1. Since the 2007 release of Every Moss and Cobweb, Typecast has become the unlikely vanguards of musicianship
in an artistic landscape replete with fleeting trends. It has taken them years of relentless touring and considerable
personal sacrifices to reach this point, all for the sake of preserving their vision. After a wearying decade of
defying expectations, it is no ...surprise that Typecast has lapsed into an uncharacteristic silence. There comes a
time when artist suffer from their own creations, and it becomes necessary to renew in order to survive. Now,
after three years of introspection,Typecast has returned from their self-imposed exile with How Your Influence
Betrays You – their most ambitious effort to date.
Recorded at Tower of Doom with the guidance of the inimitable Eric Perlas, How Your Influence Betrays You is a
sprawling reflection of the long, timorous road that Typecast has traveled, harking back to their humble
beginnings in Laguna while heralding the promise of the future. The first single - This Kind of Silence, combines
the enthusiasm and sincerity the band has become known for while giving a glimpse of the bold new direction
they have taken. The band further brings to light their evolving sophistication with the album opener, Unwilling, a
melancholic and deceptively gentle meditation that reveals their exceptional musical complexity along with their
ever-present desire to defy expectations. Typecast‘s greatest strength, however, has always lain in forging new
ground while remaining true to their underground roots, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the raucous
and impassioned The Truth and the menacing opus As Silent As Death, collaborations with longtime friends, Rogel
Africaand Tatel Marcelino, both of seminal metal band Valley of Chrome. Showcasing the beauty in simplicity, the
band also reveals newfound depth and worldliness with the existential You Will Be Alone, a stark and lonely
parable that is sure to become an instant classic.
In an era defined by the ephemeral, Typecast has once again made their mark by eschewing the familiar,
continuing their decade-long tradition of pushing musical boundaries and daring experimentation. Now, they lay
bare ten years’ worth of creativity and emotion, simultaneously honoring their past while hinting towards the
sound of things to come. Condensing a decade of experience into one album is a challenge, but this new release
manages to encapsulate the trials and tribulations that have shaped them into the artists they have become. With
How Your Influence Betrays You, Typecast has taken their fearlessness and inventiveness to the zenith, going
beyond their influences to create something truly transcendental.
EVERY MOSS AND COBWEB / THE INFATUATION IS ALWAYS THERE
Emerging from the underground music haven of Laguna, Philippines, Typecast have staked their claim at the
forefront of the scene with their unique brand of aching sincerity and arresting melodies. Through unforgettable
live shows, a devoted fan base, and their unrelenting DIY ethic, the band continues to shatter preconceptions of
what an underground band can offer, garnering admiration from fans as well as from the bands that inspired them
to forge their own path. Typecast began as a three-piece band in 1999, when founding members Steve Badiola
(guitar, vocals) and Melvin Macatiag (drums) met in high school. They later recruited Chi Resurreccion (bass) and
began playing shows in their hometown in Laguna. After establishing a local fan base, intense word-of-mouth and
nonstop touring led the band to the hallowed halls of the Philippines' premier rock station, NU 107, and a guest
spot on In the Raw, NU 107's landmark program spotlighting up-and-coming local bands. The trio recorded the
barebones EP Last Time in 2002, capturing the frenetic energy and raw emotion of their live performances.
Typecast continued to perform in support of the EP, eventually catching the attention of Raymund Marasigan,
formerly of legendary Filipino band The Eraserheads.
The year 2004 saw the release of Typecast's first full-length album, The Infatuation Is Always There. The album,
produced by Marasigan, was an emotional and musical tour de force, revealing an emotional maturity and superior
musicianship uncaptured by the rawness of their previous release. The aftermath of Infatuation brought more
changes to the band. With little radio airplay and minimal promotion, Typecast's debut album reached
unprecedented heights for an independent release, exposing them to a new audience and changing the landscape
of Filipino music. The band satisfied the public's hunger by touring the country even more extensively and honing
their live act on the Philippines' major music festivals.
Typecast soon headed back into the studio, this time with new member Pacoy Fletchero (guitar) in tow. The band
made their way to Studio 101, in Malaysia, and recorded their second album, Every Moss and Cobweb. The
strength of the songs on Every Moss is a testament to the band's distinct but evolving style. From the fragile and
moving album opener, You Don't Need Eyes To See, to the visceral defiance of The Conflict, and to the anthemic
lament of Will You Ever Learn, Typecast continues to showcase their growing versatility. Every Moss, distributed
nationally by Warner Music Philippines, allowed Typecast to reach even wider audiences; the public reaction to the
album has been extraordinary, gaining them new followers and satisfying their longtime fans as well. With 2007
coming to a close, Typecast continues to write new songs and tour relentlessly, preserving their reputation as a
formidable live band. Never content to rest on their laurels, it is certain that Typecast's drive will cement their
status as one of the best Philippine local bands to emerge from the underground.
2. TYPECAST
How Your Influence Betrays You
by Pulp Magazine
STILL THE BEST THERE IS AT WHAT THEY DO
Like grunge in the early 1990s and nu-metal afterwards, emo may have been the most
prominent rock subgenre – or “sound,” if you will – of the past decade. While both
grunge and nu-metal have offered a number of excellent, timeless acts that arguably
transcended both genres (e.g. Nirvana, Soundgarden, Deftones, System Of A Down),
both have sadly been reviled as passing fads years after the fact, mainly because a
majority of the bands both scenes left in their wakes offered nothing new in the way of
evolution, and listeners’ ears simply got pummeled by the seemingly endless airplay of
these bands’ turgid yet unexceptional radio singles. (Most atrocious of all were the
groups that combined the worst elements of both grunge and nu-metal, like Creed and
Staind, but let’s not get into that anymore.)
It’s too early to tell, however, if emo will be similarly dismissed as another fleeting phase
(the hairdo got old pretty quick, though), since a good number of the earlier and/or more
important bands associated with the genre are still actively making good music and/or are
still relevant today. While both grunge and nu-metal certainly made an impact on our
local scene, neither could probably come close to the sheer number of emo-influenced
acts in the country right now. I will refrain from enumerating names at the risk of
offending anyone (besides, a true emo band will never own up to being emo), but it’s an
accepted notion that the Laguna-born Typecast may be considered as the ones who lit the
fuse for the local emo explosion, or at least one of the earliest acts of their ilk to get any
significant airplay or reach a wide audience. I remember seeing this band live for the first
time at a friend’s birthday party sometime in 2002 or 2003, and I was blown away by
their chops and the expressive clarity of singer/guitarist Steve Badiola’s voice (I never
listened to Dashboard Confessional, though, so the vocal resemblance was unknown to
me). Soon, none other than Raimund Marasigan (whose band Sandwich also performed at
the same party) offered to produce Typecast’s first full-length recording, 2004′s The
Infatuation Is Always There, and the rest is history.
It’s 2011, and Typecast has just released their third record, How Your Influence Betrays
You, and upon an initial spin, the first thing most listeners may notice is that it’s a lot
heavier than any of their previous albums. Both “The Crows Are Hungry” and “Charm”
contain chunky power chords and enough rhythmic and dynamic shifts to almost make
them qualify as “math emo,” if there were such a thing (think Fall Of Troy). Some of the
tracks are among the angriest they’ve ever done, too, from Badiola’s piercing “Good
riddaaaaaance!” at the end of “Crows,” to his growl-and-response verses with Valley Of
Chrome’s Rogel Africa on “The Truth.” Most significantly, the seven-plus-minutes of
“As Silent As Death” showcase Typecast at their most convincing and relentless, as
Badiola furiously laments the fate of the environment and the human race while his
bandmates succeed in matching his sentiments with precision, power, and grace,
3. including a rare, extended guitar solo by guitarist Pakoy Fletchero that doesn’t feel
contrived or self-indulgent at all.
After the relative success of 2007′s Every Moss And Cobweb, thanks in part to the
considerable recall factor of the single “Will You Ever Learn,” fans might be hard-
pressed to find a similar anthem on How Your Influence Betrays You. The sublime
“Konu Yakusoku” could probably fit the role, and while its chorus simply isn’t as
massive as “Unlonely nights / romantic moments,” it nevertheless contains a stronger
hook. That’s not to say that there aren’t any potential hits on the new record, though;
teaser single “This Kind Of Silence” is among the most compellingly upbeat and melodic
songs they’ve ever done, while the dramatic post-hardcore waltz of “You Still Have A
Long Way To Go” might very well be the album’s strongest track.
Typecast’s latest full-length may not be their best, only because each of their records has
its own distinct set of strengths and weaknesses that may factor into every fan’s eventual
judgment. In this case, the increased presence of electronic blips and beats (as on the
album’s instrumental intro, “Unwilling,” and on the title track) could be annoying, or at
least distracting to some listeners, but overall, How Your Influence Betrays You deserves
praise nonetheless, as it evidently displays the band’s musical growth via more ingenious
arrangements and incorporating more elements like metal and post-rock without straying
too far from their chosen sound. The album isn’t as much a redefinition of emo as it is a
proper demonstration of what can be done within the genre’s parameters to keep it
sounding interesting and fresh. Indeed, Badiola, Fletchero, drummer Melvin Macatiag,
and bassist Chi Resurreccion upped their game once more on this record, coming up with
another collection of songs that may not immediately surpass their previous material, but
rather complements it while showing signs growth individually and as a group. At the
end of the day, Typecast are definitely worthy of kudos if only for sticking to their guns
and playing the kind of music they love, and after almost a decade of going at it, they’re
still the best there is. And somehow, they’re still getting better.