First Feel of Ely Buendia’s METHOD ADAPTOR

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On October 29, Ely Buendia held an intimate press conference to discuss his upcoming full-length album titled METHOD ADAPTOR. He is also set to an album launch concert at the 123 Block, Mandaluyong on November 8.

The veteran singer/songwriter/producer sat down with members of the media to candidly talk about his songwriting process, past insecurities, and his aspirations for the new album. As a bonus, he also gave us an advance copy of the album which he signed afterward. We’ll give a rundown on the first feel of Ely Buendia’s METHOD ADAPTOR – the main talking points, plus our impressions of the much-awaited album (without spoilers, of course).

Ely Buendia

It was a cloudy Tuesday afternoon, and around 20 media personnel huddled around the Sony conference room. In the center was the main character: Ely Buendia, with his bleached hair, and black polo matched with a black cap. Firstly, he apologized for being late, and then he sat down, ready to take on all the questions we had.

“I wanted to release a new album this year because I wanted to do something new,” he told us. “I don’t consider Wanted: Bedspacer an official release dahil kumbaga nag-experiment lang ako sa kwarto. I consider this the official album.” The aforementioned album was released in 2010, his solo voyage to test the waters, per se. From the get-go, he intended METHOD ADAPTOR to be the album defining his solo career.

SEE ALSO: Ely Buendia to launch new album, Method Adapter with a special full-length show

How did the album come about?

While touring different cities in the US with the Eraserheads last year, he started writing new songs. “The good thing about being on tour is that you can write anywhere. Ang daming downtime sa tour,” he said. Songwriting took him almost a year to complete. To confirm the rumors, some songs were taken from the baul.

Ely is also the type who finds inspiration in the chaos of being busy. “I’m glad that I have that sort of talent that I don’t have to isolate myself to be creative. I prefer busy environments, maraming tao,” he elaborated.

Why is the album titled METHOD ADAPTOR?

Ely said it depicts how the album was conceived – it was the strategy he sort of devised to write songs and create music. “It has been a while since I started writing new songs, and I experienced some sort of mild writer’s block. I just had to figure out how to be creative again and for me, that method was what I adapted,” he explained.

Writer’s block and doubt

When prodded about his writer’s block, he responded that it was not severe. He was confident he could write, but he had certain doubts: “There was something at the back of my head: should I even do this? Will I be able to pull it off?”

He admitted that there was a time when he felt pressured by the expectations of Eheads fans which caused him to hesitate to write new material. This time, however, he fought off that line of thought. “Once I got that out of the way, and said bahala na! All you can do is be yourself and do your best, and medyo nagflow na yung ideas.”

What are the songs about?

So far, two songs from the album have been released to the public – “Bulaklak sa Buwan” and “Tagpi-Tagping Piraso”, both of which exude a certain amount of vulnerability at their core.

Ely Buendia shared that the lyrics are very personal. “Some songs in the album speak of my experience of being heartbroken, and not in a romantic sense.” The symbolism in the two songs could reveal disillusionment and frailty, exactly as he said.

“Bulaklak sa Buwan” is one song that he is very pleased with. “I pushed myself to write the song, make it more meaningful than what I’m used to writing,” he said.

Sound inspiration?

When asked about the musical inspiration he had, he answered, “I tried not to think about it too much when I was producing the album. I just try to set the stage like a director in a movie. I provide the environment for that, like choosing the producer.”

In line with his words, he chose his highly trusted music producers – Jerome Velasco, who has worked with him as the guitarist of bands Pupil and The Mongols, and Audry Dionisio, session guitarist and General Manager of Offshore Records, the record company he founded. He described them as people with whom he could bounce ideas naturally.

Does he care about what people think?

Over the years, the public has built this image of Ely Buendia being rather cold and enigmatic, but at this point, does he care what they think about his music especially now that he’s releasing a new album?

Ely paused a bit, staring off into space with a hand on his chin then said, “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care about what people think because I think music (and people) build empathy with one another. I admire artists who just do it for the art or their satisfaction. I find more satisfaction in communicating, in touching lives, that‘s the reason I do it.”

He continued, “I can write songs for myself, but what would be the point of that? This album is a form of reaching out to the community that I’m in and saying I’m still here.”

Was there a time when he didn’t care at all?

Short answer: Yes. There was a point during the press conference when he revealed that after the Eraserheads broke up, he just wanted to make more bands and write more songs that he liked, without caring about how people would react. “That was when there was a disconnect with my core audience,” he admitted. He then mentioned that he has now become more appreciative of what he has.

What was the idea behind the album cover?

Ely Buendia said that his team initially had a lot of ideas for it, but he decided to go for something simple: his portrait, explaining that “the songs are a portrait of me as a person now.”

What can the audience expect from the album release concert?

Without giving any room for spoilers, he replied, “A straightforward show – the audience to have multidimensional experience – that’s all I have to say about that now.”

The show will also feature his Offshore Music labelmates Alyson, Carousel Casualties, Aviators, Ligaya Escueta, and Pinkmen.

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Near the end of the press conference, I also asked Ely Buendia, “What message do you hope fans would take away from your new music?”

His answer goes, “I guess I just want them to go back to the joy of hearing new music for the first time they like. That’s the tricky part – even though they know what to expect of me and they have preferences (of what they like from me) – I hope that I’ll still be able to surprise them.”

At home, it was past midnight when I put the CD on as I sat alone at my desk. With my earphones on, I waited patiently for the first hint of sound – “Faithful Song”. Right off the bat, I was taken aback. His words were spot on.

Without giving out any specifics, the album is worth listening to. Rid your mind of preconceived notions. It was fairly easy for me to be swayed into the melodies, interspersed with the lyrical rhythm and imagery that Ely Buendia is so great at. The album was a pleasant surprise – it transported me to the ‘80s stellar synth sound mixed with the grit of ‘90s guitar riffs.

What is the best way to listen to the album? Nothing beats hearing it live, of course! Don’t miss Ely Buendia’s METHOD ADAPTOR Album Launch on November 8 at 123 Block Mandaluyong. Get to see some amazing performances by Offshore Music artists ALYSON, Carousel Casualties, Aviators, Pinkmen, and Ligaya Escueta. Tickets are available at methodadaptor.helixpay.ph/

by Sandra Mae Laureano

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