Biography

The Axel Pinpin Propaganda Machine is a protest band from the Philippines. Their sound – Axel Pinpin’s spoken word poetry mixed with aggressive fuzz-driven guitar riffs played over odd time signatures – is a unique expression of the realities faced by the oppressed Filipino people. Since its inception in 2010, TAPPM has continually self-released music in response to the socio-political climate of the time. “Remote Control,” the band’s first single, chronicles the peasant and working class struggle in contrast to prevailing values of the bourgeoisie. TAPPM would release a few more singles until Axel Pinpin’s departure from the band in 2013 to focus on his organizing work in peasant communities. In 2014, the band momentarily reunited and released three new tracks as part of a visual arts exhibition featuring work created by artists embedded in poor urban communities. In 2015, drummer Marlon Caacbay was martyred three months after becoming a guerilla fighter. In 2017, the remaining members of the band reformed with new members and released the eleven-track album “Hindi Isasatelebisyon ang Rebolusyon.” The Axel Pinpin Propaganda Machine still occasionally performs. In the absence of Axel Pinpin, the band has integrated the use of self-produced documentaries into their performances. In 2020, the band released “Ano ang Aming Kasalanan?” in response to the government’s failure to address the current COVID-19 pandemic.