CLONE: A Techno Revolution With Holiness & Hedonism
by Girl Chakra
from: www.PUNKSNOTDIE.com
August 19, 2000

PART 2. THE CLONE INTERVIEW at PunksNotDie.com:

So... Why "Clone"?
Sheerin: Because this life is only an image of the real thing.
Karlo: Coz it sounds like Clown but isn't as funny.
Lionel: Originally I had the name "Kaneda's Clone" after the character in the Jap animated movie Akira. But we decided to shorten it after an amateur numerologist said "Clone" would bring us good luck.

Who are your influences?
Karlo: Each other. (laughs)
Sheerin: Ako na siguro yung the most "pop": Julia Fordham, EBTG, Patti Austin, Noa, Brand New Heavies, the Corrs, Amy Grant.
Lionel: All those eclectic trip hop /ambient techno groups mixed with with elements of jazz: Moloko, Morcheeba, Stereolab, The Orb, Orbital, Portishead, Massive Attack, Smoke City, Fatboy Slim, 808 State.

When will you have an album out?
Sheerin: This year. (laughs)
Karlo: All three of us have recorded individually but as Clone? Beats me! Tuesday?
Lionel: Soon? We actually have enough material for one.

What difficulties do you encounter being a live, electronic band?
Sheerin: No gigs. And no high-paying gigs.
Karlo: Faking actual playing when all we do is press PLAY. Heheheeh.
Lionel: Shut up, you're making us look bad.

Why does it take you so long to set up at your live gigs?
Lionel: The amount of gear we bring is terrible!
Karlo: And we have no roadies!
Sheerin: And it's dark.
Karlo: And the damn fans can't keep their hands off our gorgeous asses.
All: (laugh uproariously)

Why? What gear do you usually bring or use?
Sheerin: A microphone.
Karlo: A watch by Citizen, glasses by Ray-Ban, and shoes by some Italian Dago bastard. Plus a lot of Roland crap.
Lionel: No... really. (threatening to kill Karlo with a glare)
Karlo: Ok, OK. A Roland JP-8000 keyboard, 2 Boss SP202 samplers, a Yamaha QY 70
Lionel : A Roland JW-50 keyboard midi' to a Korg 05R/W module midi'd to a Yamaha RY20 drum module. And on top of that, a heavy Roland D-20. An amp.
Karlo: Don't forget your keyboard stand.
Lionel: And your cables.
Sheerin: And your power strips.
Karlo: Oooh. Sounds kinky, baybeh.

Do any of you DJ?
Sheerin: I never tried, although its a dream....
Lionel: Whoah. We never knew that.
Karlo: Can't even put a needle on a record without making accidental scratch sounds.
Lionel: So I guess the answer to that question is a resounding "No."

Which clubs do you frequent?
Sheerin: The Un-Happy Saver's Club.
Lionel: Ngwek, ngwek ngwek.
Karlo: What clubs? We don't go to clubs. We go to McDonalds.

But I thought as a techno group, you guys would sit in clubs and absorb the sounds, you know?
Lionel: We listen to as much as we can at home, or at work, during the day. I'm speaking for myself here, but I haven't really found a place where I'd love to hang out where the sounds are exactly up my alley. Except for the Consortium parties which come once in a blue moon. And then there's this really cool bar in Boracay...
Sheerin: Alright , here we go....
Karlo: You started him on it, now you gotta listen ...
Lionel: Shut up guys. No really, this bar in Boracay where they play all these exotic things from African chants backed by ambient techno to obscure French trip hop. Fantastic place. I just don't know the name of the place. But I know where it is. Somewhere near Station 2, I think.

Is electronica being accepted here in the Philippines?
Sheerin: Siguro ... It's kinda an underground movement still. Although mainstream bands like Passage are going that route already. Its not popular, but there is a silent following.
Karlo: It's not being accepted as much as we'd like. If it were up to us, we wouldn't
want any acceptance at all. We want to offend as many people as possible. Isn't that the ethos of Punk?
Lionel: Dance music is getting to be a global language. Except here, we lag behind a bit in terms of musical education and exposure. So even acceptance of bands like us in mainstream venues like maybe, Virgin Cafe? Hah! Dream on. Techno and dance music is steadily becoming more and more visible and audible in pop culture... ads and trailers and soudtracks... but a lot of people here still don't know enough about it to appreciate it.

What are your views about the Internet & music?
Karlo: We're Internet junkies. Two of us work at dot.com companies and enjoy free unlimited Internet access at our places of work. We love it, we thrive on it, and we wish that we could win the New York State Lottery through it.
Sheerin: The internet is a portal to a universe.
Lionel: Download the world, baby.

What can you say about the Napster fiasco and online music trading?
Sheerin: Ha? Ano iyon?
Karlo: I love Napster. I think it encourages record sales rather than the opposite. The Major Record Labels of the world have a lot to fear though. I predict that petty artists like Clone will soon kick the collective asses of boy bands like Metallica in terms of popularity and wealth.
Lionel: Sure Karlo. Sure. (laughs)

So you guys have music online, I assume?
Lionel: Of course! At MP3.com, at Xudio.com, at MP3Manila.com. I wish PhilMusic.com would hurry up with their promised MP3 site already though.

What are your views about being independent and unsigned?
Sheerin: It's fun .. pero bwiset!
Karlo: Do it yourself whenever you can. It's more fulfilling and you can get up and go to the studio as late as you want. At least production-wise. With regards to signing up, it would have to be with a label I respected, no pop-crap MLRs. I would go for an Indie label with credibility and integrity. That's not too bad, I think.
Lionel: Dude, you'd probably sign your soul off to Bill gates if he offered you a record deal.
Karlo: Heh!
Sheerin: I agree with Karlo, it's fulfilling, but I must add : it doesn't pay the bills.
Lionel: You have more control with an indie set-up. You can call the shots. As a band we like calling those shots, unfortunately, we can barely manage ourselves. Skeds, priorities. Sometimes it's nice just following someone who does all the booking for you... and then we can go: "I like that, I don't like this.."
Sheerin: Yeah, like that's gonna happen anytime soon. (laughs)
Karlo: Malay mo?
Lionel: You never know. Someone out there might be reading this and downloading our MP3s and may want to volunteer to be our booking agent.
Sheerin: And then they listen to the MP3s and say.. Wag na!
(all laugh)

Finally, our website PunksNotDie.com got its name from grafitti written on the bathroom walls of Mayric's. If grafitti were to be written about your band, what would it be?
Lionel: "CLONE: better than the real thing." Ngek.Corny.
Sheerin: "YOU ARE SINGER 99%!" (laughs)
Karlo: "Lionel, please lang, tama na'ng utot mo." (all laugh)

end

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