"Bringing together an intense and original combination of styles and influences and blessed with the beguiling voice of Armi Millare, Up Dharma Down are a hit waiting to happen." - Tim Bowness, No-man
"My favorite group. Beautiful, victorious, elegant, muscular music."
- Paul Buchanan, The Blue Nile
BAND INFO:
Currently one of the most popular and well-respected artists in the country today, Up Dharma Down has grown from strength to strength making them the favorite, not just of music fans or "heads" but just about every other band worth their salt. Not to mention industry insiders who know a good band when they see one.
The group got its name from the concept that states that everything in existence is connected no matter how diverse they are. This is how the band explains their music. Having rather dissimilar musical influences that have resulted in a dynamic sound that still meets halfway as it appeals to a certain group of listeners almost everywhere. The members have combined their love for rock, neo-soul, NU jazz, and electronic music from such artists as Jill Scott, Robert Plant, The Blue Nile, Janis Joplin, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, David Sylvian, Telefone Tel Aviv, Photek, Portishead, and even movie soundtrack composers, to name only a few on the band's list of music heroes.
Since departing other bands, the 4 members have made a subconcious merge of a tangled-up, smacked down groove that has remained unnamed but the likes of which has not been heard since post-rock as a catch-all description came out. "Uncategorrable" and enigmatic. Up Dharma Down, whom fans and industry insiders alike have described as Eryka Badu meets Zero 7 meets The Album Leaf, has become a Philippine household name and their debut album Fragmented was an immediate Tower Records/M1 chain bestseller and continues to enjoy brisk sales.
The group has also been tapped by such brands as Coca Cola, Lipton and McDonald's for various music-based campaigns.
Having been identified by the prestigious BBC as the local band most likely to break into the international market, local fans may soon have to face the prospect of sharing their music idols with the rest of the world.
AWARDS:
2005 In The Raw Award, NU107 Rock Awards
2006 Best New Female Icon (Armi Millare), NU107 Rock Awards
2006 Best New Artist, NU107 Rock Awards
2008 Favorite Indie Artist, MYX
2009 Best Overall Female Vocalist (Armi Millare), AVIMA
2009 Vocalist of the Year (Armi Millare), NU107 Rock Awards
2009 Album of the Year (Bipolar) NU107 Rock Awards
2009 Artist of the Year, NU107 Rock Awards
RECOGNITIONS:
*First Filipino Band in MTV's “Advanced Warning”, showcasing up-and-coming artists in the Asian region and worldwide.
*The "Manila band most likely to cross over to the lucrative Anglophone market of North America.", Mark Coles' BBC Radio Show
*Featured in July issue of Time Magazine
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