Chicosci
Encyclopedia
ChicoSci is a 5-piece Filipino
rock band
based in Manila
. The band is composed of Miggy Chavez, Mong Alcaraz, Calde Calderon, Macoy Estacio and Ariel Lumanlan.
. The band released the albums Revenge of the Giant Robot
and Method of Breathing
....
.
for guidance in working with their second album. True enough, both audiences and critics embraced the new sound of ChicoSci. Method Of Breathing
included several hits such as Glass is Broken, Rolento, and the highly-infectious Paris. Interestingly, Paris holds the record for the most number of weeks a song (foreign or local) has stayed in a countdown. It stayed in the NU107 Midnight Countdown for more than 52 weeks and giving Chicosci the Song of the Year award at the 2002 NU 107 Rock Awards.
In 2004, the band released their third album, Icarus
, under Viva Records
. The band again enlisted the help of Raimund Marasigan, who tagged along Buddy Zabala
, to produce the bands most experimental album. In May 2004, the band gained media recognition by becoming MTVs Lokal Artist of the Month. The songs Theme from Conversation with Fire, Shallow Graves, and An Argument, enjoyed media airtime, also went into the NU 107 Midnight and Year-end Countdown.
On June 6, 2006, ChicoSci released and launched their self-titled 4th album
. Having been in the studio for more than a year, the band boasts it as being their best work to date. A self-produced effort, the band again attempts to give listeners something new to look forward to. The self titled album features catchier melodies and more synth playing from Alcaraz. At the same time, there is minimal screaming and more focus on Chavez's singing, the most obvious change on the self titled album.
With the release of their carrier single A Promise, ChicoSci gained more popularity as their market grew. ChicoSci went on to play in Malaysia and Singapore as well as local hot spots like Cafe Saguijo. The album has spawned four singles, A Promise, Seven Black Roses, ChicoSci Vampire Social Club and Last Look. The music video for ChicoSci Vampire Social Club won the Favorite Rock Video at the 2008 Myx Music Awards. The band released their fifth studio album, Fly Black Hearts
in 2009.
2002 – Method of Breathing
2004 – Icarus
2006 – ChicoSci
2007 – BEST
2009 - Fly Black Hearts
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
based in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. The band is composed of Miggy Chavez, Mong Alcaraz, Calde Calderon, Macoy Estacio and Ariel Lumanlan.
Formation and early days
The group started out as a peer of young college kids from the Ateneo de Manila University, ChicoSci (previously Chico Science) was originally composed of Miguel "Miggy" Chavez, Paul Ivan "Bimboy" Nota, Miguel "Mong" Alcaraz, Carlos "Calde" Calderon, Jan Kevin Santos and Joel Salvador. The six enjoyed playing together so much that they decided to take their music seriously by recruiting guitarist Sonny Baquisal and long-time friend Eugene "Yug" Esquivias to solidify the songwriting process. The band won an inter school Battle of the Bands and spent the prize money in recording a demo – an investment that landed them a two-album record deal with EMI PhilippinesEMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. The band released the albums Revenge of the Giant Robot
Revenge of the Giant Robot
Revenge of the Giant Robot is the debut album of Chicosci released on 2000 under EMI Philippines. It is the only album released when Chicosci was still named Chico Science.- Track listing :# "My Sickness" – 3:38# "Amen" – 3:46...
and Method of Breathing
Method of Breathing
Method of Breathing is Chicosci's second album, released in 2002 under EMI Philippines.- Track listing :# Solution Cairo – 4:08# Rolento – 4:25# Glass is Broken – 4:16# Paris – 3:59# Anything For Two – 3:07...
....
Career as Chico Science
The highly successful debut record established Chico Science as one of the forerunners of the new generation of rock. Revenge of the Giant Robot spawned hits such as Amen, Soopafly, and the MTV hit, Sink or Swim. This album was also nominated to the prestigious Awit Awards for Best Rock Recording. Their first-ever music video Sink or Swim, directed by Lyle Sacris, also won as the Best Directed Video for the 2001 MTV Pilipinas Awards. Later on, they decided to change the name Chico Science to ChicoSci, in order not to be confused with the Brazilian singerChico Science
Francisco de Assis França , better known as Chico Science, was a Brazilian singer and composer and one of the founders of the Mangue Beat cultural movement...
.
Career as ChicoSci
Never satisfied and always trying out new things, the band continued to work on redefining their sound. Shifting their musical direction to a more melodic style, they sought Raimund MarasiganRaimund Marasigan
Raimund Emmanuel Parcon Marasigan, or simply known as Raimund Marasigan, is a ballad musician and record producer in the Philippines. Oftentimes, his first name is misspelled as Raymond, Raymund, Raimond and other variants. The breadth of his projects has made him one of the most well-respected...
for guidance in working with their second album. True enough, both audiences and critics embraced the new sound of ChicoSci. Method Of Breathing
Method of Breathing
Method of Breathing is Chicosci's second album, released in 2002 under EMI Philippines.- Track listing :# Solution Cairo – 4:08# Rolento – 4:25# Glass is Broken – 4:16# Paris – 3:59# Anything For Two – 3:07...
included several hits such as Glass is Broken, Rolento, and the highly-infectious Paris. Interestingly, Paris holds the record for the most number of weeks a song (foreign or local) has stayed in a countdown. It stayed in the NU107 Midnight Countdown for more than 52 weeks and giving Chicosci the Song of the Year award at the 2002 NU 107 Rock Awards.
In 2004, the band released their third album, Icarus
Icarus (Chicosci album)
- Track listing :# "Theme from Conversations with Fire" – 4:51# "Open Casket Romance" – 4:22# "Gift of Tongues" – 3:33# "When Flight is Denied" – 4:30# "Shallow Graves" – 2:49# "An Argument" – 5:18...
, under Viva Records
Viva Records (Philippines)
VIVA Records is Philippine record label. It is subsidiary of VIVA Entertainment.- Artists & Album Releases :* 18 Greatest Hits ** Andrew E.** Basil Valdez ** Jun Pulistico...
. The band again enlisted the help of Raimund Marasigan, who tagged along Buddy Zabala
Buddy Zabala
Hector "Buddy" Avanceña Zabala is the bassist of Filipino new wave band The Dawn, indie band Cambio, and widely known as the bassist of the now disbanded alternative rock band, The Eraserheads.-Eraserheads bassist :...
, to produce the bands most experimental album. In May 2004, the band gained media recognition by becoming MTVs Lokal Artist of the Month. The songs Theme from Conversation with Fire, Shallow Graves, and An Argument, enjoyed media airtime, also went into the NU 107 Midnight and Year-end Countdown.
On June 6, 2006, ChicoSci released and launched their self-titled 4th album
Chicosci (album)
Chicosci is the Philippine music band Chicosci's self-titled 4th album. It was independently released on June 6, 2006 and was repackaged with 3 bonus tracks by Universal-MCA Records Philippines.- Track listing :# A Promise# Chicosci Vampire Social Club...
. Having been in the studio for more than a year, the band boasts it as being their best work to date. A self-produced effort, the band again attempts to give listeners something new to look forward to. The self titled album features catchier melodies and more synth playing from Alcaraz. At the same time, there is minimal screaming and more focus on Chavez's singing, the most obvious change on the self titled album.
With the release of their carrier single A Promise, ChicoSci gained more popularity as their market grew. ChicoSci went on to play in Malaysia and Singapore as well as local hot spots like Cafe Saguijo. The album has spawned four singles, A Promise, Seven Black Roses, ChicoSci Vampire Social Club and Last Look. The music video for ChicoSci Vampire Social Club won the Favorite Rock Video at the 2008 Myx Music Awards. The band released their fifth studio album, Fly Black Hearts
Fly Black Hearts
Fly Black Hearts is the 5th studio album of the band Chicosci released by MCA Music in the Philippines.- Tracklist :#Greer#Off With Her Head#Stop Biting#What's Your Poison#Red Lips#Breathe Again#I Am The Snake#Just My Luck#Horns Up, Still Fly...
in 2009.
Discography
2000 – Revenge of the Giant RobotRevenge of the Giant Robot
Revenge of the Giant Robot is the debut album of Chicosci released on 2000 under EMI Philippines. It is the only album released when Chicosci was still named Chico Science.- Track listing :# "My Sickness" – 3:38# "Amen" – 3:46...
2002 – Method of Breathing
Method of Breathing
Method of Breathing is Chicosci's second album, released in 2002 under EMI Philippines.- Track listing :# Solution Cairo – 4:08# Rolento – 4:25# Glass is Broken – 4:16# Paris – 3:59# Anything For Two – 3:07...
2004 – Icarus
Icarus (Chicosci album)
- Track listing :# "Theme from Conversations with Fire" – 4:51# "Open Casket Romance" – 4:22# "Gift of Tongues" – 3:33# "When Flight is Denied" – 4:30# "Shallow Graves" – 2:49# "An Argument" – 5:18...
2006 – ChicoSci
Chicosci (album)
Chicosci is the Philippine music band Chicosci's self-titled 4th album. It was independently released on June 6, 2006 and was repackaged with 3 bonus tracks by Universal-MCA Records Philippines.- Track listing :# A Promise# Chicosci Vampire Social Club...
2007 – BEST
BEST (Chicosci album)
BEST is Chicosci's first compilation album, consisting of tracks from albums Revenge of the Giant Robot and Method Of Breathing. Chicosci has since left the record label when the album was released.- Track listing :# Sink or Swim# Paris# Liar...
2009 - Fly Black Hearts
Fly Black Hearts
Fly Black Hearts is the 5th studio album of the band Chicosci released by MCA Music in the Philippines.- Tracklist :#Greer#Off With Her Head#Stop Biting#What's Your Poison#Red Lips#Breathe Again#I Am The Snake#Just My Luck#Horns Up, Still Fly...
Achievements
- Listener's Choice Award - NU107 Rock AwardsNU Rock AwardsThe NU Rock Awards was an annual recognition program sponsored from 1994 to 2010 by the defunct Metro Manila based radio station NU 107.1. 1994 saw the birth of what is to become the biggest annual gathering of the finest rock musicians in the country—the NU 107 Rock Awards! The very first NU 107...
, 2009 - Favorite Artist of Philippines - MTV Asia, 2008
- Best produced album - “Method of Breathing,” 2002 NU107 RockAwards
- Song of the year - “Paris,” 2002 NU107 RockAwards
- Guitarist of the year - Mong (2002 & 2006 NU107 RockAwards) and Sonny (2002 NU107 RockAwards)
- Best Director - Lyle Sacris for “Sink or Swim,” 2001 MTV Pilipinas Music Awards
- Best Designed Album Cover - “Revenge of the Giant Robot,” 2001 NU107 RockAwards
- Male of the year - Mong, 2006 NU107 RockAwards
Nominations
- Song of the year – “Diamond Shotgun,” 2009 NU107 Rock Awards
- Album of the year - “Icarus”, 2004 NU107 Rock Awards
- Guitarists of the year - Mong and Sonny, 2004 NU107 Rock Awards
- Best album packaging - “Icarus”, 2004 NU107 Rock Awards
- Drummer of the year - Joel, 2002 NU107 Rock Awards
- Best rock recording - “Sink or Swim,” 2001 Awit Awards
- Song of the year - “Sink or Swim,” 2001 NU107 Rock Awards
- Best music video - “Sink or Swim,” 2001 NU107 Rock Awards
Former members
- Eugene "Yug" Esquivias - Percussions (2000–2007). Last appeared on Seven Black Roses music video. Esquivias left for Canada.
- Sonny Baquisal - Guitar (2000–2007). Last seen on ChicoSci Vampire Social Club music video. Baquisal left to go to Italy with his family. Replaced by Ariel Lumanlan of the metalcore band Arcadia on November 2007.
- Joel Salvador - Drums (1996–2008). Last seen on ChicoSci Myx Live Performance. Replaced by Macoy Estacio of the post-hardcore band April Morning Skies.
- Jan Kevin Santos † - Unclean Vocals (1996). Co-founder of ChicoSci.
- Bobby Fraga- Guitars- 2005