IT'S NOT EASY BEING…RIVERMAYA
They've Been Recognized, Remixed, And Reduced To A Trio…Now, 2 Years After Surviving The Atomic Bomb, They're Green With New Life.
By Lionel Zivan S. Valdellon

published in LocalVibe.com : April 1999

Hard Rock Café. Feb. 16, 1999:
The crowd, composed mainly of women, is screaming itself hoarse. Rivermaya takes the stage after a 10-minute homemade video detailing the fuzzy freaky insides of their minds: anime, sci-fi B-movies, technology, cars, pets. The distorted guitar kicks in and the trio (complemented by a session guitarist and keyboardist) launches into "Grounded Ang Girlfriend Ko" --- a light-hearted tune which seems more suited to a less-serious group of popsters. Ah but… the show's only just begun. They are here to launch their fourth album, It's Not Easy Being Green, under BMG Pilipinas Records, and they are here to celebrate their rebirth. As Rivermaya slaloms through their new compositions, the changes in their new incarnation become apparent.

___Now minus former lead singer Bamboo Manalac, they have had to distribute singing duties. Chief songwriter Rico Blanco takes the majority of the new songs, drummer Mark Escueta and bassist Nathan Azarcon must do more back-up vocals now, plus the occasional lead.

___And then there's the mood. Like their homemade intro video, their songs are now eclectic, kengkoy, light-hearted, funny. It's a return to the unpretentious rock n' roll that a weekend combo practising in Lola's garage might come up with. Doesn't mean it's kidstuff though.

___Listening through the album, you pick up on all the other music they've obviously been listening to: U2, both old and new (in fact "It's Getting Late" is Rivermaya's tribute to the old U2), XTC, Smashing Pumpkins, Sheryl Crow, even Bob Marley! Their music still jangles around in your head, sinking suction-cups into your memory, the words still bristle with wit and youthful concerns. What's gone mostly is the angst. Suddenly they can sing songs like the country-fied "Rodeo" and the Beatles-eque "May Kasalanan Ka Sa Akin." Gasp. Rivermaya is now a band of happy, shiny people.

One week later, I catch them at Mayric's in Espana, where two songs into their set, both guitars have broken strings and Rivermaya must swerve from their set list while their technician re-strings the axes. Nonetheless, it's as engaging as their Hard Rock performance. Never mind if the audience (expectedly) requests some of their older songs. It's still a chance to have fun onstage and infect people with their boyish energy.

___ Before playing their hearts and guitar strings out, LocalVibe was able to have a lengthy conversation with the group and pick their brains regarding where they're headed and why.

LOCALVIBE: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO RECORD THIS LATEST ALBUM?
RIVERMAYA: More or less 2 years. Because after we come up with an album, we're always excited to make another one… It kinda backfired on us this time 'cause we went in there too early (right after Atomic Bomb's release) and were too lax. By the end of the recording, we had already developed musical tastes different from the first songs we did. Pabag-bago isip namin. The first tracks we recorded were totally changed!

LV: WAS IT INTENTIONAL THAT YOU PUT IN A LOT OF HUMOR ON THE ALBUM?
RM: We wanted to relax on this album. Our past several albums had been serious, so this time we wrote about things we wanted to talk about in normal conversations.
Right before the Rivermaya Remixed album was released, medyo our next songs were going in that (electronic) direction. Pero after a while nagsawa rin. Nilabas na lang namin sa Rivermaya Remixed. Parang naging therapeutic pa nga yun. Afterwards, we felt we didn't have to come up with an electronic-influenced album…which people were expecting, because sa Atomic Bomb pa lang may shades na ng ganoong direction. Yun ang surprise.

LV: THE SURPRISE IS, THE NEW ALBUM IS NOT FORMULAIC, RADIO-FRIENDLY POP. BAKIT?
RICO: Ako, nung nagsusulat ako ng kanta, medyo intentional sa akin na hindi sila bigyan ng isa pang Atomic Bomb ulit, in terms of radio-friendly hits. Yun kasi yung concept ng Atomic Bomb, na pag ni-release, patay lahat. Pero we don't want our career to be like that all the time: hits, hits, hits na lang. Paano naman yung ibang interests? Hindi basta makabenta ka lang ng album.
Easy way out iyon. Hindi fulfilling. Ikaw, basketball player ka, magaling ka na, papatol ka ba sa mga bata? Challenge is good.

LV: O.K., BUT AREN'T YOU AFRAID OF DISORIENTING YOUR FANS?
RM: That's good. We actually want that. Maghahanap sila ng isa pang "214"? Wala… Ang iksi ng buhay ng tao at banda para ulitin mo something that you already did before. Ilang albums lang mabibigay sa iyo in a lifetime. Sayang. Andami-dami pang forms of music na pwedeng subukan…. Latin, orchestral, instrumental.
Kung si Madonna puro "Like A Virgin" ang kanta, wala nang nangyari sa kanya. Kaso, marunong siyang mag-evolve. Sa amin, kahit hindi evolving, basta huwag lang yung nagawa na dati.

LV: TALKING ABOUT HITS … WHAT IS THE FORMULA FOR A RADIO HIT HEREIN THE PHILIPPINES?
RM: Dito? Madali. Ang Pinoy, gusto nila may MELODY. Kailangan nakakanta. Yung melody #1. Kahit i-hum lang tapos di nila naiintindihan kung tungkol saan ang lyrics, kailangan maganda…. Mala-Japanese cartoon na melody: kumakabit talaga. Kahit "Sha La La", kahit "Zombie", maingay. Kahit pangit production mo, walang pakialam doon ang Pilipino.
___Number two, ang Pinoy, gusto may konting WIT sa kanta. May kwela. Iba yun sa patawa. Nakakarinig ako ng kantang sobrang patawa pero nakakainis lang. Dapat sundot-sundot lang nang kaunti.
Of course, di namin sinasabi na alam namin ang formula at sure na every song namin hit … hindi rin eh. Every time may single, kinakabahan din kami. Hindi dahil gusto naming mag-hit yung kanta. Baka kasi hindi maintindihan yung kanta. Frustrating.

LV: IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE OR DIFFICULTY NOW THAT YOU'RE A TRIO?
RM: Malaking difference. Pero matagal na rin naming pinaplano, pinag-uusapan. We're not saying it's easy, in fact, it was very hard at first . Pero by now, we've accepted the fact na ito na yon. We try to make things work with what we have left. Which is more than enough. We have enough confidence in ourselves naman… May times na magda-doubt kami noon, mismo si Bamboo nagsasabi na "Kayo ninyo!"

LV: SO BAMBOO WAS REALLY PLANNING TO LEAVE WAY BACK?
RM: Ideally sana, we all wanted to leave for the States together, try it out there… Pero hindi talaga dumating yung opportunity. Eh, unfair naman kay Bamboo kasi doon talaga siya. The States is home for him. And sa music kailangan you have to feel good about what you're doing. How can you feel good staying far away from your folks for such a long time? Utang na loob na natin sa kanya yung pinagbigyan niya tayo dito nang ilang years.

LV: YOU'VE DONE A REMIX ALBUM, FOUR PROPER ALBUMS, SHOWS IN THE U.S., MUSIC VIDEOS, CHART-TOPPING HITS… WHAT ELSE IS LEFT?
RM: We want an international release! We have a lot of Filipino artists like Jocelyn Enriquez and Kai, who started out there. Ang laki ng audience nila bigla. Sana, mabigyan din kami ng ganoong opportunity.
Alam naman namin na andaming banda sa international scene na sobrang galing…. Na wala pa kami sa kalahati nila. But then again, andami ring bulok na banda na naririnig mo sa radyo. Maraming Pinoy na banda na mas magaling sa basura sa radyo!

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