Music is always at its finest every time the walls of genres are smashed to create something entirely fresh. Take the fusion of rock and electronic music as example. Emerging in the early ’70s, it’s a sound utilizing electronic and digital instruments, but with attitude hinged on rock. Think Depeche Mode, Radiohead, New Order, Muse, Daft Punk, Lambs and Angel and Airwaves, among others. In the Philippines, where the scene is dominated by pop-rock music, comes Beat Per Machine or simply BPM. Composed of Owen Formento, Mark Mañago, Layne Harrison, Marion Claudio the band is an independent Filipino electronic rock group. Their soundscapes include playing with synths and vocals with a mix of percussion, making their sound uniquely Beat Per Machine. BEAT PER MACHINE In an exclusive interview with Bulletin Entertainment, Owen said fusing live sounds with electronics is experimental. He counts the band LCD Soundsytem, Psychedelic Furs, Darkside and Seekae, among the band’s musical influences. “Actually hindi kami natakot mag-try ng ganitong genre. We want to offer a different variety for the listeners,” he said. Owen is aware their music is not that marketable to Filipino audiences. And that’s okay. Fame is not an issue for the band – it’s appreciation they clamor for. “Hindi namin ginagawa ’to para sumikat. We just want to show na there are so many possibilities when it comes to music,” he noted. “Ang gusto lang namin is marinig ng mga tao ang music namin, ng kapwa musikero namin. Kung bumenta sa radio, bonus na lang ’yun kung saka-sakali. Kung may record label na papatos, okay. Kung wala, okay pa din.” BPM wants to be known as artists rather than musicians. Their music primarily relies on quality and not for mass appeal. “Ayaw namin sumabay sa kung ano ’yung uso,” was how they put it. Right now, BPM plays around the metro, performing in bars and art galleries. They hope to penetrate streaming sites like iTunes and Spotify soon. Backstory BPM has been active since 2013. Prior to being members, Owen, Mark, Layne were in other bands, while Marion was a nursing student slash disc jockey. Owen and Marion said their love for music was “inherited” from their musically-inclined family. “I started as a choir member. Then nu’ng high school, naging miyembro ako ng marching band. In fact, naging scholar din ako dahil sa love ko for music,” Owen said. The Manila Bulletin’s marketing head recalled the time he had to sell his car to be able to produce an album. “Ganu’n ako ka-passionate talaga sa music.” BPM CONCEPT PHOTO It was sometime 2013 when Mark and Owen met at an event. Starting with jamming sessions, the two decided to form a band. Mark then recruited Marion to the group, while Owen asked Layne to complete the band’s lineup. The music of BPM is totally different from what their previous band did – and that excites them. “Nagsimula ako sa mga punk rock, alternative rock lang. Eventually… mahilig kasi ako sa gadgets, nag-e-evolve din kasi ’yung pang-dinig ko, so sinubukan kong mag-experiment,” Owen shared. Mark disclosed, “Ako kasi malawak ’yung taste ko pagdating sa music. Kumbaga lagi akong open sa iba’t-ibang (genre ng) music. So nu’ng nakita kong tumugtog si Owen, parang sabi ko ‘Okay ’to ha.’ I-try natin kasi ibang variety naman ’to. Bagong ma-i-o-offer sa audience.” When Marion first heard the BPM sound, he thought it is cool. “I was like, ‘Woah, it’s not the usual (genre of music).’ And I think it would be a great transition for me from mixing live as a DJ to performing live on stage. This is totally different and I’m glad to be part of it,” he shared. The songs BPM has released an eponymous album. It contains five tracks namely “Lazy Beat,” “Recovery Song,” “Manhid,” “Replica” and “Isang Umaga.” Owen penned most of the songs. He cited Rico Blanco and Clem Castro as his writing inspirations. “Lazy Beat” sets the theme and message of the album. It is highly evocative of haunting visuals. “Recovery Song” is about nostalgia. With lyrics as “Everything is for you/Anything, if you need me too/All you want, anything/You are my everything,” it swiftly veers from uptempo, making you feel like you’re recovering from a long heartbreak. Almost dream-like “Manhid” puts listeners in a trance and onto another dimension. The ambient track clocks in at five minutes. Given the perfect use of synth, “Replica” feels like running inside a game in your dream. It is a song that allows escape from realty, but cutting you short, leaving you wanting for more. “Isang Umaga” will make you want and longing for coming home.