Flattbush
= Flattbush |
= File:Flattbush.jpg |
caption = Left: Bradley Walther (top), Enrico Maniago(bottom). Right: Joe Luevano(top),Arman Maniago (bottom).]] |
years_active = 1994–present |
music_genre = Grindcore
Hardcore |
country = United States of America |
record_label = Koolarrow Records |
current_members = Enriko Maniago - vocals
Bradley Walther - guitar
Arman Maniago - bass
Joe Luevano - drums|
History
Flattbush is a Grindcore band from Southern California. The name has nothing to do with any streets or neighborhoods in Brooklyn, a former CIA director, US president or a shaved female genital. According to legend, in the late 1960's a band named Flattbush in the Philippines a group of angry, well -informed students formed a rock band whose subjects centered around opposing the US supported Ferdinand Marcos' dictatorship. Of course, this period of time was not an unusual for folk music and popular protests. But unlike their American counterparts of that time who gained popularity, recording contracts and sell out shows, the members of Flattbush were forcibly silenced and left in ditches. It wasn't until 25 years later the group would be resurrected with new members. This time, two Filipino brothers and a pair of hybrid metal freaks would bring the band's message back to the world once and for all. Arman and Enriko grew up in the Philippines from a family of social activists. Their father, an artist and an art teacher, would paint portraits of government officials by day, and socialist political banners by night. In fact, some of the brothers' earliest memories revolve around participating in protest marches. In 1990 their family emigrated with Arman and Enriko to the United States. Being immigrants in their early teens brought its own share of problems and challenges. Music, in the beginning, was a way to fit in with the new culture. With his new found love of heavy metal, Arman began to bash away on the bass as his little brother took to the microphone. Singing in English, Tagalog, and Kapampangan Enriko's lyrics are about both life in the Philippines and as a US immigrant. As Arman says now: "Our lyrics were neutral in the beginning, but a social message developed from there, out of a need to feel what we were playing. " After several guitarists and drummers came and went, their old friend Bradley and Joe stepped in. With a musical mission as extreme as their political beliefs, the band became FLATTBUSH. Over the course of 6 years the band's popularity evolved from backyard parties into a large grass roots fan base throughout Southern California. Refusing to be just an ordinary band, they made a name for themselves by constantly pushing the envelope of experimentation with extremely fast and chaotic bursts of music and sound, creating something totally exciting and new. "SMASH THE OCTOPUS" marks FLATTBUSH's first album. 13 tracks of edgy harsh musical power recorded and mixed in April 2003 in San Francisco by Billy Gould (ex-Faith No More) and engineered by Mark Pistel (Meat Beat Manifesto, Consolidated, Spearhead).
Current Lineup
Bradley Walther (Guitar) Arman Maniago (Bass) Joe Luevano (Drums) Enriko Maniago (Vocals)
Music
Call it "minority metal" or maybe "gonzo metal," the musical creations of Flattbush bring a chaotic blend of speed metal, hardcore, and aspects of Philippine culture to their 2003 debut album, Smash the Octopus. Musically, it quickly becomes evident that Flattbush owes much to the chaotic freakouts of Mike Patton-fronted outfits like Mr. Bungle and Fantômas (former Patton associate and Faith No More bassist Billy Gould actually produced this album) and, to a lesser extent, math-metallers like the Dillinger Escape Plan (only looser and less meticulously conceived). Lyrically, the band's incendiary political diatribes and multinational, multi-ethnic social awareness peg them as spiritual cousins to fellow immigrant-composed groups like System of a Down and Rage Against the Machine -- but Flattbush is as likely to sing their lyrics in English as in the Tagalog and Kapampangan dialects. Splattered together, all of the above alternately sound like Napalm Death gone world music ("Better Off Dead"), the aforementioned Patton projects ("Question Authority," "Napalm," "Expose and Oppose," etc.), or simply Agnostic Front sung in Martian ("Batas Militar [Salvaged Style]," "GMA Is a US-SOB," etc.). The bass playing is particularly mind-blowing, but the whole is still a tad too self-consciously bizarre to actually coalesce into very many identifiable tunes. Still, for sheer outrageous invention, Smash the Octopus makes for a challenging listen -- think Captain Beefheart from Hell and enter at your own risk.
So what kind of genre does a band fall into that has been known as everything from blast core extremists, experimental grind Headline textnd, and gonzo metal? Throw in the lyrical content of deeply rooted political activism sung in English, Tagalog, Taglish and Kapampangan, and the results are brutal. After releasing their first album “Smash the Octopus” (Kool Arrow Records), produced by Billy Gould of Faith No More in the Fall of 2003, Flattbush embarked on several U.S. tours including opening slots with Mike Patton and Rahzel, as well as a tour in 2004 with Fear Factory. Having played with acts such as Melt Banana,Napalm Death, and Brujeria, and completing several tours on their own, Flattbush established themselves as one of the most unique acts to hit the streets in years. “Seize the Time!” marks Flattbush’s second release on Kool Arrow Records. Produced once again by Billy Gould. 15 diverse tracks ranging from the blood curdling raw “Passion of Satan” to the loungy experimental vibe of “Community Organizer”, this album is guaranteed to make heads roll. With plans to tour both Europe and the U.S. in 2006, there is no denying that Flattbush will Seize The Time! The victory for social change against US imperialism is for sure. ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
Discography
- Smash The Octopus 2003 - Koolarrow
- Seize The Time 2006 - Koolarrow