Of books and beats: King Puentespina

Donning a blue floral polo shirt, charcoal above-the-knee sport shorts, a pair of Nike Air Maxes with green highlights, and Ninoy Aquino-eqsue spectacles, King Puentespina (IV, MGT) somehow manages to mold his seemingly incoherent wardrobe choices into an eclectic ensemble. “This is my grandfather’s. I got it from this sort of treasure chest along with other stuff such as Ralph [Lauren polos],” he says to me, referring to his shirt, his face beaming into a slight grin.

He is a hard man to miss nowadays, sprouting up in all corners of the local independent music scene, whether as the Fabrizio Moretti-like drummer of She’s Only Sixteen or as the trance-inducing electro magician CRWN (pronounced as Crown). Certainly, his recent gigs in prestigious music festivals such as Malasimbo and 7107 stand as testament to this.

While waiting for the questions to be asked, he finger drums a casual yet fragmented beat on the hard-cased shell of his laptop. It seems natural to him—almost automatic. While most people’s perception of him is that of an underground virtuoso, there is much more to King Puentespina than just a rhythm setter working his magic behind a set of drums and turntables.

Starting out

Before taking up a Bachelor of Science in Management in DLSU, Puentespina graduated from the Ateneo De Manila High School back in 2011. Even in his pre-collegiate days, however, he was already into the art of making music. In fact, it was actually during his stay in the Ateneo that he met current band mates Roberto Seña, Anjo Silvoza, and Andrew Panopio. Although still high school students at the time, the group of friends would later on form She’s Only Sixteen, a local rock band with a musical style reminiscent of The Strokes and the pre-Humbug Arctic Monkeys.

For Puentespina, there was never a sense of a grand musical eureka in relation to “switching” from playing the brand of rock music he had grown accustomed with to performing via electronic means. “I didn’t really shift genres. I still love indie rock as much as I love electronic music. It’s just that I also enjoy both so I’m not really picky with genre changing. [Electronic music] was just another project I wanted to pursue aside from indie music. I wanted to create something, configure a landscape for music here in the Philippines,” he shares.

On starting CRWN, he recalls that his solo music project started out as a hobby, crafting tunes straight from the comfort of his own bedroom, so there wasn’t much of a culture shock in terms of the artistic aspect of things. As a performer, however, it is a whole different story. “When I play as CRWN, it’s weird. My band mates are not there. So I’m all alone on the stage, all eyes on me. So I’m the one responsible for making this show happen,” he says.

Whereas mainstream DJs often make dance music appropriate for sweat-filled moshpits, Puentespina creates a laid back alternative, more suited for intimate champagne nights. For him, how CRWN sounds is a matter of personal taste, as opposed to just following the trend of DJs churning out “floor to floor” tracks on upscale nightclubs. He also mentions his belief that EDM as a music genre may be on its way out, falling out of favor, but later adds that he feels fortunate in being one of the front liners in starting something new for the local scene.

The letterman

One of the things that often fascinate the eye of the media is the struggle that student-athletes are faced with: the constant battle between sports and academics. However, what is not as publicized is the grind that student-musicians have to face. On the subject, Puentespina believes that student-musicians are burdened with almost the same amount of workload as campus jocks.

“It’s almost the same, like the work schedule and balancing. Time management is the same. You put the same amount of effort in practicing, rehearsing, and performing. So most of the time, I don’t get to study anymore. I mean, I still get to study like when I’m in class I have to absorb as much as I can to compensate,” he explains. “It’s tougher now cause I’m about to graduate, but I still have to finish. I still have to motivate myself as a student and as a musician.”

Shakermaker

No musician simply conjures up melodic rhythms and beats out of thin air. More often than not, these people are influenced by the musical artists that preceded them. Even the often heralded Liverpudlian quartet of The Beatles rooted their music from 1950s rockers, such as Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. The same concept applies to Puentespina as he cites both local and foreign underground artists such as One One Collective, Similarobjects, Soulection, and Stones Throw as influences for his solo work.

According to him, the local scene maintains a very relaxed atmosphere, with no thought of heated competition. “We’re all friends. We all promote each other’s music. We’re trying to push each other up; we really want this type of music to flourish in the Philippines. We’re all in this together,” he says with a chuckle after the High School Musical reference.

When asked about his views on the brand of Filipino popular music commonly played on mainstream Philippine radio stations, he maintains a neutral stance. “I guess pop is pop. What we’re doing is pop but not in a way that compromises the artistry in making music. Like how we’re marketed—we don’t want to get marketed like that but we want to get on the same page as everyone else. That’s why I’m really interested in using the management tactics I’m learning in the music industry.”

When then asked about the current local scene, Puentespina likens it to a huge oceanic wave, stating that people just have to be there to catch it. “There is so much happening in local music. There are a lot of platforms. A lot of my peers are getting played on the radio. We’re getting a lot of heat from events, from music festivals,” he explains. “A lot of collectives are also happening right now. It’s very do-it-yourself—we don’t have to send demos to major record labels anymore. A lot of people are picking up.”

Suck it and see

The future seems to only get brighter and brighter for Puentespina, who plans on pursuing music full time upon graduating. Just a couple of weeks ago, as part of She’s Only Sixteen, he played a gig in Taiwan along with two other local bands: Taken by Cars and Techy Romantics. Along with that, his most streamed song on Soundcloud, “Under Blankets”, was played by a radio station all the way from San Francisco.

2015 could be a breakthrough year for both CRWN and She’s Only Sixteen according to the musician. For the former, he foresees more collaborations and even a possible EP by the end of the year. For the latter, he names the long-awaited debut album as a highlight. “It’s going to be a legit album this time. Plus we’re going to be doing more tours. Make bigger events and get really good sponsors for music videos, pushing for a really good brand. We plan on making 2015 our comeback year.”

Perhaps the biggest challenge for Puentespina now is that of solidifying a place in the Philippine musical landscape. If he succeeds in doing so—certainly his numerous accomplishments point towards it—then DLSU can look forward to adding another name to its long list of notable trail blazing alumni.

Listen to Puentespina’s music here.