Branded Reincarnation

There’s a retired Philippine-based band called The Eraserheads (yes, named after the David Lynch film) that spearheaded a local music renaissance during the mid-90s. Now there’s an album out entitled "Ultraelectromagneticjam" featuring 17 Eraserheads songs as reinterpreted by a mix of commercial and avant garde artists.

All the tracks have been simultaneously released on the radio and you’ll hear a broadcasted voice whispering "Ultraelectromagneticjam" before and after a song is played on the air. There’s also an ongoing Ultraelectromagneticjam concert tour. However, The Eraserheads and the bands paying tribute themselves are barely mentioned on the radio or on the promotions. In fact, the only time The E-heads are mentioned is on the album itself.

The achieved effect is a branding of a specific kind of sound with the creators blurred in the background. It’s a band reinvented without having the band itself in it. The branding is even sponsored by other brands. Logos of Honda Motor (the band made a song called "Overdrive"), Juicy Fruit Gum (the band did a jingle for them) and a local cell phone network operator, Sun Cellular, adorn the album packaging.