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Up Dharma Down is now fragmented, as indie pop rock band disbands

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Rick Olivares

2021 is the 15th anniversary of Up Dharma Down’s debut album, “Fragmented.”Sadly, this year will also go down as the year the band literally fragmented.The news that Up Dharma Down or UDD is finis is like a punch to the gut. It is like losing someone or 4 people to Thanos’ Snap; it’s sudden and you didn’t see it coming.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/12/26/21/armi-millare-leaves-up-dharma-down">Vocalist Armi Millare leaves Up Dharma Down</a></li></ul>What . . . Didn’t they just unveil a new song for the highly successful Netflix animated series, “Trese”?<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/11/16/21/udds-armi-millare-has-a-new-collaboration-with-dsound">UDD&#x27;s Armi Millare has a new collaboration with D&#x27;Sound</a></li></ul>Didn’t the vinyl release of their self-titled 4th album hit a few months ago sparking a frenzy among record collectors? (The vinyl edition of their 3rd album, “Capacities”, has been selling for insane prices. Well, if you can find one.)Inside word has it the quartet has been in slow decline over many issues. The usual creative stuff. If there is more, we aren’t privy to that because no one from the band is talking. So there’s no “Get Back” documentary here for Peter Jackson to take a stab at. It isn’t like you cannot put the 4 of them into one room without walls and panels to separate them. It isn’t something like that.The band instead of celebrating the 15th anniversary of the release of their debut, “Fragmented”, we’ll were having a wake and this is a eulogy.In 2 separate statements — one on UDD’s Facebook and another on erstwhile keyboardist and vocalist Armi Millare’s Facebook and Instagram pages — all parties announced the going of separate ways. On the former’s page, this was shared: “Hi Everyone. We wanted to let you know that Armi has left UDD. We thank her for sharing her talent and artistry in the songs we created together. We&#x27;ll never forget how the four of us started out, how thrilled we were in 2004 to finally be playing at Saguijo to a crowd of twenty people. Although we&#x27;re sad to see her leave the band, we wish her all the best as she embarks on her solo career. And we hope you can all support her future projects as well. We, the remaining members, will continue to make music under Terno Recordings. This will be a new and different adventure for us and we hope you can be a part of it too. We would like to thank you, our fans and listeners, for being with us on this journey--17 years, 4 albums, and thousands of gigs. We are so grateful. We really wouldn&#x27;t have made it this far without all of you. Please keep supporting OPM! Love, Carlos, Paul, and Ean.”Millare’s was bolder: “Last June, I decided to sever ties with Terno Recordings, its mother company MTME, and as a consequence of this, my band, UDD.” <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/01/06/17/nope-up-dharma-down-is-not-disbanding">Nope, Up Dharma Down is not disbanding</a></li></ul>While the announcements were polite, one cannot help but sense there was tension. The word “sever” alone is strong, with Terno Recordings prominently mentioned. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/gadgets-and-tech/04/22/15/most-streamed-opm-track-spotify">The most-streamed OPM track on Spotify is...</a></li></ul>Whether for reasons of creative differences, direction, or chemistry, one cannot help but lament the passing of UDD, or Up Dharma Down as it was previously known. This hurts because UDD are one of this country’s best and brightest bands. They had pushed the envelope for local bands as part of the neo-trip hop movement of the new millennium. They touched base with their inner blue-eyed soul when Paul Buchanan of 80s English band, The Blue Nile, was a guest on their sophomore album, “Bipolar”.Their music video for “Sigurado” (off their fourth album, “UDD”), featured Shida Mizuki of the hit reality television series, “Terrace House”. Under Terno Recordings, they put out their music on well-designed compacts discs and on vinyl. They even had a compilation album titled, “Sun Shower”, receive a Japan-only release.The British Broadcasting Co. tagged them as a band most likely to cross over to North American shores with Curt Smith of Tears for Fears giving them the thumbs up. That they opened for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Incubus, Bloc Party, the XX, and Tahiti 80 among others says something of their talent, musicianship, and appeal. Their song on “Trese” surely opened them to an even wider audience. Several months ago, I contacted the band to write about the 15th anniversary release of “Fragmented”. I heard of the impending split and well, there was no point in writing about it anymore. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/11/09/20/regine-velasquez-moira-dela-torre-put-own-touch-to-udd-covers">Regine Velasquez, Moira dela Torre put own touch to UDD covers</a></li></ul>While I am sad, I realize that every good thing (or even bad for the matter) comes to an end. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/01/01/19/new-year-surprise-udd-releases-3-new-tracks">New Year surprise: UDD releases 3 new tracks</a></li></ul>It would have been really nice to see them break new ground and put out even more music. But that is done.But they — Up Dharma Down or UDD if you ever accepted that acronym — during their heyday, were like a shining beacon for Original Pilipino Music across the world. Let’s remember them that way.

It would have been great to see UDD break new ground and put out even more music. Sadly, that isn’t happening anymore.