Continuum — Cultivates a Sanctuary for Manila’s Bass Music Scene

Give us the lowdown on Continuum. What’s the story behind this unique event, and how long has it been rocking the night scene?

It’s been a while since Nomad Massive stopped doing drum & bass events, and yearns for nights where bass music reigns supreme. Enter Joaquin Peña (JACQUES), a DJ and producer from BuwanBuwan Collective, who regularly booked me for BBC’ nights at Boogie Manila (Wednesdays). In between gig reminders, we’d chat about music, especially our shared love for bass music.

I was heavily into jungle, drum & bass, and dub, while Joaquin leaned towards speed garage and dubstep. We’d exchange experiences on “injecting” these sounds into our sets, wishing there was a dedicated night for bass music.

One August night, Indonesian producer Logic Lost played a BBC set, and that’s where I met Joaquin. After his set, he simply said, “Why don’t we make one?” My answer was a resounding yes, though I never expected him to act so quickly.

The first Continuum event unfolded on September 14 at Apotheka Manila (Poblacion). This young night (three months old and counting) is still evolving and refining its formula.

I commend Joaquin for his initiative. He spearheaded the groundwork, from talking to venue owners to securing deals. One day, a chat group popped up confirming the date and venue: Apotheka on September 14th.

While Joaquin handles finances and the nitty-gritty, I take charge of marketing (reels, social media, etc.) and booking acts. We started with four acts (Loner, Jacques, Sleepypasta, and me, Ezzrei) and August Wahh as the first live performer.

For the first three events, it was just Joaquin, me, and another person handling visuals. Now, with a budding collective, we distribute creative tasks, admin work, and hosting. We have a solid roster of 10-12 DJs and producers on rotation as residents, and we’re gearing up for our sixth event on December 28th with a killer line-up!

Continuum’s definitely not for everyone, but that’s what makes it so special. How do you deal with the pressure of catering to such a niche crowd, and how do you stay true to your vision?

First, we prioritize maintaining the core concept and vision of Continuum. While we constantly introduce different genres into the mix, everything we play stays within the high-energy realm of bass music, with tempos exceeding 130 bpm. While we’re not overly rigid, we’re consistently impressed by the diverse, intense, and unique sets our acts prepare. Witnessing DJs unleash their inner sonic personas is truly special, and our attendees can be sure that Continuum delivers anything but “normal” or “usual” experiences.

We focus on being a platform/stage for unity. One of the things I truly appreciate about Continuum is how it unites DJs and performers from diverse collectives and genres. For one night, they come together to offer their own interpretations of bass music, resulting in truly exciting lineups and collaborations. It’s a unique opportunity to witness dynamic combinations of selectors, something rarely seen elsewhere.

We prioritize knowledge sharing and education, not gatekeeping. As we reintroduce bass music to the scene, our goal is to share knowledge about the local club scene and bass music in general. We integrate educational elements and information sharing into our marketing and promotions. We’ve produced reels exploring the history of jungle, Nomad Massive, and have more in the pipeline.

We maintain close contact with the Apotheka team, particularly Jorge Wienieke (Similarobjects, Obesedogma777, Nouvul, Kindred), who provides invaluable advice on hosting, artist relations, and event production.

What kind of sonic adventures await those who dare to step into the world of Continuum? 

BASS: Lots of heavy bass. Bass music is an umbrella term for pretty much everything the DJs play: breaks, all sorts of jungle (from ragga to hardcore to jungle tek), drum and bass (from liquid to jump up), dubstep, garage (speed garage, 2-step), and acid house.

The Surprise Factor: But really, it’s always a surprise each installment. We’ve had live instruments accompany our sets, budots rap courtesy of Pette Shabu, and Horseboyy blend happy hardcore, techno, and jungle.

Final Show of the Year: On December 28th, we’ll have our last show for the year, featuring talented up-and-comers and selectors who will provide exciting sets.

Line-up for December 28th:

• Jack Paraiso b2b pepe
• Gubwubs
• Percentius
• St. Vincent & the Grenadines
• Sky Dominique
• Noclip

To those who’ve become Continuum supporters, what do you want to say to them?

YOU GUYS ROCK! We have immense love and gratitude for everyone who’s attended our events, especially those who tirelessly come to every single one. It’s tough starting something from scratch, but seeing you all enjoy and have fun on our nights is something I’ll definitely carry with me until I’m old and grey (or even longer!).

Spill the beans on some of the most unforgettable moments that have gone down at Continuum. We’re dying to hear!

Personally, one of the best moments was during the inaugural night when August Wahh performed her single, “Tip-Toe.”

Days before our first event, I walked into her listening party at Seltsam right when she was singing the song. I asked if she could perform this awesome new song live, and she said yes. It just cemented our concept, presented our intentions, and solidified our foundations even more.

More memorable sets:

• When Joseph Gregory played live keyboards over Thirstkid’s jazzy breaks and jungle set.
• BuwanBuwan collective’s Ize! did a live set of breaks, dubstep, and his own edits (“Continuum 3” – Oct 19). Moe’s set (Oct 5) was also memorable, as well as Adri Malaki’s set. 
• When the legends and dnb pioneers Spoonman (Oct 19) and Bre3aking Silence (Nov 9) of Nomad Massive played for us. 
• Soft As Silk’s prime set for Nov 9, filled with top-quality selects spanning from jungle’s early days to dub and footwork. 
• Our collab night with Couture Electronica (Nov 23) was full of memorable moments:
  • Kala’s full jungle set that teleported us to the grimey London bass scene. 
  • When Transpinay Rapper Pette Shabu did a live performance and completely won over the crowd. 
  • Horseboyy’s electrifying happy hardcore and jungle blends during his closing.

What’s next for Continuum? What exciting stuff do you have in store for 2024?

We’re thrilled to announce that Continuum is definitely continuing to bring the bass in 2024! Apotheka’s continued support fuels our passion project, and we’ve already secured dates for next year.

Killer Line-Ups:

Mark your calendars for January 25th, because we’re dropping the craziest line-up we’ve ever assembled for our first show of 2024. Get ready for pure bass-fueled madness!

More Live Acts:

We’re actively working on bringing more live acts into the Continuum fold. Our experience and connections allow us to reach out to talented musicians and producers who can collaborate with DJs or perform their own sets, keeping our programming fresh and diverse.

Bigger Monthly Shows:

We’re streamlining things with a “once-a-month” format. 12 months, 12 meticulously crafted shows with ample lead time to build hype. Think warehouse and jungle raves in Europe, but with a Pinoy bass music twist! We’re aiming to transform our nights into full-on Pinoy bass raves (hehe).

Door Charge for Overall Improvement:

To compensate our artists better and bring international acts to Manila, we’re moving to ticketed monthly events. While this might be a shift from our free events, it unlocks several positive aspects, like supporting our artists and putting value on building the Manila bass music scene.

Merch, More Releases & Online Content:

Empowering bass music producers through track releases and promotion is still a core focus for Joaquin and me. We also plan to create more online content, including performance videos and informative reels, to keep the bass pumping even between events.

So, why Continuum? What’s the deeper meaning behind this name?

At first, the idea for Continuum was inspired by the “Time-Space Continuum,” but as Joaquin and I chatted more, we realized it was a fitting name for what we were trying to achieve.

The name “CONTINUUM” itself reflects the concept of a continuous sequence where adjacent elements might seem subtly different, while the extremes are quite distinct. This resonates with how jungle music, one of the oldest forms of electronic music, continues to inspire modern producers who use its raw breaks yet create distinct outcomes.

Since its inception in Manila, Continuum has featured DJs and producers showcasing their creativity through bass edits and original tracks, reflecting the programming’s diverse influences. It’s been exciting to witness this scene flourish, and we hope it continues to grow.