It was a regular scene for JP del Mundo (BS MIS ’12) back then: He’d be sitting on top of a guitar amplifier, a whole stack of untouched readings within reach of one hand and a blank Google Document by the other. At one moment, he would be pouring over Gabriel Marcel or coding some lines for a class project—the very next moment, however, would involve mastering the riffs of “Moving Closer” or “Bago Mahuli ang Lahat.”

Three years out of college, and he is still very much into music-making. Although most people recognize him as the guitarist of alternative rock band Never the Strangers, he’s also known as John Pope on his SoundCloud—an avant-garde exploration of everyday sounds—and as Arms Akimbo whenever he performs as a DJ.

And though he may comprise these different identities, del Mundo has no doubt made a name for himself: He’s the first Filipino to be accepted into the Red Bull Music Academy (RBMA), a global organization “committed to fostering creativity in music.” With the RBMA set to happen in Paris later this year, it seems that del Mundo is poised for greater heights in the craft.

Tracing the trail

Like most musicians his age, del Mundo’s first major encounter with music was with the ubiquitous MTV channel. He was only in his second year of high school, he recalls, when he first saw the music video of “American Idiot” by American punk rock band Green Day.

His immediate reaction went along the lines of “Nice, sobrang gusto ko ‘to (Nice, I really like this)!” he shares, and he bought the album soon after. From thereon, he was set: He recounts how he told himself then, “Gusto kong matuto maggitara (I want to learn how to play the guitar).”

But this initial direction was not set in stone. Del Mundo shares how this motivation propelled him through a throng of different genres and subgenres: At first he started out with pop punk, then went through metal, the blues, and instrumental sounds.

Eventually, he made it through jazz and hip-hop before making it to electronic—the loosest description that could be made of the music he currently makes. “JP, for me, just kept absorbing everything,” remarks King Puentespina, del Mundo’s fellow artist in Logiclub, a local musical group that features diverse genres.

But this isn’t to say that these transitions were all smooth sailing. Del Mundo relates how their band manager, solo artist Rico Blanco, encouraged him and his bandmates to focus on their college studies alongside their musical pursuits. Del Mundo shares that they would juggle readings and other academic requirements between recording takes. “Kaya naman kung gusto mo talaga hanap ng oras (It’s possible if you really want to find time for it),” he explains.

It was in 2013, a year after his college graduation, when he first heard of the RBMA. He immediately wanted to apply—he did so the year after, but didn’t make the cut. He recalls how he casually told himself to start preparing for another year, since he thought he wouldn’t make it again this year.

Little did he know, though, that this was his year. “Nagising [talaga] ako (I really woke up),” he says, referring to his reaction to his acceptance. “Parang akong binuhusan ng tubig (It’s as if I was doused in water)!”

Exposing del Mundo

While the name “John Pope” may seem a bit random, he explains that the screen name is a play on his real name, John Paul. “Pope” is a reference to his namesake, the late Pope John Paul II.

John Pope as a musician is all but random, though. His style strays from conventional pop music, fusing native percussion instruments with futuristic atmospheric calm. Del Mundo’s style is rich in diversity—an experimental journey into various genres of music compressed within a single track.

After keenly listening to some of the tracks he previously uploaded, he’d tell himself, “Shet, ayoko nito (Shit, I don’t like this),” before proceeding to remove certain tracks from his page. Having music taste refined through the years means that he only uploads tracks that he feels certain about. “I guess hindi lang ako naglalabas talaga unless I feel one hundred percent [sure of the track] (I guess I just don’t really post my music unless I feel one hundred percent sure of the track),” he says.

When asked about his thoughts on online music streaming, del Mundo shares how he believes that these services are not a “viable option” for earning from one’s music. “Kung gusto mo talagang kumita lang, just by using streaming services, wala rin (If you really want to earn just by using streaming services, it’s no use),” he explains. “It’s super low. They pay you a fraction of a peso per stream.”

While this is the stark reality for most aspiring musicians, there still is some silver lining. He adds that these services provide an alternative avenue for sharing music, and may eventually lead to performing at local gigs.

The naturally timid and down-to-earth del Mundo claims not to have any direct inspirations for his musical compositions, but adds that he usually creates his mixes as a play on different moods. “Minsan hindi naman kailangang sad ako, or galit ako, or anything. Like, kung ano lang yung lumabas, I guess (Sometimes I don’t have to be sad, or angry, or anything. Like, whatever comes out, I guess),” he says. “Yun ‘yung mindset ko when creating—like, bahala na (That’s my mindset when creating—like, anything goes).”

Forward track

With a good chunk of his time spent scouring for fresh genres of music and listening to other artists’ tracks, del Mundo believes that the local music scene has a lot of potential, but there is a fly in the ointment: The local music industry. “Like, if you watch MTV Philippines now or MYX, it’s the same old artists, ganun,” he says, referring to the lack of development in local talent. “Tapos same old ballads, or RnB songs.”

These aren’t the only repercussions of the local music industry’s stiffness. According to del Mundo, this had also sparked a movement for a more do-it-yourself mindset among local musicians. Today, more and more artists have taken it upon themselves to release their own extended plays or EPs, and eventually funding their own albums and music videos.

“That’s a good thing pa rin, kung hindi talaga kaya [with a label], then do it yourself (That’s still a good thing, if you really can’t make it with a label, then do it yourself),” says del Mundo. “Parang, ayun, so ‘yun ‘yung one good thing that came out of a bad thing (So there, that’s one good thing that came out of a bad thing).”

Amidst all the preparations for his flight to France for the Red Bull Music Academy, del Mundo manages to find time to record his own tracks as he intends to have a fresh portfolio by the time he arrives in Paris. Upon coming back to Manila after workshops with the Academy, he plans to collaborate more with singers and artists alike.

Del Mundo’s life track is played on a laid-back tempo, blended with the free spirits of indie folk, and mixed with the calm of atmospheric electro music. Like the cosmic pulses of ambient music, he’s never really worried about what the next beat will be. As he puts it, “Well, di naman ako like, ‘Oy, by this year, may [album] na ako,’ ganun. Like, kung ano na lang mangyari, I guess (Well, I’m not like, ‘hey, by this year, I need to have an album.’ Like, whatever happens, happens, I guess).”