I had to ask Marcus for all the info. He was always very eager to relate the story of how he worked with each collaborator and the circumstances of each performance. If omitting a citation ever becomes an issue, it would not be on account of Marcus' withholding of information. I have never known him to consciously claim something that wasn't his.

One is inclined to infer from the visual elements (another collaboration, this time with visual artist Arnold Arre) of the packaging that the work revolves around the adventures of a surfer-dog named Kamonkamon (which is not by accident the name of Marcus' pet canine).

On the whole the work can be pretty disparate, prompting the listener to work rather hard to connect the individual "pieces" together. In my mind, this is what makes the work special. I often point out in my college Humanities course that abstraction is not something to be feared or dismissed.

It is as essential in the art world to get people thinking, as the spoon-feeding of formula pop music is for the mentally weary. It can be demanding on the listener, but is ultimately stimulating because it provides people a chance to exercise their minds. Though I wonder what the complete version of Kamonkamon is like, this compact version seems just fine with me. It's probably like lite beer, full flavor but less filling.

There are aspects of this cassette that may not really be considered unique or groundbreaking. In fact, part of last night's conversation found me, on the one hand giving my classic line that artists have always to look forward and explore areas where few have gone before. But Marcus always brings me back to earth by saying how much he enjoys the rawness and innocence of "forgotten" traditions. This argument is resolved by the remarkably eclectic nature of the cassette. The cultural traditionalist will be enamored by "Sagada"(by singer Dangwa), which is steeped in the traditions of impromptu sari-sari store drinking songs, and is one of my favorites.

On the other hand, trendy electronistas will revel at Marcus' mastery of dance music conventions in "Mooncakewalk". I was playing it real loud in my car while in a MacDonalds drive-thru that night, when a bunch of off-duty crew members looked inquisitively at me while subtly moving to the insistent beat.