How fitterkarma lets Filipinos embrace the horrors of love and life

• Fitterkarma, a four-piece rock band from the Philippines, is experiencing significant success with its debut album release, an orchestral concert tour, and a Record of the Year win at the Awit Awards.
• Their song 'Kalapastangan' has become a cultural phenomenon, frequently heard in various public spaces and on social media, showcasing the band's growing influence in Filipino music.
• The band's songwriting explores themes of horror and sacrificial romance, with a collaborative creative process that emphasizes emotional depth and vulnerability in their music.

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September is pretty major for four-piece rock band fitterkarma: a debut album (kung tayo’y nasa isang horror na pelikula, tiyak ako ang una mong papatayin) release, an orchestral concert tour spotlighting their fresh record, and its Record of the Year win at the Awit Awards. 

But even the events before this already prove how the group has the Philippines in a chokehold.

I hear “Kalapastangan” countless times a week — from a kid I pass by while walking home from my dentist’s appointment, from speakers of ukay-ukay shops and the friendly neighborhood convenience store, and even from the phone of my fellow MRT passenger (because is it even a Filipino commuting experience if you don’t accidentally discover a stranger’s algorithm, thanks to their doomscrolling at a loud volume?). 

On TikTok, it has become the sonic background of grief, long-awaited success, or other strangely cathartic stories Filipinos share in their day-to-day lives.

I’m sure nobody would have guessed that the song came out in 2023 — the year that the passion project-turned-band fitterkarma was formed. Before “Kalapastangan” became omnipresent, though, “Pag-Ibig ay Kanibalismo II”  was the first to become a nationwide earworm. 

During a Valentine’s gig, I was one of the many avid listeners who knew every lyric by heart — and was thrilled to shout it with everybody else. Some time after that gig, I got to talk to the band about its discography’s origin stories.

“I wasn’t even serious when I was writing it,” quipped Joao de Leon, the band’s vocalist and guitarist, in an interview with Rappler. “Nanti-trip lang ako, kaya naging makulit din ’yung lyrics… We had this EP, ’yung ‘pakinggan mo…’ (2022) parang dun ako nag-start maglagay ng dark theme sa lyrics. It just came out naturally, siguro dahil ’yun ’yung hindi ko pa nakita masyado sa OPM that time. But when I was writing stuff sa ‘pakinggan mo…,’ I already saw Bita and the Botflies live. So isa sila sa nagbigay ng inspiration sa akin din sa music.” 

(I wasn’t even serious when I was writing it. I was just messing around, which is why the lyrics turned out so playful… We had this EP, pakinggan mo… (2022); that’s sort of where I started incorporating dark themes into the lyrics. It just came out naturally — probably because that wasn’t something I saw much of in OPM at the time. But by the time I was writing material for pakinggan mo…, I had already seen Bita and the Botflies perform live. So, they were among the artists who inspired my music.)

Some of the songs in the pakinggan mo… EP were originally from De Leon’s solo project Joao — a peek into his inkling for dark songwriting themes. It isn’t surprising, given his personal consumption of different media, like video games Resident Evil and Siren. 

From the concept of sainthood to purgatory, religious imagery is also present in De Leon’s songwriting, who “highly respects religion” and even has a background in serving his church’s music ministry.

Bleeding romance

One of the things that stands out in the fitterkarma’s discography is how it treats the concept of horror as something you can acknowledge and even embrace, especially in uncertainty. It’s part of the human experience.

Part of the band’s string of releases this year were “maryclaire” and “Purgatoryo,” which the group had long been performing in gigs before it was released in streaming platforms.

Earlier this year, fitterkarma also dropped “Aswang sa Maynila” featuring Novocrane, which talks about feeling lost and disconnected with the person you love, as implied in the believed absence of an aswang in the city. 

Although these songs showcase different worlds, their common thread lies not only in the artistic gruesomeness or sharp vulnerability, but also in the concept of sacrificial romance. It’s not exactly about loving despite suffering — but more of suffering as a form of loving. “Uubusin ko ang sarili ko / Pati ang puso mo (I will let myself be consumed / I will also consume your heart),” the song says.

In tinkering with this topic, their chemistry as a band also shows. According to De Leon, at least 70 to 80 percent of “Aswang sa Maynila’s” initial demo changed compared to its final form.

Their producer, Xergio Ramos, helped in “toning down” the song, as the initial J-rock-inspired version felt a bit difficult to play. But since it was a challenging piece, it also became more collaborative, with each member having the freedom to exercise their creativity. 

“Siyempre ako, hindi ako drummer, for example. So si Ders (Sanders Bayas, drummer) kung paano niya didiskartehan ’yung drums. Si Lory (Lory Mendoza, guitarist) daming dinagdag sa guitars, at binawas to make it realistic. Si Soph (Sophia Miranda, bassist and backing vocals), tinone down niya ’yung mga sinulat ko sa MIDI na bass parts para maging mas human.” 

(Of course, I’m not a drummer, for example. So Ders took care of the drums. Lory added and also removed a lot in the guitars to make it realistic. Soph toned down what I wrote in the MIDI of the bass parts to make it more human.)

In fitterkarma’s world, love plays like all-consuming devotion.

This is even more evident in the band’s debut album kung tayo’y nasa isang horror na pelikula, tiyak ako ang una mong papatayin. In “999,” someone is willing to take various forms of death in the name of love. It’s even more intense in “Sumpa,” where the person surrenders to their lover, even if it’s the same person who will cause their unspeakable suffering. And while vampires are often treated as emotional parasites, their song “Bampira” becomes a yearner’s wishful thinking anthem.

Exorcising energy

But to conjure all these feelings — much more onstage — means to prepare for the process properly. Among the band members’ pre-show rituals include moving their body, following the guidance of Bayas, a.k.a. doing a lot of stretching as a warm-up before they hit the stage. Meanwhile, Mendoza is a big pre-show reader. Apart from that, De Leon revealed that they would also shout a lot, as a way to get in the zone.

“Kaya nakakatakot sa holding area namin, akala may galit eh (This is why it’s scary to come near our holding area; people would think we’re angry),” he quipped.

Sophia, who’s described by her bandmates as “quiet and funny,” mentioned how she and her bandmates would find themselves bickering with each other on the way to gigs, especially during longer days.

“IJBOL,” she said. “Hindi pa rin namin nakakalimutang mag-enjoy with our company bago kami maging professional ulit pagbaba ng band at i-meet ’yung fans.”

(We try not to forget to enjoy each other’s company before we become professional again as we go down the stage and meet the fans.)

After all, their listeners have loved seeing them wearing their (bleeding) hearts on their sleeves. 

When asked about a memorable fan interaction, the band would recall a time when they performed in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. While the members were having a nighttime stroll, a group of friends — around seven to eight members — immediately stopped the tricycle they were riding and started screaming upon seeing fitterkarma.

Fueled by adrenaline, the band ran away in jest and genuine joy. One of the plastic bags Mendoza was carrying — filled with convenience store-bought items — even got torn, as recalled by De Leon.

“Kung sino man kayo, sana you had fun. We did (Whoever you guys are, I wish you had fun. We did).” – Rappler.com