Sunday, October 24, 2010

U-Radio Manila






"Bossing lipat natin sa 107.9 ha?"

Before the cab driver could say yes, my finger already points to the dashboard receiver. Newer cabs require only a press of a button while older ones take ages before the car stereo detects the exact radio frequency of my station.

"Nakikinig ka rin pala niyan. Pampagising ko yan eh!"

To hear such comment from a young driver never triggers a reaction. Instead, I would smile and say, "Pampaready lang boss, gimik pa kasi." But to hear it from a guy who could already be my grandfather not only sends my head craning to scan the face of the chap, but often, such pleasant surprise initiates a friendly talk between me and the driver.



http://www.uradio.bigbig.com/


It's a chilly Friday night. Whether my destination is towards Timog or Malate, I switch the radio to 107.9 the moment I get in a cab. U-Radio plays club music day-in and day-out, seven days a week. The tracks switch from Trance to Progressive House, to Drum and Bass in a seamless transition that requires no jockeys. Seldom do they include mainstream club music in their playlist, but when they do, expect some killer remixes never before played in the dance floors of Manila.

Since Electronica is my music of choice, the FM station often rallies my glum mood while shuttling between gigs. Long hours at work followed by strenuous work-outs at the gym seduce the exhausted to bed. Add to the equation the limitations imposed by old age and I'm left with cherished memories of past clubbing escapades starting all the way from Phenomenon in Timog to O-Bar beside Metrowalk.



I learned the existence of FM station four years ago. Back then, all they had was a stinger saying "You're tuned to Underground Radio." I tried sharing my discovery with some clubbers. But with a very weak signal and on-off transmission, blogging about it would be an exercise in futility.

Operating with low power,  107.9 hardly picks any signals inside a building. The station doesn't carry any ads but its potentials as a gym and marathon events promoter remain untapped up to now. I do not know how many listeners are tuned in to the station, but with the steady stream of international clubbing events held in the country, windfall reaches even the distant transmitters of U-Radio.

My wish is that the club station would actively seek advertisements to fund its growing operation. Maybe it would also improve its signal transmission. Including Chill Out, Ambient and World Music like Cafe del Mar and Putomayo would add variety to its Electronic genre. Clubbers need to slow down after a night of party. Finally, featuring local dance clubs and chill-out bars wouldn't hurt for the station. Not only does it inform the listeners of the latest trend in Electronica, club culture in the country would get a boost from the promotion.

As for me who is about to give up my club gigs indefinitely, 107.9 remains my station of choice especially in the morning. After all, nothing wakes a lucid mind better than Drum and Bass

when it starts pounding my ears on my way to work.




18 comments:

Alter said...

finally, something worth-listening in FM. thanks for this. ;)

Anonymous said...

am'mona check it out. thanks for sharing papa j.

Désolé Boy said...

the first time i've heard of it. i'll try listening to it later =)
.
.
thanks papa joms!

RainDarwin said...

ehem.

pipigilan ko muna ang sarili kong mamburaot. Kunwari kuya ko ang presidente ng pilipinas. Tikom ang bibig.

reading - reading lang....

(kukuya-kuyakoy)

casado said...

oh di ka na nman cguro maniniwala na mahilig din ako sa electronica? bwahhaa..i think 3 yrs ago nagdownload ako ng nagdownload sa limewire and nsa ipod ko lahat yang music...pero more of chemical bros, daft punk,prodigy, orbital, death in vegas, planet funk etc...ehehe (oi cno ung kinakarir ni papa p? bwahhaa
ching!

dark_knight said...

maitry nga yan..

Guyrony said...

Bonnie Bailey, Kaskade, Jimmy James, David Guetta, DJ Tiesto, Armin van Buuren, these are just some of the best techno masters.

The thump, the beat, the rhythm, the motion, everything goes perfectly well.

Mugen said...

Kuya Pawpaw:

You must have forgotten ATB, Paul Van Dyk, Tony Moran, Offer Nissim, and Dash Berlin from your roster. :)

Dingding:

Try mo rin punta sa dance club para ma-appreciate mo yung mga songs. Huwag sa Palawan ha? Lol

Soltero:

Yung track choice mo masyadong old school ha! Chemical Bros and Prodigy are so 1998 Hahahaha! Unless of course, may bagong DJ kagaya ni Dash Berlin na nagremix ng songs nila.

Mugen said...

Pilyo:

Roll eyes ka diyan. :P

DBoy
HondaBoy
Alterboy:


How do you find it? Sana hindi sila off the air na naman!

Ronnie said...

Gaganda ng line-up ng track nila dito. Magandang pang-warm up 'to bago pumunta sa gimikan haha.

Mugen said...

Ronnie:

Exactly! Ganun ang ginagawa ko pag gumigimik ako. Hehehe.

bien said...

keeping my fingers crossed. sana makapag-day off ako sa dec 11.
It's the annual Zoukout.

Line up: David Guetta, Tiesto, Laidback Luke, Dubfire, Afrojack, Lindstrom, Jeremy Boon, Booka Shade, Juggernauts, Troxler etc etc etc

“One World, One Music, One Tribe, One Dance”

Vince said...

107.5 is also my music companion whenever I drive. I've actually followed that station since almost the time they started airing back at 108.0 MHz. They once moved to 107.1 and was shut down by the NTC back in 2007 or so.

I'm not sure anymore if they are still a pirate station like before. But the fact that they are still in the air for 2 years now seems to point to the fact that they are tolerated.

They don't have "advertising" but Big Fish Manila event promos are aired in between sets.

Vince said...

Oops. That's supposed to be "107.9", not "107.5".

Mugen said...

O:

Despite my familiarity with DJs, I haven't been in a big event like the one you're attending.

Vince:

Thanks for supplying the info that I missed. Yeah, I remember you were tuned in to 107.9 (or was it Big Fish Radio) while we're cruising the city. Hehehe

red the mod said...

Hail to the euphoria of the ears, to the beat of the brazen, to the melodies of midnight.

Because I have yet to return to the faerie ring; Big Fish Radio, and my growing playlist, must suffice. That, and dancing in solitude.

Mugen said...

Red the Mod:

Dancing in solitude, perhaps the very reason why U-Radio exists. Welcome to your resurfacing! :)

Mark Lester S. Cayabyab said...

Ito rin ang station of choice kung saan ako nagi-gym dati :)