Dissecting Blanco

Or specifically, dissecting Rico Blanco's Yugto. It's too much really. Especially if you are not really a music expert but just an armchair critique doubling it up as being the semi-to-full biased fanatic... What you get is a Tom peeping through that temptation of a hole hoping to find eroticism in anything but what he gets is an explosion of colors; a random play of puppets which strings are rather familiar... A familiar pattern of colors but you can't seem to name each. A familiar script of the play but you can't seem to digest the plot... That people is a description of Blanco at his best. And simply, that is what he is in his latest installment called "Yugto."

In one forum, i compared Rico to Neil Gaiman in such a way that Yugto is much like a collection of different influences much the same way as the Sandman graphic novels is a fusion of the different literary genres. Yes, such a lofty comparison but not something i will back off when pressed to argue. And here's an argument that i will constantly offer: it's not just listening to music (or for analogy, just reading a book/graphic novel) it's experiencing the entirety of that artist (author) and how he defines his craft plus himself through that craft.

So here's a Yugto dissection, chapter by chapter. After listening to the song, 20 times earlier today.

Intro is pretty much the playful Blanco respecting his roots and obvious awe of the ethnic Filipino and Southeast Asia sound. The symphonic orchestra with the strings reminds you of Joey Ayala and Rico will admit that indeed he is influenced by this artist's sound, one way or the other. (And also the Rico-ish oh-oh-oh to start the vocals immediately establishes who is the artist on this one)

Sa gitna ng kagubatan may ahas na hahalik
Tatawagin kang kaibigan na pinaka matalik
Pupulupot sa leeg mo’t sisipsip ng iyong dugo
Ipapako ka sa krus kapag ikaw ay natuyo

sa gitna ng kaguluhan may kumukulong bulkan
Di ma pigil ang yabang at sakdal na kasakiman
Susubukang angkinin ang lahat ng hindi kanya
Kung kaya kang paikutin tiyak paiikutin ka

From there, Rico sets up the base-line heavy first through second stanza. Remember the progressive base-lead in Atomic Bomb's The Chase? Shorten the progression put a lyrics and sing it, that's a basic base-drums-effects for you that is not dissimilar to Rico's take on the pair of stanzas.

Ngunit hindi nila kayang baliin ang iyong loob
Ang pag-ibig na hawak mo’y hindi malulubog

Now the above part is rather familar. It's the Tuloy Ang Ligaya-Rico with a little bit of Alab ng Puso (Buhay Kamao soundtrack) and some in Tuloy ang Ligawa's Umaaraw Umuulan... Even the fire in his singing of..

Lumiyab ka...

which is the part of the chorus sounds very much like his take on Alab... Of course this time with a little more conviction. Plus the Rico-ish oh-oh-oh returns to lead back to the next stanza...

Sa gitna ng kadiliman may buwitreng nagmamasid May magbabato ng putik ngunit walang mayayanig Iiyak ang mga batang nahulugan ng candy Laging mga problema sa iba’y sinisisi

More effects (strings and synths, i believe) on that previous stanza. A little tweak here or there with the stanzas background (more horns and others which offers another feel) from hereon...

Sa gitna ng kagubatan may ahas na hahalik
Itinuring mong kaibigan na pinaka matalik
Leeg mo’y pupuluputan dugo mo’y sisipsipin
Kapag wala ka nang pakinabang ang ending mo’y sa bangin

Same and same to lead once again to an engrande bridge...

Ngunit hindi nila kayang baliin ang iyong loob Ang pag-ibig na hawak mo’y hindi malulubog Lumiyab ka….

Piano and voice and Queen-esque (Bohemian Rhapsody) vocal renditions, even a choral part which Queen will be proud of.. (even the baseline were almost trip-hop leading up to this one)

Tuwing hating gabi maririnig mo ang huni
Ng mga kaluluwang naliligaw
Lahat ng pera sa mundo hindi kayang gawing ginto
Ang huwad na tao..

Piano, trip-hop base play and voice and Queenesque vocal renditions which Freddie Mercury will be proud of...

Ang mga tinig palakas ng palakas
hanggang gumuho ang mga hadlang

...even that choral part... Almost eerie like you want to sing and be a part of that troop sent to a war...

hanggang gumuho ang mga hadlang

... then re-affirms it with a whisper but not a whimper on that one... followed by a Smashing Pumpkins-slash-Radiohead lead for the adlib going into the prophetic finale...

Saksi ang langit sa lahat ng naganap Saksi ang langit sa ikalawang yugto … Lumiyab ka….

... James Iha in Gish and Jonny Greenwood in The Bends makes a timely return to end the song...

To end, i would like to mention that.... i believe the "downloaded" version is an unfinished copy! No worries, Rico lit up a fire in my ass that i will definitely buy the ORIGINAL version when the full length album is released this July. First one in about four years probably, but it's worth it. Rico set such a high standard with this single, time will tell if other songs will play up to this level.

Meantime, it's now the 44th time that i listened to Yugto today.