For fans of Musical O, the seven-year wait for the next
album must have been maddening and birthed a lot of
questions. Is the band struggling to produce new material?
Did they burn themselves out? Worse, did they call it quits?
The chorus of "Ocean," the first song from their 2009
album (fittingly called Debutante, produced by Terno
Recordings), retroactively sheds light on the main reason
behind their prolonged hiatus. "I wish I was strong enough
to anchor my self-doubt," it goes. Wearily delivered
by vocalist Marco Dinglasan, the line encapsulates the
band's mood in the years following Debutante's release, as
members struggled with personal problems that strangled
their joy for creating music.
It took some time, but the five-man unit of Dinglasan,
Chino Soliman, Mario Consunji, Miggy Abesamis, and
new member Rap Soliman eventually rediscovered their
passion, enough to produce an album's worth of songs
where they refined the signature elements they've come
to be known for—complex instrumentation, intricate
arrangements and restless tempos. Producing their self-titled
sophomore album themselves, however, might be their
most satisfying achievement, despite the process predictably
burning them out. Guitarist Mario Consunji shares what the
hiatus did for the band and whether another album will be
on the horizon anytime soon.
After shying away from
the local music scene,
Musical O picks up right
where they left off
I nterv ie w Miguel R. Llona
P H O T O G R A P H Y Mimi Morada
First of all, does “Musical O” mean what I think it means?
Yes, it was supposed to be “Musical Orgasm”. But we
had some censoring issues, so we decided to dial it back
and shorten it to Musical O. I think that still represents
what we want to impart with our music, in a way.
Anyone can form their own band, but taking the
next step, which involves writing your own songs
and releasing an album, takes courage and dedication.
Can you share how you took that next step?
Honestly, the first album just seemed like a natural
evolution of things—we were all band kids growing up,
so making music was something that we always did.
Being recognized and appreciated in the local music scene
played a part, too. That ultimately pushed us to get serious
and actually make an album. It just felt right at the time.