User:Cremebetweens/Magnetic Pop

Magnetic Pop is the debut studio album by Filipino alternative rock group Gatekeepers. It was released in the Philippines on July 10, 2002 by Dyna Music. The band recorded the album from January to May 2002 at Earbender Recording Studio in Kawit, Cavite with producer Angee Rozul. With lyrical material written over previous years, as well as completed songs, the band recorded with Rozul in sessions that lasted for five months. Lyrical themes discussed include life, personal reflection, and hardships.

The album peaked at number fourteen on the Philippines Top 40 chart and was certified double platinum by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI). The record was also certified platinum in Taiwan and gold in Indonesia. Upon release, Magnetic Pop received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised frontman Simon Gregorio's songwriting. "Overdrive" and "Flat Tire" were released as singles to promote the album, and received popularity nationwide through radio and television airplay. The band embarked in various extensive concerts across Southeast Asia in support of the album. Magnetic Pop has sold over 100,000 copies in the Philippines as of 2019.

The album was reissued on vinyl and cassette on August 10, 2016.

Background
Gatekeepers was formed in 2001. The band started promoting themselves by performing around clubs and concerts in rural areas of Cavite. After seeing the band perform at a live performance in Dasmariñas, Willie Demafiles, and executive for Dyna Music, approached the band to sign them to the label. The trio agreed to sign a four-year contract to Dyna in October 2001 for a monthly salary of ₱2,100. After the signing, the band began to rehearse and write material for their upcoming debut album.

The title of the album is a tribute to the Eraserheads' album Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993). In 2019, Gregorio jokingly stated that it was the "worst album title ever".

Recording
The album was recorded at Earbender Recording Studio in Kawit, Cavite, and the band stayed at the One Sereneta Hotel during the sessions. Magnetic Pop took five months to record; Gregorio attributed the lengthy recording time to getting "a little bit distracted" playing video games and pool during the sessions. The musical direction of the album was partially inspired by Coldplay's Parachutes (2000). The album's producer, Angee Rozul, stated in an interview that he was impressed by the band's potential and skills: "Magaling talaga sila (They are really talented), They were the most exciting band i have ever recorded with at that point."

Release
Magnetic Pop was released on July 10, 2002 under Dyna Music. The album was issued in Cassette, CD, and LP format with the catalog number DMCD 027. The album debuted at number fourteen on the Philippines Top 40 chart, remaining for 12 weeks and it sold 11,000 copies on its first week according to the Philippine Music Database Center (PMDC). In Taiwan, the record reached the number sixteen position and stayed on the chart for 6 weeks. On February 20, 2003, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Foundation in Taiwan (RIT) for sales of over 10,000 units.

Magnetic Pop also charted in several countries, including Indonesia, Hong Kong and Singapore. The album was later certified gold by the Asosiasi Industri Rekaman Indonesia (ASIRI) for sales of over 7,000 copies. The Recording Industry Association Singapore also certified the record gold for sales of over 5,000 units. Magnetic Pop has sold 100,000 copies in the Philippines,

Critical reception
The album received positive reviews from music critics, most of them pointing out the more mature and cohesive, brimming with enjoyable, substantive songs.

In retrospect, David Gonzales of Allmusic gave the album four and a half out of five stars, noticing the more substantive sound with only a touch of "kiddie pop", where he described their previous record Circus as "lightweight and superficial". He applauded the song "Back2Me", saying "[the song] moves on a punkish vibe, the reverb-drenched guitars overlaid with the vocalist singing a catchy, snappy melody reminiscent of Green Day. He further described the opening reverb-edged guitar figure of "Waiting for the Bus" as "enchanting, as is the song itself, highlighted by a rapturous chorus". He likened the song "Poorman's Grave" and stated "In fact, there isn't a bad song on the album". He also compared "Ang Huling El Bimbo" to that of The Beatles, and added "This is a fine, enjoyable album, one of the best ever made in the Philippines."

Commercial performance
The album debuted at number one on the Philippines nationwide album chart, with first-week sales of more than 125,000 copies sold. Sales figures for the first week are the highest of the band's career. The album was certified quadruple platinum in 1996, having shipped more than 175,000 copies in just under a month after its release, becoming the fastest selling album in '90s era. In 2012 this album accredited eleven times platinum by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI). This album holds the record for the most number of copies sold by a Filipino band of all times and second to Westlife self-titled album for best selling album by a band in the Philippines.

Personnel
Gatekeepers
 * Simon Gregorio – lead vocals, guitars
 * Douglas Rivera – bass guitar, backing vocals
 * Adam Muyang – drums

Production
 * Angee Rozul – production, recording, mixing
 * Simon Gregorio – production
 * Douglas Rivera – production
 * Adam Muyang – production
 * Richie Palma – engineering
 * Abe Galzote – mixing
 * Paolo de los Santos – mastering

Artwork
 * Ervin Brioso – cover, design
 * Cynthia Buazon – cover, design
 * Douglas Rivera – cover, design