Kjwan

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Kjwan
Left to right: Jorel Corpus, Jhoon Balbuena, Marc Abaya, Kelley Mangahas, and Boogie Romero
Background information
Origin	Quezon City, Philippines
Genre(s)	Soul, Funk, Rock
Years active	2003 – Present
Label(s)	Sony Music(2004) Barnyard Music Philippines(2006)
Website	kjwan.net
Members
Marc Abaya - Vocals Kelley Mangahas - Bass Jorel Corpus - Guitar / Percussion / Vocals Jhoon Balbuena - Drums / Vocals Boogie Romero - Guitar / Vocals

Kjwan started as a four piece band from Manila that consists of Marc Abaya, Kelley Mangahas, Jorel Corpus, and Jhoon Balbuena (Pronounced as "Jay Hoon"), who wrote, recorded and co-produced their self titled album. Then guitarist, Boogie Romero, joined the band after the release of the self-titled album.

Since their birth last May 2003 the band has played gigs with notable local acts such as Razorback, Kapatid, Sandwich and Chicosci all over the local clubs and events in Metro Manila, earned a finals slot in a nationwide band competition, finished recording their own album, contributed a song in an exclusive Ateneo Songs and Cheers Album, interviews and airplay in 5 local radio stations, guested in a local music channel, got featured in websites for mp3 downloads and streaming, articles in local magazines, threads in online discussion websites and has established a growing community of listeners through online newsgroups. They have evolved from a simple recording project of Marc into a tight and explosive musical expression, incorporating the talent of Jorel, Kelley and J-Hoon through funky rhythmic riffing, intense groove and superior vocals.

Over the course of playing gigs, hanging out, recording and writing songs, the band has grown to be more disciplined and unified in their craft and songwriting.

1 History
2 Discography
3 Demos
4 Singles
5 References

[edit] History

[edit] The Name

They got their name "Kjwan" when Jhoon said that name when they were thinking a name for the band. It was "Kjwan" because when drummer, Jhoon, was studying Math at Ateneo, his teacher always uses the term "Kwan" although Kwan wasn't really a term, nor a word. So Jhoon told them that he always gets confused on math because of that word. So the band thought that name was cool then Marc Abaya just added a letter "J" to the word "Kwan" to make the band name more fancy.

[edit] Early Years

Kjwan had their early beginnings last May 2003.

Abaya presented some demo tapes to Mangahas and Corpus when they were hanging out and asked them if they wanted to form a band with him. Both were excited with the idea of finally being able to form a band with an old friend and immediately agreed. The three didn’t waste time and started looking for a drummer that would complete their band. Many were under consideration but it was Balbuena that everyone wanted. So they asked him one time if he wanted to form a band with them just for kicks and he immediately agreed! And the line up was complete!

The band did not waste time slacking around, they immediately recorded demos and wrote songs for their album established a mailing list for their listeners and played every gig that came in their schedule. It’s been a whirlwind of a schedule for them and a year after of doing that everything fell into place as their debut album reached its release date.

[edit] 2 Step Marv

Kjwan thrives on mood, dynamics and accents. You can hear it in their groundbreaking self-titled debut album. You can definitely hear it even more in their genius follow up, Two Step Marv. It’s what makes a Kjwan performance an exhilarating ride. Throughout Two Step Marv, you can make out a unified band but can’t tell whether the next track is going to explode in your face or take you on an ambient journey.

Both possibilities are just as likely. The Manila-based quintet is made up of distinct personalities, with individual musical tastes that don't always overlap, and strong ideals that are often diametrically opposed. The chemistry might have combusted a lesser band before it even started, but the equally passionate friendships and shared hardships that make up Kjwan have held it together.

“You can’t avoid friction in a band” guitarist Jorel Corpus says cheerfully. “Friction during songwriting has been there since the first album, and it’s those little moments that make up the juicier details of the songs. I don’t think the music would have been as good if there was no friction. It can be a good thing if you know how to work with it. Luckily we know each other so well that we know how to work with each other best.”

The band worked again with producer Angee Rozul, who has recorded practically everyone who matters in the Philippine music scene for more than a decade in the acclaimed Tracks Studio in Pasig City.

The band’s faith in their music held it together. A record more explosive than anything you have heard, the album has an incredible range. On one end, there are the classic guitar-driven, big riffed “Pintura” and “Sa Ilalim” which elevate the classy, heavy sound that Kjwan is known for from their previous releases. They achieve this by adding more layers, voicing, and elements that tap into the genius of band members Romero and Balbuena, while vocalist Abaya slithers and sings about his infatuation with a mysterious woman. On the other extreme, there’s “Two Step Marv” a lively track armed with an organic garage beat arranged for a mix of clean guitars and some heavy dynamics that took minor cues in the band’s love for broken, garage, and 2 step beats.

Among all of these are gems that you might classify as cutting edge; fresh, soulful, hard hitting. “Shai” features new guitarist Boogie Romero’s dark ambient guitars, exploding towards the conclusion, with Corpus helping him build a sonic wall of guitars attacking and lingering as the song dies with the sweet mood that the band is famous for during live shows.

”You Didn’t Know” flawlessly fuses Balbuena’s jazz sensibilities with Romero’s rigid riffing. “Can’t Do That” highlights the band’s experience in playing with different styles as they adjust to a more soulful setting: minimal elements, sweet voicing, and an unforgettable solo masterfully done by Corpus. “Solana” draws attention to Mangahas and how he gels everyone together with an unyielding guitar riff and how it lets Abaya’s message ring through. He sings, “Can you believe? I found myself a special kind that keeps me safe” through the well-knit and firm foundation that his band mates created.

At the center of the record’s sound is “Focus” a beautiful piece that starts off with Mangahas and Balbuena locked together in a tight rhythmic progression, complemented by a counter rhythm by Corpus and Romero. Abaya sings “Take this away from me … take away this poison.” Referring to the classic theme of fallen relationships and honesty, in this case, the persona in this song is being honest about admitting that he has fallen out of love. “Save me from my emotions, I have lost my hold on my mind. I can’t find what you seek in me, I am not what you once loved.”

“Two Step Marv is a bold step for the band,” Mangahas says. “As a collective, we really wanted to put in more of ourselves and our influences right now. With the addition of Boogie (Romero) for this album, we tried to incorporate this new sound and create a whole new dynamic for the sound of Kjwan.”

“Our songs are honest.” Corpus says. “They are audible manifestations of our feelings, and the experience is a complete one, from the music to the message. We believe that, as songwriters and musicians, we are faced with a task to not only put out material that only we can relate to, but to put out something everyone can digest.”

“For this record, we hope to reach as much people as we can. We want people to listen to us. Know what we’re all about, like meeting a new acquaintance and developing friendships with our listeners that hopefully will last a lifetime.”