Brisom

BRISOM recently launched their EP called "Perspectives" and their music is a perfect testament to the soul and feel of the indie scene in the Philippines today. With straightforward clarity from their vocals and a perfect mixture of soulful rocksound, this band would quickly capture any indie-lover's attention.

Their EP contains four tracks; Muted in Color, Will I, Day After Day and Waking Lives - that's both a crowd pleaser and an earphone hugger. Perfect for the summer days ahead of us.

During their EP launch, Rizza Cabrera gave the opening performance the crowd needed and Kjwan closed the show on a high note. It was indeed a music-filled night!

We can assure you that this band possesses instant like-ability. Listen to their tracks for yourselves! Their details are as follows:
Website: www.presskit.to/brisom
Facebook: www.facebook.com/brisom
Twitter: www.twitter.com/brisomph
Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/brisom

Frontman Brian Sombero, is more than happy to invite you guys to grab a copy of their album. Watch our interview with BRISOM! - MYX Philippines

"At the Elements Camp in Dumaguete back in 2012, I saw this guy whip out a deck of cards in front of other campers and do a card trick. Being a magician myself (*sips coffee) I can tell you it's not the card trick, but how you deliver it, and this guy delivered it well. There's something about his eyes- when he does his trick, yung deadpan na ginogoyo na ba ako neto look. OK to ah. I asked Kelley Mangahas who that guy was and he said, "Ah si Brisom yan". "He looks familiar," I said, and Kelley responded, "Remember Menaya?" Im like "Aaaaaaaaaaah".

Muted in Color is turning out to be one of my favorites this year. Lamig. And that intro... parang gusto ko ulit itakas yung auto tapos punta sa Euphoria with friends. I don't know, that's the feeling I get with this song. A feeling you get at a time in your life when the things you really worry about are getting a driver's license, calculus, and more allowance.


Brisom is one of the most hard working musicians out there. His songwriting and singing keeps getting better through time. No trick here... just his passion. One of the reasons Pinoy music is kicking this 2014." - Zach Lucero - Radio Republic

With every show and new song, aside from the now-defunct band Menaya’s loyal following, Brian Sombero’s new group Brisom continue to watch their fan base grow larger and larger.

Their ‘soulful indie pop sound’ infects its old and new listeners with happy and uplifting vibes that come along with their music.

Collectively known as Brisom, watch Brian Sombero, Terence Teves, Timothy Abbott, Jason Rondero and Jeffrey Castro’s interview clips and On The Inside entries to know more about our July Featured Artists. - Radio Republic

The members of Brisom have been around the music scene with other bands—Brian Sombero with the now defunct Menaya, and Terence Teves with Orphanlily. Menaya broke up in 2011 while the bands of other members solider on up to now.
Friendship grew out from belonging to and gigging within the same circle.
After his stint with the 7107 Music Nation Elements Singer/Songwriter camp, Brian decided to form a new band and called it Brisom (pronounced with a long “i”). - Yahoo Philippines

Brian Sombero is tense.
Normally an affable bear of a man, he barely cracks a smile moments before his band’s EP launch in Craft. He has many friends and well-wishers this night (including solo artist Rizza Cabrera and Kjwan who will open and close the night respectively) but his expression seems more apt for a poker table (which he plays competitively, in fact).
Where is the guy who will either crack a joke or show you, despite your protests, his latest magic trick? - Yahoo Philippines

What do the names Brian Sombero, Terence Teves, Timothy Abbott, Jason Rondero, and Jeffrey Castro have in common? Well, put together they form a butt whooping alternative rock band called Brisom. Pronounced with a long “I”, Brisom is a homegrown, local, OPM (Original Pilipino Music) band. Active since 2012, Brisom has already done countless of gigs from performing in Wanderland International Music Festival 2014 to recently performing in Esplanade – Theaters on the Bay in Singapore; they were also nominated Best Emerging Band 2014 for Yahoo Celebrity.

With songs like Will I, Unplanned, Muted Colors and Waking Lives; their album, Perspectives, is just the thing to soundtrip to for when you just want to stay in with a warm drink, or go have a late night drive with friends. Whichever way you go, Perspectives offers good company through the sound waves, and into your ears.

Now, if you’re already a fan, today is a good day to be alive, for today Brisom was kind enough to answer 15 questions! Ready? Okay, here we go.

brisom

Scout: Where did the name Brisom come from?

Brisom: Brisom is a combination of our vocalist & guitarist’s name Brian Sombero.



Scout: How was the band formed? How did you guys meet each other?

Brisom: Brisom actually started when Brian started to go solo (from Menaya) then along the way, the band was slowly formed. We’re all friends who’ve been performing with other artists as well. Terence came from Orphan Lily, Jeffrey is with Soapdish and Jason is with Silent Sanctuary. Tim came in as “band virgin”. Hehe.



Scout: When you guys formed Brisom did you have a plan of what kind of sound and look you wanted people in the music industry to see you as?

Brisom: We didn’t exactly plan it out. We just realized that this is what we want to sound like and well, it works.



Scout: What were your expectations for the band when you first started out?

Brisom: None really. Sounds cliché but we just love what we’re doing and we work hard for it.


Scout: What have been the biggest challenge that you all had to face as a band?

Brisom: The biggest challenge is probably being able to find your place in the Independent scene. It’s both big and tight, if you get what we mean.



Scout: What has been your best moment together?

Brisom: Best moment together would be our gig in Singapore last March. We were invited to perform in Esplanade (Theaters by the Bay). It was our first time to perform out of the country and it was a blast. From our shenanigans to how well the crowd has appreciated and loved our music. Ang sarap.



Scout: Any dream gigs or concert festivals that you would like to play in?

Brisom: Coachella, Glastonbury, SXSW and Fuji Rock. Dream big! =)



Scout: For each of you, what is your favorite song from Perspectives? Why?

Brisom: No favorites really since we all love the songs in Perspectives.



Scout: What has been your biggest inspiration?

Brisom: Our passion for music.



Scout: Who or what has been the greatest influence on your music?

Brisom: There’s no specific who or what but our music is influenced by the synth-pop of the 80’s. We listen to a lot of indie artists (globally) as well.



Scout: You’re stuck in traffic, what’s does your go-to playlist consist of?

Brisom: Playlist usually consists of Temper Trap, St. Lucia, Death Cab for Cutie and a bunch of up and coming indie-electronica artists.



Scout: What are your plans for 2015? Are you dropping a new album or more singles anytime soon?

Brisom: We just released our second single for this year which is UNPLANNED. Definitely an album by late this year.



Scout: What do you want your fans to expect from you?

Brisom: Expect us to make more music.



Scout: What are your hopes for OPM?

Brisom: This is a difficult question! Haha.



Scout: What are your goals now that you’ve become so well known?

Brisom: We are? Hehe. We’re just gonna keep working hard on making music and share it, our main goal is to go international.

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With our local indie music scene getting bigger and better every day, Brisom is one band to watch out for. With a new album dropping, and more great singles to come, it looks like Brisom is on the fast track to fame.

After listening to Brisom on repeat for 3 hours straight, it’s pretty hard not to become a fan, with each press of the repeat button you learn to appreciate something new with every listen; from the lyrics to the guitar to the base to the drums to the Synth, the many layers of the songs makes you feel like you’re starring in an 80’s movie and you’re in your own slow-mo walking scene, and that, for a lack of a better word, is cool. - Scout Magazine

Brisom, the band led by singer/guitarist/namesake Brian Sombero, is fast gaining admiration for its fine balance of electronica, post-rock ambience, and ear worm melodies.
It is a sound that is both current and traditional: exploratory indie colors with pop appeal all over their “Perspectives” EP. They know how to play with notes and technology.
Sombero and Terence Teves play together and with their toys so well they are akin to how Keith Richards described his own partnership with Ron Wood: combined, they make one heck of a guitarist.

Flair for pathos
Stripped of the effects pedals and synthesizers that contribute to their sound significantly, how would the band fare?
Their flair for pathos remains… and you realize precisely how much, or more accurately how little, their toys actually matter.
On the band’s new release “Bigkas,” they opted for a lean arrangement with piano, stringed instruments and acoustic guitar.


Lovi should be a member of the band
Sombero’s warm vocal weaves between the spaces left by the instruments.
And then Lovi Poe joins in, singing so sweetly you wonder why she is not a member of the band.
In harmony and counterpoint, their timbres mesh well and by song’s end, your heart is cracking. The video, directed by Jeremy Lopez, is unobtrusive with no overstated dramatics and avoided the temptation of employing Poe’s acting chops.

An old song needing a new treatment
It would be easy to dismiss the collaboration as an indie band trying to hitch a ride with a well-known actress, except the effort actually works.
In fact, Sombero and Poe have been friends since 2010.
Terence Teves wrote the song, and while it has been played by the band since 2012, Sombero felt it was begging for a different treatment.



Too shy to ask Lovi to sing
He hit upon the idea of opening it up as a collaborative piece and eventually asked Kjwan’s Inky de Dios to play piano and Silent Sanctuary’s Anjo Inacay and Chino David to play cello and violin respectively.
Sombero wanted Poe to do the vocals but was to shy to ask her to work with him until, “Nakita ko siya nag-jam sa Cable Car, tapos she sang this Alicia Keys song. That’s where I decided na, kapalan ko na yung mukha ko to ask her to collaborate with me.”
The video was launched on Feb 11 in Cable Car, the Fort Strip and coincided with Poe’s birthday.
The launch of Brisom's Bigkas coincided with Lovi's birthday .

‘Ang sakit ng feeling’
Poe found it easy to maintain the emotional content of the song.
“Very relatable siya. I mean hindi man parehas ng pag-interpret mo sa nagsulat… I think it’s a song that anyone can relate to. I had my own interpretation sa song… naging vulnerable ako because of the lyrics and the music. Yung strings pa lang, ang sakit ng feeling,” she said. - Yahoo Philippines

New, local band Brisom dug deep into the ’80s to find inspiration for their debut album “Limerence.”

In an interview with Bulletin Entertainment, singer-guitarist Brian Sombero shared New Wave and melodic pop directly influenced the sound of his current band.

Formerly of the group Menaya (circa 2008), It’s easy to surmise that groups such as Walk The Moon, Temper Trap, St. Lucia, Atlas Genius – bands with that ’80s influence – could have been the trigger for his revivalist tendencies but no.

“I listened to The Police, The Cure, Joy Division, New Order etc., basically what my mom listened to at our house, that’s where I had my first taste of new Wave,” Sombero said, adding, “So, it wasn’t like I decided ‘I’ll try this sound for Brisom.’ It was music that I grew up with literally.”

So it was that Sombero, drummer Jeffrey Castro, bassist-backup vocalist Jason Rondero, synth-keyboards Tim Abbott, guitarist Terence Teves and synth-percussionist MJ Dantes, took to the sound of cutting edge music–from 30 years ago that is – to come up with the synth-and-guitar driven sounds of their debut.

Synthesizers are the weapons of choice for Brisom. That and a healthy dose of melodies, all of which can be heard throughout the eight, all original tracks from ‘Limerence.” Talking more about their album, Sombero shared the title means “the state of being infatuated.” A good feeling for sure, much like the other songs he’s written, which he describe as “basically (about) good vibes and positivity.”

Their first single entitled “Pride” is of particular importance to the songwriter. “I was inspired by a relative who came out as transgender two years ago. When we were younger, there were already signs of her becoming one but of course, we were just quiet about it. So when I saw her come out, I was happy at how members of our family and friends accepted her for who she is. I can also see how happy she is now. Truly, love rules. No matter who you are, where you come from, what gender you have, love wins above anything else.”

For their part, the members of Brisom are all up for Sombero’s musical vision. Teves admits, “Hindi talaga ako nakikinig sa new wave, but I like our sound.” Rondero meanwhile shares there’s buzz when the songs come together. “Ang sarap lang ng feeling pag nakaka-create kami ng mga songs. It’s what I like about our band.”

Ultimately, Brisom’s goal is to “establish our band’s presence in the industry, and develop relationships with Southeast Asian artists and possibly perform in international festivals.”

Sombero concluded, “We’ll keep on making good quality music and hopefully collaborate with more great artists.” - Manila Bulletin Online

The Oxford dictionary defines limerence as “the state of being infatuated with another person characterized by a strong desire for reciprocation of one’s feelings but not primarily a sexual relationship.” It’s also the title of indie-pop OPM fivesome Brisom’s new record which is essentially a compilation of the best of their debut “Perspectives” and new materials.

The first three tracks parade influences from the exultant synth-pop of OMD and Depeche Mode. In opener “Unplanned,” vocalist Brian Sombero sings of stopping for a while and starting all over again. “Pilot” finds him “tongue-tied he can barely talk,” numbed probably by indifference.

“Alice,” on the other hand, dips into more euphoric zones. Brian talks about taking a lover’s body and giving in to the ecstasy. It’s a slow moving ballad with Brian applying a thin falsetto near the end to signify release from earlier tension.

The next half of the album includes “Will I” and “Waking Lives” featuring the soaring guitar tones favored by U2 and on to Coldplay. A new version of “Bigkas” is a piano-based ballad that’s angry, hopeful and dead serious in parts -- it’s almost emo in lyrics and execution.
Filled with optimism and dread, “Limerence” sounds like a quick intro to the shape-shifting sound of Brisom. - ABS-CBN Online

The band Brisom just launched their first album Limerence under Warner Music!

Composed of Brian Sombero (vocals/guitar), Terence Teves (guitar), Timothy Abbott (synth/beats), Jason Rondero (bass), MJ Dantes (synth/percussion), and Jeffrey Castro (drums/sampler), Brisom has been experimenting with different approaches to their sound since being formed in 2012!

After finding their musical identity with the 2013 EP Perspectives, the band says Limerence is the record where you can truly experience Brisom’s sound which is pretty much inspired by the 80s! It includes rearranged songs from the said EP plus a bonus track in the form of an alternate version of “Bigkas” featuring actress Lovi Poe!

The carrier single “Pride” is currently on the Pinoy MYX Countdown! According to frontman Brian, the song basically talks about equality when it comes to love!

The digital version of Limerence will be available starting June 24! For now, get to know more about the band, their humble beginnings, and many more facts about their new album in their MYXclusive interview! - MYX Philippines

Electro synthpop rock outfit Brisom is releasing their album, Limerence, digitally under Warner Music Philippines.

Brisom initially released its album independently last April containing tracks from its Perspective EP (released in 2013), with new songs that have solidified the band’s sonic identity. They recently released their latest single, “Pride.”
“I realized we needed support from a label,” says frontman Brian Sombero. “We’ve been distributing by ourselves for the past years, and we wanted to check out how it will fare with a major label.”

“Warner Music is international, so what’s good is the catalog will [be accessible to their other branches]. So there’s a chance that you will be heard elsewhere, with Warner’s marketing push.”

The plan is to release the album, and eventually do singles. They also intend to play at more music festivals. Incidentally, Brisom’s music got the attention of a certain U.S. reality TV show. “We passed one of our songs, and they liked it,” Sombero said. “So pretty soon they will be featuring our songs, and that’s great.” - Radio Republic

Last Tuesday, an up-and-coming band by the name of Brisom came over to One Music’s humble stage to perform some of their songs. I, being the un-updated person when it came to popular music, didn’t know of them, but upon listening and experiencing their sound for the first time then and there, I could easily say I’m a fan.

One of the band’s endearing traits is the fact that their music is difficult to classify; that doesn’t mean that their sound is confusing, rather, their sound is a mixture of different influences and genres, and is almost impossible to box in a single genre. It’s kind of beautiful, really.

Their sound is reminiscent of early 2000’s high-pitched “emo” sound, but with cheerful, muted lyrics. Some aspects of their songs also include 80’s-era synthesizer sounds, a trait that became so trendy in recent times because of the success of Stranger Things’ excellent soundtrack. But what really ties all the songs together is the ability of the band to beautifully blend all of their instruments — guitar, drums, bass, synths, strings — into a harmonious, cohesive piece that is always a joy to listen to.

Despite being new to the scene, the band already has numerous achievements under their belt: releasing their first EP Perspectives in 2014, where they were nominated as one of the Best Emerging Bands that same year under Yahoo! Celebrity Awards. In April 2016, the band released their debut album Limerence, and released their first-ever music video for “Pride” just a month after. The success of the band can be attributed to a combination of luck and hard work, because without either of the two, they wouldn’t have had the achievements they have now. - One Music PH

Click the link for the video interview. - Radio Republic

Local band Brisom have just put up their music video for the track “Unplanned” online, following a successful music video launch at 70s Bistro several days ago.

Brisom teamed up with AERO 360 Solutions for the video of the song, which is about spontaneity and living life outside your comfort zone.
“We actually released a lyric video of this song last year. Since this song is everyone’s favorite, we decided that it deserves a proper music video.”, Brisom tells PULP Magazine.

“The shoot was really fun and hot *laughs* Working with Robin and his team, Aero 360 Solutions [was] such a blast.”, added the band. The concept of the luminous music video came from director Julian Rodriguez and “creative guru” Robin Nievera. Check out this behind the scenes clip where Brisom and Robin Nievera, who have been friends for a long time, take us through the bright set.

“Unplanned” is taken from Brisom’s debut album Limerence, released this year under Warner Music Philippines. The band shared that while they’re focused on promoting the album, they’re targeting to release another video early next year. - PULP Magazine Live

Things fell right into place for Brisom at The 70s Bistro last October 8 as the up-and-coming band launched the official music video of their current single “Unplanned”!

Frontman Brian Sombero was hesitant at first to share the real story behind the song! He eventually admitted that it was originally inspired by an unplanned pregnancy, but added that it was pretty much open to different interpretations since we all have our fair share of unplanned moments in life. "Okay lang maging spontaneous while you're young. Do it, just have fun. And the video is all about that," said Brian.

In fact, the release of "Unplanned" as a single was unplanned too since they initially wanted to push another song from their debut album Limerence!


The music video was made possible by Robin Nievera's team along with Julian Rodriguez and the rest of AERO 360 Solutions. "Robin really wanted to direct the video 'cause he likes the song. Thankfully, Warner also likes our song," Brian noted.

Brisom is also planning to release another version of "Unplanned". This 360 video will be exclusively available online in a couple of months.

Meanwhile, joining Brisom at the launch were Asch, KISSLING, Still Steady, and crowd favorite December Avenue.

"Light up the fire and off we go!" Get to know more about Brisom's latest music video in our MYXclusive interview with the band below! - MYX Philippines

Synthpop/rock quintet Brisom recently shot the official music video for its song ‘Unplanned.’ The bright new-wave-synth-meets-funk-guitar-meets-pop tune was recorded in early 2015 (following the 2014 EP Perspectives); it has been remixed and remastered by Angee Rozul for the band’s first full-length Warner Music Philippines album Limerence.

In true indie fashion, the band self-produced a lyric video. Armed with a selfie stick and a GoPro, the bandmembers took turns holding the device as they walked around Singapore, documenting their visit before, during, and after their gig at the Esplanade. The point-of-view is generally aerial, or at least a little beyond arm’s reach.

For the all-new version yet to be released, the location may be less exotic (the Soundcheck warehouse in Pasig) but the production is more sophisticated: the selfie stick has been replaced by drones with 360º cameras.

The hi-tech approach was made possible by AERO 360 Solutions; the company describes itself on its Facebook page as “a Data Gathering and Monitoring Solutions Specialist. It provides reliable and accurate data thru the use of Unmanned Aerial and Land Based Robotics for all types of Industrial and Media Applications.” The company’s Creative Producer, singer/guitarist Robin Nievera, and Brisom leader Brian Sombero are good buddies.

Musician Robin Nievera in Saguijo, 2014. Nievera, along with Paolo Jaminola and Julian Rodriguez, runs AERO 360 Solutions
Musician Robin Nievera in Saguijo, 2014. Nievera, along with Paolo Jaminola and Julian Rodriguez, runs AERO 360 Solutions
“We’ve been friends for a long time,” Nievera says, “We’ve been trying to share ideas with each other regarding the (music) industry and our career… I told him I wanted to shoot the ‘Unplanned’ music video, and he called me. We wanted the music video to be fun; we didn’t want them to be something they weren’t.”

Julian Rodriguez sat behind the ground cameras while AERO 360 Vice President Paolo Jaminola operated the drones. The company most recently did Julz Savard‘s (aka SIXX) ‘Constellations’ music video.

Sombero is understandably excited and says he can’t wait to see the final ‘Unplanned’ results. The behind-the-scenes footage reveals little of what the final visual treatments will be; Sombero says there will be other elements that he discussed with the AERO 360 team. In other words, it will not be just drone shots of the band.

Nievera has the final word about Brisom at the end of the BTS footage below, and jokes, “And they suck though. Like, super bad. (to cameraman) Don’t put that, that’s really bad, just kidding (laughs)!”

Brisom’s Limerence album can be streamed and is available for purchased downloads on Spotify, iTunes and other digital platforms under Warner Music Philippines. - Billboard Philippines