Biography
The Axel Pinpin Propaganda Machine is a protest band from the Philippines. Their sound – Axel Pinpin’s spoken word poetry mixed with aggressive fuzz-driven guitar riffs played over odd time signatures – is a unique expression of the realities faced by the oppressed Filipino people.
Since its inception in 2010, TAPPM has continually self-released music in response to the socio-political climate of the time. “Remote Control,” the band’s first single, chronicles the peasant and working class struggle in contrast to prevailing values of the bourgeoisie. TAPPM would release a few more singles until Axel Pinpin’s departure from the band in 2013 to focus on his organizing work in peasant communities.
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In 2014, the band momentarily reunited and released three new tracks as part of a visual arts exhibition featuring work created by artists embedded in poor urban communities. In 2015, drummer Marlon Caacbay was martyred three months after becoming a guerilla fighter.
In 2017, the remaining members of the band reformed with new members and released the eleven-track album “Hindi Isasatelebisyon ang Rebolusyon.”
The Axel Pinpin Propaganda Machine still occasionally performs. In the absence of Axel Pinpin, the band has integrated the use of self-produced documentaries into their performances.
In 2020, the band released “Ano ang Aming Kasalanan?” in response to the government’s failure to address the current COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the band released "Ang Gerilya ay Tulad ng Makata," with lyrics taken from Jose Ma. Sison's famous poem.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.