January 16, 2024, Tuesday - Two decades ago, a collection of songs were released by a band that was steadily rising to the top, yet still unaware of the impact that the album would have on both music fans and the overall landscape of local music. Songs that simply were painfully honest, melodically soaring and lyrically on-point in capturing the sentiments and emotions of a generation that was going through the very same aches of growing up its chief songwriter was going through.
The band was Sugarfree. At the helm was its chief songwriter EBE DANCEL, and that album was Dramachine.
Now an accomplished solo artist with a ton-more OPM classics under his belt, Dancel is taking a trip down memory lane and will be treating fans to a night of nostalgia and bittersweet anthems that will surely have audiences singing-along (and maybe even shedding a few tears…) with his upcoming Dramachine: 20 Years show this January 26th at 123 Block Mandaluyong.
Featuring an impressive lineup of songs in Dancel’s extensive repertoire of hits and favorites, the celebrated album will definitely be performed in its entirety, including standout hit singles like “Prom,” “Hari Ng Sablay,” fan faves like “Kwentuhan” and tear jerking anthems like “Kandila,” “Tulog Na” and “Kwarto” among others. Dancel will be joined by an impressive cast of musicians, including former Sugarfree drummer Mitch Singson. Jam Quijano will be opening the evening as well.
Asked if he had any inkling during the album’s creation that those songs would forever resonate with listeners decades later, Dancel humbly states: “I don’t think I have an answer for that – they were just songs written by an average guy about everyday life… I never thought of the songs to be arena songs or anthems – I just made sure it was something I could sing-along to.”
When further asked how the creative process for Dramachine was, Dancel shares: “I remember we were touring almost every day for weeks – we’d be in the studio writing and recording, then rush to a gig in the evening and would come back to the studio after to see what we could finish. It was fun, and because we were young, we could bounce back from anything… and it was produced by Raymund Marasigan and Buddy Zabala, who gave us the freedom to do what we wanted.”
Truly, this is a show that no serious die-hard would want to miss. Tickets for the show are now available online via Backspacer Records (https://bit.ly/dramachine20), but they’re going fast – regular tickets are at PHP 1,200.00 and special tickets which include the vinyl and official merchandise are still available at PHP 3,300+.
“It’s a celebration of the album that introduced us to the whole country,” Dancel says, when asked what fans can expect of the show. “Come for the songs and the memories – eat, drink and sing-along; throughout the years, the fans are still what keeps me in the industry… this show will also kick off my 25th year in the business: I am eternally grateful that there are a lot of reasons for all of us to celebrate.”
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