Pasta Groove Revives Filipino Funk in ‘Dakila,’ a Tribute to Manila Sound

Independent record label Other People’s Music (OPM) Records continues its streak of reviving Filipino groove culture with the release of Dakila, the latest album by producer Pasta Groove. Months after the label unearthed and compiled vintage funk cuts through UMPAK, OPM Records turned its focus to original material that celebrates and reinterprets Manila Sound for a new generation in Pasta Groove’s latest album. Dakila feels both archival and alive where it presents an ambitious homage to the era’s unmistakable pulse, built on live instrumentation, analog textures, and a refined sense of rhythm.

The 13-track album blends disco, funk, and soul with a producer’s precision and a historian’s ear. From the reimagining of Cely Bautista’s “Uhaw sa Ligaya” to the spoken-word snippets of General Douglas MacArthur in “Heatwave,” every song reconstructs the city’s forgotten nightlife through bass lines, horn sections, and house-inspired grooves. Songs like “Manila Beatdown” and “Ang Likha” expand the record’s palette, merging modern production with 1970s psychedelia, giving Filipino funk the contemporary space it deserves.

Back in August, OPM Records hosted three listening sessions across Makati venues including Open House World, Boogie MNL, and Astbury for UMPAK. The official launch of Dakila happens on October 25 at Karrivin Plaza, featuring live DJ sets from Terno Recordings’ Toti Dalmacion, Pasta Groove, and Soft as Silk. A talkback with “Uhaw sa Ligaya” music video director Joy Aquino follows the performances, sealing Dakila as a vibrant bridge between past and present Filipino sound.

Elijah Pareño

Music Writer

Elijah Pareño is the Music Writer of Rolling Stone Philippines. He writes daily music news, features, reviews, and radar stories of the website.

In addition to music writing, Pareño has written about the behind-the-scenes writers and producers from the P-pop scene, interviewed hip-hop artists like Shanti Dope and Zae, and featured up-and-coming artists for the Music Forecast 2026. Aside from music, Pareño has written about the state of affairs that affects pop culture. He wrote a movie review for 'Mortal Kombat II' and reported and interviewed photojournalists at the September 21, 2025 protests in Luneta and Mendiola.

Prior to working in Rolling Stone Philippines, Pareño was a freelance writer for 3 years and independent live music promoter

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• In This Article:
• Manila Sound
• OPM Records
• Pasta Groove