Musicians - Half Life Half Death

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	Musicians - Half Life Half Death

Half Life Half Death, or The Halves, was an obscure Filipino Alternative Rock / New Wave band that existed from 1988 to 2003.

Formation

Half Life Half Death was originally formed in 1988 by five highschool students of Sta. Clara Parish School in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

Style

Half Life Half Death inevitably derived its musical style from its main influences, mostly British bands which became popular in the Philippines, especially in Metro Manila, during the members' highschool days, in the 1980s; bands that included The Cure, Depeche Mode, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Lotus Eaters, The Smiths, U2, and The Wild Swans. Many Filipino Alternative-music enthusiasts fondly remember Half Life Half Death for its quirky remake of "High School (Life)," a '70s Pop song written by the Filipino composer George Canseco for the Filipina actress/singer Sharon Cuneta. Half Life Half Death's version of the song was a concert favorite among the underground-music crowd of the late 1980s. It eventually achieved commercial popularity when the band recorded it for a compilation album released in 1995 by Vicor Recods. The song enjoyed heavy airplay on various FM radio stations, further helping Half Life Half Death gain some more following and land a record deal with Viva Records.

Half Life Half Death attained commercial popularity among Filipino Alternative Rock enthusiasts when their independently recorded single "Alimango" became #1, in 1994, on the now-defunct FM radio station DWLA 105.9, which promoted unsigned Filipino Rock bands. This achievement paved the way to the band's inclusion in four compilation albums: "Kapit-Tukô" for A Dozen Alternatives (1994, Viva Records), "Sa Paskong Darating" for Christmas on the Rocks (1994, Viva Records), "High School (Life)" for Mga Himig Natin Volume 2 (1994, Vicor Records), and "Nosi Ba Lasi? (Lala's mix)" for the original soundtrack of the movie Okey Si Ma'am (1995, Viva Records).

In 1995, Half Life Half Death finally recorded and released its debut album, Pymyth Prahn, under Viva Records. Despite the commercial quality and the lush concept of the album, the band failed to achieve commercial status and soon disbanded; with the members concentrating on each of their actual professions. The album spawned a few cult favorites that included "Butterflies," "Brother's Pen," and "We Are the Saints"; but "High School (Life)" remained their most popular song.

Half Life Half Death reformed and resumed activity in 2000 especially at Mayric's, a long-running club which served as a breeding ground for many important Filipino Rock bands which include Alamid, Sugar Hiccup, and The Youth. The band also began arranging new materials for a possible second album; but the plans were shelved when its vocalist went to Canada in 2003. However, before finally wrapping up a 15-year obscure career, Half Life Half Death released an independently produced double-CD compilation of all recorded materials plus a few demos, entitled The Halven Trilogy, the third part of which the band intends to finish and release on their vocalist's return to the Philippines in 2007.

Fans of the band regard Half Life Half Death as "The Cure of the Philippines," chiefly because of their strong and honest reference to their New Wave roots and certainly for the uncompromising style of their vocalist, whose sense of fashion virtually never changed from day one through the band's demise in 2003.

The Halves

Original members

aLfie vera mella (vocals, sound effects), 1988-2003
Rainald "Rain" C. Paggao (lead guitars, keyboards), 1988-2003
Joel Reyes (bass), 1988-1990
Nestor Edmund "Edmon" Villafuerte (keyboards), 1988-1990, 2000
Jonathan "Jon" V. Mejino (drums), 1988-1991
Caroline "Carol" O. Pobre (female vocals), 1988-1990

Ensuing members

Ruperto "Pet" de Jesus (guitars, backing vocals), 1989-2000
Ramil C. Aznar (bass), 1990-2003
Lamberto "Ambet" Taylo (violins, keyboards), 1990-1991, 2000
Rozylyn Torres (female vocals), 1990-1992
Robert "Bimbo" Ballesteros (drums), 1991-2001
Juan "Johnny" Miranda (drums), 1991-1992
Aldrin Cardona (guitars), 2002-2003
Gilbert "Bebet" Tiongson (drums), 2002-2003
Gremar Bernil (guitars), 2002

Discography

Pymyth Prahn, Viva Records / Neo Label, 1995 # A Feast in Pastel Castle # Alimango # Butterflies # Kapalarang K'wago # If All Sleep Tonight # Brother's Pen (with Summer's Rain) # Radio Madness # Sarimanok # We Are the Saints # Nosi Ba Lasi (Lala's mix) # Aligue # Unfated Love # Engkanto # Cariñosa # Kapit-Tukô

The Halven Trilogy Part One: Half Forgotten Songs, eLf ideas, 2003 # Alimango # Kapit-Tukô # Kapalarang K'wago # Nosi Ba Lasi # Aligue (Taba ng Alimango) # Engkanto # Sarimanok # High School (Life) # Cariñosa # Sa Paskong Darating # Buhay-Karnabal

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