CHILDHOOD DILEMMA

CHILDHOOD DILEMMA is a FIL-AM(Filipino-American) GOTHIC BAND that was officially formed wayback October 1987 and went into hiatus after 1989 only to be reformed on year 2005. I first heard of CHILDHOOD DILEMMA back in 1988 and read a small article of the band back in 1989 when a classmate of mine bought a copy of this 1989 Issue of LEGENDARY 80s ALTERNATIVE PHILIPPINE MAGAZINE called "THE SCORE MAGAZINE". Unfortunately, he already lost his copy but we are still in luck because my friend MEL of CAFFEINE band which I already featured in this little blog of mine before was able to preserve a copy of that issue so he was able to share that article to me for completing this CHILDHOOD DILEMMA blogpost of mine. The Blogpost Header Photo you see right now is the reformed CHILDHOOD DILEMMA composed of my good friend and the band's latest vocalist BENJIE COLLANTES of "THE VAULT", and with him are SEPTEMBER, and The Only remaining ORIGINAL MEMBER from the 80s line-up LANCE SERGIE YABUT. Well, big THANKS to BENJIE for giving me the necessary informations for my blogpost regarding the band and have referred me to LANCE in order to at least have a comprehensive history of the band that would include some bits of the 80s. Big THANKS to both of you BENJIE and LANCE!! YUP!! It's "The Dr. Stirring Rhod Way" again for sharing these stuffs for you guys regular visitors of my little blog "The Doctor Is In".


Here's an exclusive DIY "The Doctor Is In" EARLY CHILDHOOD DILEMMA photo which I made. According to LANCE, the 80s CHILDHOOD DILEMMA is a breakaway group from another PINOY 80s band STRANGE INTERLUDE. The original members of CHILDHOOD DILEMMA were ODEL HERNANDEZ (vocalist) , POPPO GENUINO poppi (keyboards), and LANCE SERGIE YABUT(bass). At first their name was BLACK NIRVANA because of THE CULT's influence on the band by way of NIRVANA and just added the word BLACK which is very common with band names and after some floundering they changed the name into a much approriate picture of the band which is CHILDHOOD DILEMMA considering their early tribulations and struggles during those times. I wonder what the late KURT COBAIN would say about this. He He He!! According to LANCE, there was a long search of a drummer until one day a high school friend of the band stepped forward and presented himself as the drummer with the name of NEIL HERNANDEZ. The revamp was then made wherein LANCE took the chore of strings, POPPI became the bass player, NEIL on drums, and of course ODEL as the lead vocalist. Poppi was replaced by Marcial Manansala after a few gigs. Thus, CHILDHOOD DILEMMA was born in the Philippine music scene back in 1987.

Here's ODEL's takes on his bandmates according to the SCORE MAGAZINE article via MEL. THANKS again MEL!! Definitely, I have to include it here on my blogpost.

On LANCE- "He's a perfectionist, and moody too. He's a good friend."
On NEIL(not related to ODEL)- "He's a very cool and down-to-earth drummer."
On MARCIAL- "He's a quiet person and easy to get with."
On THE WHOLE BAND- "They're all OK, no hang-ups."

I guess the orginal line-up of CHILDHOOD DILEMMA back on those days were really young. In fact ODEL even confessed his age of being 19 years old on this article leading a pack of 17-year old music idealists.

I asked LANCE how's the Original Members Nowadays and here is his reply:

LANCE: "Odel left CHILDHOOD DILEMMA in the summer of 89 to join Discant X. There were talks of continuing the band but never materialized. Losing a front man was a big blow on us, then Odel left Discant X and fronted Inquisition. Poppi Genuino left for the US in 89 and now happily married with 2 kids. Marcial Manansala left for the states as well in the 90 and also have a wonderful family with 3 kids. Neil Hernandez now lives in East Bay, CA. I went to the states back in 99 and lived in LA for ten years and that's where I met Benjie."



CHILDHOOD DILEMMA was officially reformed back in June 4, 2005 that's after LANCE's meeting with Benjie in the Chatroom. BENJIE "The Boy Wonder" was playing with another band back then called SPIRAL ECHO. LANCE was looking for a drummer and BENJIE was looking for a bass player then they both shared unique ideas, passion and to make the long story short, BENJIE ended up auditioning with CHILDHOOD DILEMMA and the rest was history. Well, according to LANCE the audition was just a formality and sorta "getting to know you" thing. Before they met they've already exchanged materials and some infos. LANCE considered BENJIE being a creature from the 80s plus his experiences singing for 3 bands in the past so that's why "The Boy Wonder" is perfect for the band. BENJIE describes CHILDHOOD DILEMMA music as INDIE PINOY GOTHIC ROCK and their influences are Early The Cure stuff, Siouxsie and The Banshees, Japan, Sisters of Mercy, and Bauhaus just to name a few.

CHILDHOOD DILEMMA (Reformed Line-up)

BENJIE COLLANTES
Vocalist, Percussions


LANCE SERGEI YABUT
Strings, Keys, and Sequenncers


SEPTEMBER IMPERIALBOBIS
Rhythm Guitars


JAMES HENDRIX
Bass

A resurrection of creativity that was once thought buried underneath. Childhood Dilemma's music is reinvented from adolescent and rebellious character into something mature and well crafted but still evident of their roots. Melodic, dark, ambient rhythms with stimulating pulse-pounding tempos, haunting and thought provoking lyrics, clever and penetrating guitar reverberations, robust bass lines, and a taste of orchestration, are what to expect from CHILDHOOD DILEMMA to deliver.

Here are the other questions I aked BENJIE and his replies are well indicated:

Why BOY WONDER?
BENJIE: I used to be a member of REACT International CB Team here in LA back in my college days. Since I’m one of the youngest members of the group, co-members started calling me “The Boy Wonder.” That became my CB “handle.”

How does it feel to be part of the band?
BENJIE: Very honored to be part of a band that has been around since the 80s (Manila, Philippines)

What was your first GIG together with the reformed band?
BENJIE: Wow, that’s a classic one….hmmm, it was a free show in a small internet café in Los Angeles with probably 25 to 30 occupants, mostly with our friends.

Most memorable GIG?
BENJIE: At Club Funeral. We’re the first Filipino American that had the opportunity to play at one of the biggest gothic scene in L.A

What's your personal favorite on the album?
BENJIE: Helen, Affection, Thirst, Executioner

Who conceptualized the album?
BENJIE: Basically it’s a Benjie-Lance collaboration doing most of the work from beginning to end. From arranging songs, recording and mastering them at PMI Studio (now known as The Vault Studio) in California.I did all the artwork from the album and found Alice Egoyan, a very spectacular photographer from the north side and fell in love with her work.

Here's BENJIE "The Boy Wonder" takes on his bandmates.

On LANCE:
=The mastermind, jack of all trades, and a vampire!

On SEPTEMBER:
=Serious looking bloke, but he was actually the comedian.
On HENDRIX:

=An ingenious machine, he plays the bass like there’s no tomorrow.

On the BAND itself:

= We had a very fascinating chemistry, from our influences and our own creativity. Sadly, the band officially disbanded in early 2008, but recently Lance and I are experimenting on some materials via email for possible EP release.


CHILDHOOD DILEMMA photo inside my CD

Here are the other questions I asked LANCE and his replies are also well indicated:

Were you able to record your 80s original song "IN THE DARK" and do you have a copy of it right now so that we could share it to our readers?

LANCE: There was an aerial recording but was lost when I went to the States. I would also like to add that the current lyrics of "IN THE DARK"" is totally different from the old one which was written by Odel. I rewrote the lyrics because the copy was lost and due to reasons of legalities there were some revisions with the music as well.

What was the first ever gig of CHILDHOOD DILEMMA back in the 80s?

LANCE: It was a private debut party at the Sheraton Manila.

What was your FONDEST MEMORIES of CHILDHOOD DILEMMA back in the 80s?
LANCE: It's just that everytime before our gig one of the band member will get sick in the abdominal area. It might be stage fright.

Any difference from the 80s CHILDHOOD DILEMMA and the reformed band?
LANCE: A lot! First, the old CHILDHOOD DILEMMA played mostly covers. We just had a few compositions. The present, is the other way around plus, the songs are collaborations of the members. Before, we play what was the fad. Now, we write what comes out of our creativity.

How was it working with the reformed LINE-UP?
LANCE: So far so good. It is more fulfilling.

How did SEPTEMBER and JAMES became members of the band?
LANCE: September is a common friend of Marcial and I. Marcial was supposed to be included in the reformation doing rhythm guitars but time did not permit. So I got September to play bass instead. I got James from the band THE CHASTE in which I also played lead guitars. He became a follower as soon as he heard our album. Then Benjie and I decided to move September to play rhythm and James bass to enhance our sound because in the album we have a lot of guitar parts. James joined the latter part of 2007.

Do you have anything more to share that we haven't tackled?
LANCE: CHILDHOOD DILEMMA already came out with a full length album called ATROPA BELLADONNA (which is also supported by a music video). It's an independent release under PMI Ltd. A lot of things lined up in the future and we are in writing mode as of press time.


Here's CHILDHOOD DILEMMA's very FIRST EP.




Well, BENJIE was kind enough to send me a copy of the original CHILDHOOD DILEMMA album entitled "ATROPA BELLADONNA" and definitely It's a very different kind of treat for me listening to the whole CD. Generally, the album is a bit dark but you can get the hang of it. The band's carrier single is "ATROPA BELLADONA" which was accompanied also by a Music Video when released. The CD contains 12 songs which were very well crafted. You could get a copy of this CD via CHILDHOOD DILEMMA MY SPACE. I've included some music files here in my blogpost for you to listen to and download but not all okay.My favorite in the album would definitely be the enchanting "ATROPA BELLADONA" that would slide you back to TRANSYLVANIA and meet DRAKULA. He He He!! Of course the mystic "HELEN"would be my second best choice which can even give you the creeps and there's an INTRO similarity of THE MISSION's "WASTELAND". I love this "Drops Of Water" effect on the "AFFECTION" song and makes you wonder if It's really water or a drops of blood. Hmmp!! Now, we are really talking about vampires. He He He!! That would lead you to their "THIRST" song and the very dark "IN THE DARK". Btw, I wonder what happened to the PINOY 80s band called IN THE DARK? Definitely, one great album for you to keep on your collection. If you like GOTHIC MUSIC then this is really for you.

ATROPA BELLADONNA
-CHILDHOOD DILLEMA
TRACKLIST:
1) Uma Oracao Para Os Espiritos
2) Helen
3) Atropa Belladonna
4) Affection
5) In The Dark
6) Executioner
7) Grey Skies
8) Thirst
9) As The World Turns
10) The Healing
11) Thirst (Reprise)
12) Atropa Belladonna (extended version)


LISTEN HERE:
ATROPA BELLADONA (extended version):




CLICK HERE to DOWNLOAD the two versions:

PASSWORD: http://docmuzic.blogspot.com/

LISTEN HERE:
IN THE DARK




Some added INFO regarding the album:

COPYRIGHT 2006
Words and Music by: Lance/Benjie

Recorded by:
CHILDHOOD DILEMMA at
Polluted Mind Independent(PMI) STUDIO, Panorama City CA.

Remixed and Remastered by: "The Boy Wonder"

Cover Photography: Alice Egovan
Band Photography: Emma Francisco
Sleeve by: Dark Industry


LISTEN HERE:
HELEN


ATROPA BELLADONA Music Video
- Childhood Dilemma




MAKING of ATROPA BELLLADONA Music Video:



Since the band was featured on MYX CHANNEL I then asked BENJIE regarding their apperance on the said channel.

How was it to be featured on MYX CHANNEL?
BENJIE: It was great exposure without the Payola, hahaha.

What transpired after your MYX appearance?
BENJIE: The exposure led us to more invites to shows, exposure at ABS-CBN show Speak-Out, where we played live at the taping of their episode about life after death, and having the video on a music channel has become a great marketing tool for the band to use. It was one factor in being able to crack our way into the Hollywood Gothic scene.




Speak Out Season 2 - Episode 9
Band: Childhood Dilemma
Speak Out probes into one of the biggest, most philosophical debates
...the existence of God. Atheists get into it with a Catholic, Muslim, and a Christian in one of the most compelling episodes of Speak Out.

Btw, LANCE informed me that the band would be releasing an EP anytime and they will include on that EP their version of THE CULT's classic "SHE SELLS SANCTUARY". YUP!! You got it right an old XB classis done by our very own CHILDHOOD DILEMMA. So guys we are just fortunate because BENJIE gave me a copy of the song for you to listen to here on "The Doctor Is In". Basically, I love their version. NICE!! So I hope you'll like it too.


SHE SELLS SANCTUARY
- CHILDHOOD DILEMMA


CHILDHOOD DILEMMA LIVE!

CLICK the CHILDHOO DILEMMA photo to enter their MY SPACE

There's this great line in the CD cover inlet written by LANCE which I wanna share to you also:

"Backwards and forwards run around in circles
like a spinning wheel that keeps on turning.
Suddenly I stepped, I have no reflection on the mirror
Instead, I saw the world submerged in misery
now I ponder is this the end or just the beginning."
-LANCE YABUT

Hmmmp!! I find the message very deep indeed. How about you guys? Well KABAYANS, I hope you guys ENJOYED my little blogpost on our very own CHILDHOOD DILEMMA who are based in the U.S. YUP!! It's "The Dr. Stirring Rhod Way" of giving tribute to this GOTHIC BAND. THANKS AGAIN BENJIE and LANCE for trusting my little blog to feature CHILDHOOD DILEMMA!!

Do you have a
CHILDHOOD DILEMMA?
-DR. STIRRING RHOD