Photos by Kaity Chua
Shot at The Pocket Universe Art Collective (above Saguijo)



If bands were constructed the way topographical models are constructed, Tarsius would be the sonic equivalent of a Möbius strip: two ends of a ribbon joined together with a twist, resulting in one smooth surface.

At one end of the ribbon is Diego Mapa, charismatic frontman of dancepunk indie laserfest Pedicab, and on the other end is Jay Gapasin, unshakable drummer for cultfunk spoken-word supergroup Radioactive Sago Project. First brought together in 2006 when their individual bands joined Musicians Against the WTO in Hong Kong, Diego and Jay hit it off over copious amounts of alcohol and shared music tastes. “Aphex Twin, Madlib, at Daedelus. Ganun yung trip namin,” they averred.





When they met again, it was during the Switzerland leg of the same anti-WTO tour, and the bands settled into what Diego modestly called a “drinking spree.” By the time Diego and Jay reconnected in Manila at the 2011 Daedelus gig at B-Side, Tarsius existed, but as Diego’s remix project, a solo venture into more experimental electronica. When Outerhope invited Tarsius to perform at a fundraiser gig, Diego decided to pull an old trick: to try something new.

As Diego himself pointed out, electronica tends to close itself off. Maybe it’s because DJs perform alone, or often literally on a pedestal, but either way, Diego figured that Tarsius shouldn’t have to be a solo act once it hit the stage. “DJ lang na naman ako kung ako mag-isa,” he mused, and his mutual geeking-out with Jay at the Daedelus gig must have come to mind because from then on, Tarsius was a two-man group.

Jay had no qualms about pitching in, and though they had only one jam session to spare before their debut, “inom lang kami ng inom,” Diego laughed, and they worked out their jive. Diego laid out the tracks that he had already recorded and mixed alone, and Jay played out his natural talent of mimicry and gimmickry on the skins.

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Coming from different bands meant that Diego and Jay each brought something new to the project, even as the project served as something new for the both of them as well – an electronic outlet, so to speak. Diego points out that at Pedicab gigs, his involvement is more with the vocals and the crowd than with his beloved machines. “Pindut lang ako, ‘tas ganito-ganito na lang ako,” he says cheerfully, miming pressing a button and then launching into his signature dance moves – a sort of disco-punk flailing. As for Jay, who comes from a nine-piece ensemble with a robust horn section, Tarsius’ differences are pretty straightforward. “Siya lang proproblemahin ko,” he says, indicating Diego.

They’re quick to indicate that the thrill of playing in their respective bands is still there. It’s just different. “Iba yung buzz,” they say, of playing with a song in mind, as opposed to the free-for-all frenzy they whip up at Tarsius gigs.

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Tarsius’ philosophy follows that of Daedelus’ – no rules, no thinking. The music of Tarsius is more landscape than song, eschewing the traditional structure of verse-chorus-verse for segments of sound. “Eight segments,” Diego said, each one with a particular beat that Jay would create on the drums. It was easy enough to re-record the tracks for their LP Primate; Diego rearranged his compositions and removed drum loops to make way for Jay’s live drumming.





Both original mixes and Jay’s drum tracks were recorded on Diego’s laptop, so it was only natural that songs were formed there as well. Vocals from other under-the-radar gems were e-mailed to Tarsius – Slow Hello’s crooning and Archaster’s brooding both made to throb and soar – making the making of Primate a digital DIY dream.

Live performances, however, were another matter. Adhering to the Daedelean philosophy means recreating tracks on the fly, which called for Jay and Diego to be hyper-aware of each other's next move -- Diego’s next drop, whatever it might be, would require Jay to switch up his drumming accordingly.

How did they communicate across a stage and over their own sound? “Magtitingin kami,” Diego said. They demonstrate the look, a keen un-squint that they shoot at each other over APC and drum kit.

If a glance is enough to describe a barrage of sound, Tarsius must run not so much on electricity or rhythm as they do on trust. And so, in Tarsius, we trust.



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Catch Tarsius at Saguijo on June 1 and 7. Download their wildly beautiful LP Primate for free on numberlinerecords.com, and hang in there for a soon-to-be-released 12” vinyl.


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