Rocksteddy embraces rap in new album

ROCKSTEDDY (from left): Christian Sindico, Teddy Corpuz, Jeff Cucullo and Juven Pelingon

After releasing three studio albums, local group Rocksteddy found itself raring to explore and experiment with other musical styles, and go beyond its signature punk-inflected pop-rock sound.

What about rap? The idea started as a joke, but one that turned out into something worth taking more seriously.

Before long, the band members—Teddy Corpuz (lead vocals), Juven Pelingon (guitar), Christian Sindico (bass) and Jeff Cucullo (drums)—were crafting songs in the studio. And what came out of it was a six-track synth-laden album, with a band alter-ego to boot: “Kinagat ng Seven Lions” (12 Stone Records) by Rapsteddy.

“We were just goofing around, thinking that if we ever grew tired of doing the same thing over and over again, we could dabble in other genres of music. We could be ‘Jazzsteddy,’ ‘Glamsteddy,’ ‘Rastasteddy’… We gravitated toward rap. First, we tried doing just one song, then we just kept going at it,” Corpuz told the Inquirer in an interview.

The material, Corpuz said, still has the usual guitar elements and pop-rock sound, but has a drastically different overall vibe.

“We worked with other musician friends who gave us beats and tracks. There are more electronic sounds. It’s full-on rap,” he said, adding that they consulted local hip-hop icon, Andrew E, while working on the record.

The album’s carrier single is titled “Katol,” which gave Rocksteddy the hilariously silly concept of packaging the CDs with, well, a mosquito coil in a box. “This is the only record that you can buy at a supermarket or hardware store,” jested Corpuz, a mainstay in the noontime program, “It’s Showtime.”

The rest of the songs have similarly mischievous titles—“Mamatay na Umutot,” “Hopia,” “Boy Buraot,” “Batas” and “Move with Me.”

“We just want the fans to listen to the album and smile. Everything is lighthearted, from the lyrics to the delivery. But, of course, the effort we put into it was anything but,” Corpuz said.

Asked if he’s worried that this temporary shift in style would alienate their fans, Corpuz said he didn’t think so, “because we didn’t lose the sense of humor that has always been present in our work (in songs like ‘Leslie’ or ‘Boy Kulot’). It’s the same type of humor, but with a different approach.”

Corpuz is likewise unperturbed by what rock purists have to say about their latest offering. “We’re too old to be affected by them. We do what we feel like doing—what’s important is that we’re happy,” he said.

E-mail [email protected].