-cause you get exposed to different nuances in art and culture, but also because it gives you the opportunity to discover your-self away from what has defined (and restricted) your personal growth. The funny thing is, up until sophomore year in col-lege, I never even considered studying abroad. I’m from an all-Atenean family so it was only natural for me to study in Manila and in Ateneo. Of course, I took Information Design, the closest thing they had to a fine arts course. I was happy, and I made a lot of amazing friends there, but at the same time I felt like it wasn’t enough – I knew that I wanted to pursue photography full time, and if that meant taking a more art-intensive course, so be it--even if that meant leaving the familiar behind. So I took a leave, applied for art schools abroad, and six months later, got accepted in SCAD.

by Nessa Santos

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What can you say is your niche in photography? Seeing your portfolio, your subjects range from landscape, to flora to portraits. I really wanted to pursue fashion and por-traiture – I think I still do-- but I’m not limiting myself to these genres. I’m too young to limit myself to just one, haha! What’s important to me though, is the overall feel of the image. I would love to do photography that’s more experimental, delving into surreal images. I would like to pursue conceptual photography but I haven’t done any yet because it’s expensive! I have to come up with my own sets and everything, but it’s what I really want to do. I want to create something out-of-this-world. When someone would browse your blog, one wouldn’t help but notice your photo of Brandon Boyd’s naked glory. Do you suggest bringing a camera to a concert? What about concert pho-tography tips? I think it’s a different experience for everybody but I personally like bringing a camera to concerts. For me, it’s another way for me to experience the music. You enjoy the concert and you get to relive it. I remember Incubus’ concert last 2008… It was a magical experience because I was able to photograph one of my most favorite bands in the world. I’ve been a fan of Incubus since I was in Grade 2, so getting to see them perform and getting to photograph them – iba talaga.

A few pointers for those who want to do concert photography: 1. Study the lighting. Depending on the venue, sometimes you only get ambient light and other times you’re going to get crazy lights flashing everywhere. Try to plan ahead so that you can adjust your settings.2. Try not to use flash photography because it’s distracting to both performers and audience. I sug-gest getting a camera that has high ISO or get a lens that has wide aperture—f2.8 or lower—to capture the band. If you must use flash though, try to limit it to the first two songs of the band.3. If it’s too grainy or the colors are muddy, try using black and white.4. Try to go for the non-obvious. Try to get a shot of them while resting, talking, or interacting with the band or the crowd. Just try to shoot anything but your typical concert shot. It says a lot more about their personality as a band.5. Also, don’t forget to shoot the crowd! It’s always a great element to include; everything in the frame counts so you can just experiment.

In your budding career, which do you think is your greatest accomplishment? The most enriching experience for me so far would have be the opportunity to pursue a formal art education. It’s incredible how very good education can really change the way I see things not only as a photographer, but as a person as well. Everything I’ve ever done as a photographer has lead me to this path, and I know that if I didn’t fight for it, I wouldn’t be where I am now. It’s the best feeling. I’m not yet even halfway done with my education but I feel that it’s my greatest achievement yet. It has definitely opened many doors for me. Care to share your plans after SCAD? Are you going home for good? It’s really hard to imagine my plans after SCAD because I feel like I just started, even if it’s already been a year. I think I would still like to study some more, in other countries too. I would like to travel to any place I haven’t been to yet, which is a lot! Certainly, travelling would be a part of my future. Not just abroad, but within the Philippines as well. I haven’t explored that much of our own country so when I was in Hong Kong, I was thinking, “How am I going to bring the Philippines to the world?”. I mean, there are so many things that people don’t know about our culture and it would be so nice to advocate that. I can’t know for sure if I’ll be coming home af-ter. It depends where my photography takes me. That said, I still love the Philippines, and I’ll always call this place home. Our country will always be a big part of me because I grew up here, and it will always be part of me and my work. A nugget of advice for those who are still hesitant to chase their dreams, please. You really have to fight for it! There will always be people who will want to pull you down; if you want to succeed some people are going to discour-age you and tell you you can’t make it, or you’re not good enough. So fight for it – do your research then practice, and practice, and practice. Do everything in your power to help yourself. Having something online may help you build your network because you’ll be needing a good support group. It is important to let people know you want to pursue it because there will always be people who would help you one way or another. Definitely, self-confidence helps a lot. Believe in yourself and believe in your art.

95A-muse /

ART CONTRIBUTIONSFeaturing:

Saibh EganKoji ArboledaGwilen Grace

96 / Art Contributions

97Art Contributions /

















Photography: Saibh EganModelling: Michelle Campion (michellecampion.weebly.com)Make-up:Flora Psaranios (makeupbyflora.com)Location: Ardcarrig Gardens, Galway







Photography: Saibh EganModel: Deidre Feeney











STACHE Magazine Online does not claim ownership on any photos included in the magazine. They belong to their respective owners, which is quite obvious by now. If you see anything left uncredited, please don’t hesitate on dropping us an email at [email protected]

Maine Manalansan- http://millimetrs.com/blog | Ellie Centeno- http://ellie-on-lsd.tumblr.com | Mare Collantes- http://aninstantoutoftime.tumblr.com | Maan Bermudez- http://missmcsmitty.tumblr.com | Ecks Abitona- http://ecksssy.tumblr.com | Mary Silvestre- http://dearmary.info | Pat Nabong- http://dorkoinvasion.tumblr.com | Elisa Aquino- http://thunderpopcola.tumblr.com | Jelito De Leon- http://jelitodeleon.tumblr.com | Nikki Ruiz- http://nmgruiz.tumblr.com | Rae Cabradilla- http://www.flickr.com/photos/rraaeee | Angel Castillo- http://plethoricnonsense.blogspot.com | Karen Dela Fuente- http://selfishmustard.tumblr.com | Chealsea Olaya- http://steadyandready.tumblr.com | Forest Candelaria- http://runwithforest.tumblr.com | Marella Ricketts- http://marellaricketts.tumblr.com | Nessa Santos- http://nessaaaa.tumblr.com | Christine Exevea- http://poormistymariewilmot.tumblr.com | Regina Reyes- http://reginarreyes.tumblr.com | Bee Eyes- http://beeeyes.bandcamp.com | DJ Lambert Cruz- http://twitter.com/lambertcruz | Chey-ser Pedregosa- http://lookbook.nu/thedreamcheyser | Sugar Plum Fairy- http://www.facebook.com/SPFpilipinas | Yami (Yummy Instant Mami)- http://www.facebook.com/pages/YAMI-Yummy-Instant-Mami/232111806812011?sk=wall | Dance Play Create- http://www.facebook.com/danceplaycreate | Crazy Katsu- http://www.facebook.com/crazykatsu | Regine David- http://fotosurge.tumblr.com/ | Saibh Egan- http://www.saibhegan.blogspot.com | Gwilen Grace- http://omghee.tumblr.com | Koji Arboleda- http://cargocollective.com/kojiarboleda | Elan Bijoux- http://www.facebook.com/ElanBijoux

130 / Credits

STACHE Magazine Online does not claim ownership on any photos included in the magazine. They belong to their respective owners, which is quite obvious by now. If you see anything left uncredited, please don’t hesitate on dropping us an email at [email protected]

Maine Manalansan- http://millimetrs.com/blog | Ellie Centeno- http://ellie-on-lsd.tumblr.com | Mare Collantes- http://aninstantoutoftime.tumblr.com | Maan Bermudez- http://missmcsmitty.tumblr.com | Ecks Abitona- http://ecksssy.tumblr.com | Mary Silvestre- http://dearmary.info | Pat Nabong- http://dorkoinvasion.tumblr.com | Elisa Aquino- http://thunderpopcola.tumblr.com | Jelito De Leon- http://jelitodeleon.tumblr.com | Nikki Ruiz- http://nmgruiz.tumblr.com | Rae Cabradilla- http://www.flickr.com/photos/rraaeee | Angel Castillo- http://plethoricnonsense.blogspot.com | Karen Dela Fuente- http://selfishmustard.tumblr.com | Chealsea Olaya- http://steadyandready.tumblr.com | Forest Candelaria- http://runwithforest.tumblr.com | Marella Ricketts- http://marellaricketts.tumblr.com | Nessa Santos- http://nessaaaa.tumblr.com | Christine Exevea- http://poormistymariewilmot.tumblr.com | Regina Reyes- http://reginarreyes.tumblr.com | Bee Eyes- http://beeeyes.bandcamp.com | DJ Lambert Cruz- http://twitter.com/lambertcruz | Chey-ser Pedregosa- http://lookbook.nu/thedreamcheyser | Sugar Plum Fairy- http://www.facebook.com/SPFpilipinas | Yami (Yummy Instant Mami)- http://www.facebook.com/pages/YAMI-Yummy-Instant-Mami/232111806812011?sk=wall | Dance Play Create- http://www.facebook.com/danceplaycreate | Crazy Katsu- http://www.facebook.com/crazykatsu | Regine David- http://fotosurge.tumblr.com/ | Saibh Egan- http://www.saibhegan.blogspot.com | Gwilen Grace- http://omghee.tumblr.com | Koji Arboleda- http://cargocollective.com/kojiarboleda | Elan Bijoux- http://www.facebook.com/ElanBijoux

131Credits /

Documents

Stache August 2011 // Issue 05