Bajula Delivers Nostalgia with Sensual Bliss on Soulful New Track “Bad Man”
First
impressions might not be everything, but electronic soul duo Bajula
shows inimitable promise with the release of their debut single “Catching You”
a few months ago. The irresistible slow jam, whose retro-inspired R&B shows
no signs of withering away, received consistent airplay at Jam 88.3 for weeks,
and even gained traction online—thanks to its hilarious music video and sultry, infectious
vibe.
Two months
after the maiden song became available on various streaming platforms, Alvin
“Vertigo” Guanlao and Jolo “Frazier” Juatco return with a follow-up track that
blends bedroom R&B/pop confessionals with homemade instrumentation.
Their sophomore
single “Bad Man” is cosmic in
scope, but intimate in presentation: an attempt for the eclectic pair to
deliver nostalgia with sensual bliss and restraint. Singing in Prince-style
falsetto, Frazier takes over the vocal duties for the first time while
radiating a wistful energy over impressionistic synths and lo-fi beats.
According to
Frazier, he wrote “Bad Man” to capture and represent at least one of the stages
of a typical relationship, which is ‘flirting’ and getting to know the person
on a surface level. “In terms of describing the actual song, Bad Man is
about the internal battles of a reluctant pursuer towards a girl he likes. The
theme is kind of flirty but chill in terms of the instrumentation and
arrangement.”
The song is
produced by both Frazier and Vertigo, and was initially conceived remotely
before recording it in the former’s home studio. It also helps that Vertigo has
technical skills and project management background, so it takes little to no
learning curve when it comes to using different technologies that would help
them fill in the gaps created by the pandemic.
“The song was
basically done when it comes to lyrics, arrangement and overall production when
Frazier sent it to me, the falsetto style of singing accompanied with lyricism
of subtle romantic desires paved its way to a sexy and soulful feel,” Vertigo
said. “I’m also playing around with my vocal harmonizer at that time so I tried
adding some backup vocals using it, and to our surprise, it added more personality
and depth to the song.”
As for other
collaborators in the music project, Bajula teamed up with contemporary visual
artist Rene Bituin for the single art, and Hennie Ken Avila and Final Projects
Studios PH for the assets needed for promotional content.
“Bad Man” will
be part of Bajula’s upcoming debut album, Sensual Dance Club. Containing
8 tracks of sonically arresting musical treat, the 2022 record aims to bring
back the “fun” in soul music, with influences that range from ‘New Jack Swing
to Tom Misch, Anderson .Paak to Masego.
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