HYP EVOLUTION Everyone's gotta start from somewhere. Like how Bush started (Gavin met Nigel at a Nirvana concert)...or Ash(high school friends who met their female guitarist at a gig). So it's not a surprise that HYP was a "spur of the moment" type of thing. In fact, it's not.
The name apparently came from Ricci's old band that's way back in Seattle (home of Mr. Cobain...yey!!!). HYP then played ska/bluegrass music.
Around December 1996, HYP founder Ricci Gurango formed a band and used the name Hungry Young Poets, together with Barbie Almalbis. The group has many other members that would come and go...
HYP worked on original songs (no, DUH!), and by April of 1997, they were spotted and signed by Sony Music Philippines.
For the recording of their debut album, amptly titled "Hungry Young Poets", they used sessioned drummers to complete their little offspring. On September 1997, Franklin Benitez would audition for the group and complete the trio.
Not only were their singles ("Deep", "Torpe", "Firewoman" and "Maniwala Ka") recieving constant airplay on various radio stations, but they wre also the newest band selected to perform for MTV's LIVE AND LOUD session, MTV ASIA's answer to "MTV Unplugged". The show aired December 24, 1997, and after that, HYP's success was about to start to heat up.
With a video for "Firewoman" and top ten singles under their belt, HYP were also invited to perform at the 1998 Asia Wind Festival in Shanghai, China. The performance, along with other famous bands/singers/celebrities from various Asian countreis, was telecast live via satellite by Shanghai TV (STV and CCTV) on January 2, 1998. Not only did they get to taste the other side of Asia in the most bizzare way (I mean, come on, your band just started and you're jetting around Asia and Indonesia already?!), but they were also featured on CNN and Billboard Magazine as one of Asia's most promising acts.
"RADIO", one of the cuts from their debut album, was released as a single in Indonesia and Malaysia. After the album's January 1998 release, it sky-rocketed up the charts and stayed at a very content no.1 position on several radio stations in Jakarta.
The poets finally decided that it was time to conduct a promo tour. By September 7-12, HYP covered two major cities, the famous Hard Rock Cafe in Jakarta and Klab Pesta in Bandung City.
Though Indonesia was a major experience for the poets, they had yet another Asian promo performance to do. HYP's single "Torpe" was released in tokyo on March 1998 as a part of a compilation album along with other Asian musicians. An invitation from Sony Music Japan found the poets strutting their stuff in Tokyo from October 4-7, mainly playing "Torpe", "Deep", "Drowing" and "Firewoman".
After so many gigs and performances at local bars here in the Philippines, the poets recieved recognition through numerous awards, namely RX 93.1 1997 Best New Artist, WTM Magic FM 1998 Album of the Year, Campus Radio 97.1 1998 Best New Artist, and The RX 93.1 1998 Band of the Year, also having "Firewoman" as the #2 year end OPM Countdown.
The band: Barbies cradle"/Mojofly/HYP break up
to know more about HYP experience, go to www.hungryyoungpoets.com
