About Kulintronica
Kulintronica is a musician on a mission to make kulintang a "house"-hold name by fusing this ancient Filipino gong instrument with modern electronic dance music.
2019 Releases
"Escape Velocity" is the second album slated for release in 2019. VIP attendees of Gongsters Paradise: A Stronger Force will receive an advance copy of the EP. The album has six new tracks including a remix of "Escape Velocity," the electro-house dance floor banger from "Til The Break Of Gong."
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The theme of the album comes from the approach taken in creating the music. Where the first album was an eclectic exploration of various styles, "Escape Velocity" is a focused approach that delves into the deep electro sound found in the original track from the first album.
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Like the first album "Til The Break Of Gong," the follow up is also designed to be a singular album experience, with each track seamlessy transitioning to the next, keeping the listener immersed in the auditory journey into the future fueled by the sounds of tradition.
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Origins
As a product of San Francisco's eclectic multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary art scene, Kulintronica was once a guitar and bass player in various groups. Solidifying his work ethic, getting command of different tempos, and incorporating more technology into his instrument, his artistic direction led him to lead an improvisational live looping dance band; until a cultural awakening led him down a new exciting direction.
An invitation to perform at a Philippine Culture Night after participating in a Rondalla workshop ended up being a life changing experience. The repertoire for this show required not only guitar music but also the diversity of Philippine musical instruments including all shapes of bamboo and various sizes of gongs. This experience awakened something within the young musician known as Ron, and he found himself unable to turn away from the music of his Filipino ancestors. Not long after this, Ron met the master kulintang artist Danongan "Danny" Kalanduyan. Under Kalanduyan's tutelage, Ron learned of the traditional art of Maguindanaoan kulintang playing, and the potential of kulintang music to reach people on a deep level. He also had his own ideas to combat the threat that kulintang music might cease to grow.
Having armed himself with an intergenerational wealth of musical methods and compositions, Ron put all of his gathered tools and experiences together to synthesize a new kulintang music for the new generation, and it is called Kulintronica.
Calling My Name (feat. Sina)
The first Kulintronica single is called "Calling My Name," and it brings together all the ingredients into a smooth midtempo tune about how the kulintang speaks to the listener even upon the first time hearing it. Singer and songwriter Sina captured the vibe, with her smooth vocal renditions ornamented by jazzy guitar licks, standup bass, and held together with a traditional kulintang backbone. The track attracted internationally reknowned DJ Julius Papp to produce a remix for it, to bring kulintang into the nudisco realm for the first time ever.
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Release Me and Julius Papp Remixes
The second Kulintronica single is called "Release Me," a soulful house groove built around a traditional Maranao kulintang style that features the weaving of the hands. Dance diva Kristin Carlson weaves the lyrics and vocal performance into a seduction, and the result is dance floor ready. This one has a deep house remix by Bill Williams and an afrobeat remix by Julius Papp. The single was selected for King Street Sounds' "Long Hot Summer EP" and has been played on dance radio shows in New York, London, and Vienna.
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Til The Break Of Gong
The first full length Kulintronica album searches for the limits within electronic music styles that traditional kulintang music can still drive with its percussive melodies. The album is a continuous listening experience, similar to a one-shot scene in film bringing the listener along as if travelling to eclectic destinations while on an intergalactic tropical tour. So far, the continuous album experience has only been available to those who have the physical CD.