Dicta License .Rap/Rock.

Poch Labog .vocals. Boogie Romero .guitar. Kelley Mangahas .bass. Bryan Makasiar .drums.

Mid-afternoon, in the solitude of Starbucks, Smack-dabbed in the middle of Katipunan, We were set to interview the up and coming band Dicta Lisence.

Accompanied by their manage Ene, The band started to arrive (minus guitarist, Boogie Romero, who's still watching a play).After our little Crappucino break and introduction, We managed to start the interrogation...er, interview.

EG: What are your influences?
Poch: Basically, Hip hop. The Roots, Bone Thugs N' Harmony, Rage Against the Machine, of course. Perfect Circle and Tool

Kelley: Ako Reggae, Lauryn Hill All that stuff...I like Ska now. Boogie will say Rivermaya.

Bryan: Ako, lahat yun. Tsaka Eminem, Dr. Dre...Tsaka Incubus. Grunge kami dati, kaya Pearl Jam pati Soundgarden, yun.

EG: When did the band start?
Kelley: We started nung December of 1999, kaya magtu-two years na, Mga Two and 1/4 years na. Yun, That's when we started.

EG: Konting history naman, o...
Poch: We all came from the Ateneo High School. Ako galing ako sa isang band, Tinatawag na Reaction 105. Pero eventually, Na-disband yun kasi ayaw na nila mag-banda. So I was looking for a band, and timing lang, Sila rin (Kelley, Brian, Boogie) from the High School, kakadisband din nila. Pero nawala sa kanila vocalist, si Marc Abaya of Sandwich. Naghook-up kami, Nabuo ang Dicta Lisence.

Kelley: Yun, yun ang kwento. So basically, parang nagkataon lang na both of our bands nagdisband and then we just formed. I met him (Poch) na, Nagkalaban pa kami sa mga Battle of the Bands, dati. High School, Grade School, Kalaban na namin sina Pochoy...pero okay, Ang saya saya saya.

EG: Na-mention nyo kanina na influences nyo Rage Against the Machine, May political undertones din ba yung mga songs nyo?
Poch: Well, nung first, yung early stages of Dicta Lisence, very political, social yung perspective namin sa mga bagay. Dati kasi na-limita kami dun, Ngayon mas broad na yung spectrum ng pinag-uusapan namin. Mas philosophical na, pero siyempre socially-relevant pa rin, tsaka Philippine-Context. Ma-Philo na kami ngayon.

Kelley: Pero a lot of the stuff na, I guess, Pochoy also writes about, is also applicable na to everyone. It's very universal, yung mga themes nya, So anyone can appreciate it.

.the manager.

EG: Paano yung iba na tingin sa inyo na RATM-clones kayo?
Ene: Mas Guapo sila. (laughs)

Poch: Matagal na sa aming tinatanong yan, ano. Ilang beses na. Mayroon akong tatlong Counter-Arguements d'yan. First, Iba ang Pilosopiya namin sa Rage Against the Machines. RATM is Leftist-Communist kasi disciple/worshiper sila ni Che Guevarra. Mas philosophical kami, hindi kami komunista, pangalawa ang boses ko ganito talaga. I can't deny that it is high-pitched.

EG: Nakita niyo na ba ang itsura nyo sa TV when you perform? Na parang Zack ka talaga kumilos?
Poch: (reiterates) It's very different from Zack. Marami akong nakikita, Nakikita ko Si Chuck D. ng Public Enemy, Nakikita ko si Black Frost ng The Roots. Kasi ang mga rappers ganun gumalaw, Kailangan ng Sign-Language, Kailangan kausapin yung tao, Kailangan tignan sila sa mata, Ganun pag rap. Ngayon isa pa, isa pang elemento sa musika namin, may kanta. RATM walang kanta. Pangalawa, iba pa ang musical background ng banda, very different from Rage Against The Machine.

Kelley: Also from what Pochoy said...ay teka si Poch...

Poch: (interrupts) Pero sobra, trip na trip namin ang Rage. Hindi namin dine-deny yun.

EG: Ano reaction nyo nung nag-disband sila?
Poch: Naapektuhan kami, pero ako, personally, hindi masyado. Parang mayroon pa rin akong hope na magkakabalikan sila, e.

Bryan: Atsaka OK lang, maganda naman yung ginawa nila before that, e.

Kelley: All of us like Rage. Their style is simple, pero there's a lot of depth into what their saying. That's what makes it great, conviction nun, e. So I believe, with us also, in that sense na, If you listen to what Pochoy's singin' about, there's a lot of conviction in what he says. And so, It's just like that. Music is music, di ba? All bands naman have their influences. For example; RiverMaya or whoever, they came from influences, But they added their own style to it, That made them themselves. I think that's what were trying to do, You start with an influence, Inject it with your own style and then sa iyo na yun. So any band in this world has had an influence with someone. The Beatles had their influences, Jimi Hendrix also had his influences.

EG: Yung available na mp3 nyo sa mp3manila.com, Yung Smoke on the Water, ano...
DL: Smoke Under the Table!

Poch: nag-research ka ba? (laughs)

EG: Smoke under the Table pala, Ano ba ang interpretation ng song na 'to?(para si di nakakaalam)
Poch: Meron din kaming weakness, kahit papaano. Dahil yung ibang songs namin, not all, Pag gumagawa kami ng kanta, hindi kami conscious kung sinong audience ang gusto naming sabihan. Eto ang gusto kong isulat, ganito kami gumawa ng kanta. Ine-enjoy muna namin kung anong gusto namin. Kami lang, Sa amin, Naka-sentro lahat ang musika sa amin. Gusto ko 'to, Gusto ko 'to, Eto ang gusto kong paraan ng pagsusulat, Pero it doesn't mean were selfish, It doesn't mean na, it stops there. we just hope na merong isang tao dun na makakintindi non.

(interrupts)EG: i hope you're not offended sa tanong ko na Zack Dela Rocha move.
Poch: ah ganon, hindi, (laughs) i wasn't offended, its alright, ok lang yun. its cool...

(back to the question) Poch: hindi kami conscious sa pagsusulat, hindi naman sa irrational ang pagsusulat namin...unconscious. pero we start with the basic thing na what we like. So yun, Smoke Under The Table is about the hidden truth like i have this line there where i said na "The truth is relative sa authority as if it were imprisoned by their thoughts and recollection so lahat ng mga nasusulat sa libro, publications, mass media minsan kontrolado ng authority tapos dahil dun may mga nawawalang katotohanan", dba? hindi buo. actually, transition lang din yang Smoke Under The Table, medyo political pa rin pero pa-philosophical na kami non.

EG: marami na rin kayong following, mga people na nakakita sa inyo sa In The Raw, mga nag-download ng mp3 nyo, what can you sa sa inyong mga fans?
Poch: kung na-e-enjoy nyo yung music namin, salamat! salamat talaga. saka yung music factor dun talagang nakakatuwa na na-a-appreciate kami at nakaka-reach out kami.

Kelley: syempre, yung music nga not also for ourselves and its a universal thing and i'm happy that some people like it, there would others whom might not like it but syempre masaya talaga na some like it. and gives me satisfaction na for making stuff that we like and the people also like it, its a great feeling. (particular sa email that we sent) and i enjoy reading email and replying and saying thank you, mga ganon... na you guys liked it. but we are kinda computer illiterate, e.

EG: Papaano sa mga bata na curious sa inyo at gusto kayong pakinggan?
Poch: ewan ko, medyo acquired taste kasi yung music namin e. siguro madali ring sakyan yung iba... medyo pop din (laughs) pero they will learn, they will learn. gusto rin naming umangat yung pag-iisip ng tao, ng audience dito sa bansa natin. minsan kasi tayo "groove" lang ang habol ok lang din yun, at least nasasakayan nyo yung groove minsan kasi hindi na kailangan ng language, diba? pero eto papalalimin pa natin parang meron din kaming magawang re-invention dito sa musika, legacy na maiiwan.

Boogie Arrives and introduces himself

EG: What are you listening to now? What's in your CD racks?
Kelley: Boogs ikaw muna, anong CD ang nasa kotse mo?

Boogie: Sa kotse ko ngayon? Mga CD's mo! Mga Pooyah Glassjaw, pati ano yun? At the drive-inn, yun. Brian: Ako yung Tree 2000...2000 ba o 2001?

Kelley: 2001!

Bryan: yan, atsaka yung Bob Marley na...

Kelley: Akin din...

Bryan: Oo, kay Kelley din, atsaka tape ni Jennifer Love Hewitt, yun.

Kelley: Ako sa kotse, I have, yung ChicoSci na bago, yung Incubus Morning View, Sublime, atsaka Bob Marley, yun lang mga ganun, yun.

Poch: Ako Public Enemy, The Roots Things fall apart album, Lauryn Hill, Incubus din, Tsaka gumagawa kasi kami ng demo ngayon, e...pinapakinggan ko rin yun (laughs) Nae-enjoy ko nga e! Patay! Hinde, seryoso, watch out for that.

EG: Ano naman ang mga First/Nakakahiyang Albums ang meron kayo?
Kelley: Ako walang kinahihiya, dahil part yun ng evolution ko. First album I ever bought was YO by Francis M.

Bryan: Ako Boy George, Culture Club tsaka...

Kelley: Vanilla Ice?

Bryan: G***, astig si Vanilla Ice. atsaka Rick Astley.

Boogie: Ako...

Kelley: Pantera?

Boogie: Guns N' Roses, Soul Asylum...4 Non Blondes, Yun!

Poch: Ako, ano yata e, um, Smokey Mountain...Paraiso!

Kelley: Andrew E!

Poch: Wala akong Andrew E...Francis M. Yo, pero gusto ko rin yung mga bagong albums ni Francis M.

EG: Do you ever feel threatened by piracy?
Kelley: Piracy? If ever ma-sign kami, why not buy the original na lang, support the people making it, kase...Bry explains it better, Bry explain it, man.

Bryan: Ako kasi, personally, torn ako sa issue na yan, e. Kasi pare, kung artist ka, Siyempre gusto mo original yung binenta mo, Anti-Piracy. Pero, As a fan gusto mo cheapest way as possible to get music. Eh, since available na yung technology for that, it's hard. I mean, tayo, nagbu-burn tayo ng sarili nating CD. As an artist mahirap nga. But at least for us wala naman yung money-issue, it's not important...well, for me.

Poch: Paningin ko kasi dyan parang, it's another evolution sa music industry. Parang Globalization na din sya, na may opportunity costs, May mawawala, May bagong mangyayari, Pero may mawawala. So yung mga sweldo ng mga artists nababawasan 'di ba? Pero yung mga tao naman na mga consumers, madali nakakabili, Mas mura, mas mura ang musika sa kanila. Anong mas mabigat na timbang? Hindi ko alam! Pero tignan natin sa partikular, Siguro yung mga artists na yun lang ang paraan nilang kumita ng pera, Siguro yun, apektado yun. Pero yung mga artists naman na sobra naman ang pera...

EG: Meron pa ba silang ibang pinagkakakitaan?
Poch: Meron! Yung mga sikat na artista, Tignan mo lang yang mga Billboard na yan, P90,000 ang bayad sa kanila, P100,000. Meron pang 1 Million.

EG: How about selling out?
Poch: Kung saan ka man inclined, kung ano man ang craft mo, kung artist ka, kung musikero ka, Yun yung una. Musikero ka gagawa ka ng musika, pangalawa lang ang pera. Pero kailangan mo ng pera dahil may katawan ka, dahil nabubuhay ka dito sa mundo, Kailangan mo pa rin ng pagkain. Pero kung yun lang ang dahilan mo kung bakit ka gumagawa, Naapektuhan na ang Integrity ng craft mo, Mali na yun.

EG: Kung ma-sign kayo, Lalabas pa rin ba yung gusto ninyong tunog kahit dinidiktahan kayo ng mga tao kung anong dapat ninyong tunog?
Kelley: Yes. As a requirement, we don't want to sacrifice the way we make music, yun lang yun, e. If worse comes to worse, for me, kung ma-sacrifice yung the way you make music, Dehin na lang kami magsa-sign. Yun na lang.

EG: Parting Shot lang, Ano message nyo sa makakabasa nito?
Poch: Ewan ko, Siguro may magkakagusto sa interview na "Wow, ang galing ng interview nila!" Pero meron ding mga ayaw. Dun sa maga ayaw, di ko alam! Nasa kanila yun, Baka mabuti yung pag-ayaw nila, baka may matututunan sila. Pero yun, karapatan ng tao na mag-judge, mag-react, maging critical in a way, pero wag naman over.

Bryan: If you wanna hear us or see us, If you're old enough to go out...Kung 5 lang wag na muna, Kung matanda na kayo, go ahead and watch our gigs.

Poch: 5 and up ba talaga? Bagay ba kami dun?
EG: Oo naman, na-feature na nila si Cynthia Alexander, Eraserheads, Coco Jam, pati Chicosci...

Poch: Ayun! Bagay nga!

Kelley: To those kids who are surfing the 'net, and reading the interview, It's nice to get to explore new music. That's it, man, enjoy!

Boogie: Pass! Pass! Brian: Sa mga batang nag-iinternet, Wholesome sites lang.

So in this world of hypocrisy, conspiracy, and lies, This reporter is glad that there is a group of young men, Unafraid and Unashamed to reveal the truth, and still have fun.

download their demo "Smoke Under The Table" at mp3manila.com

for comments, violent reactions, suggestions, & etc. email cerealbreath@edsamail.com.ph or leave a message on our guestbook, better yet email the band dicta_license@hotmail.com

join in the Dicta License Yahoogroups

this interview wouldn't have been possible if weren't for Ene. Thank You!
thanks sa technical/moral support of MaU & MeG!

interview by: MiKe

photographs & graphic designs by: Nick