Welcome back to Geek Talk; where we showcase people who are into gaming, anime, sci-fi and anything geeky. For this issue, we will be interviewing one of the well-known DJs in the local radio scene.  The Brewrats is one of the popular radio show that debuted last 2007, the crew consists of Angel Rivero (aka Erning), Tado Jimenez and Ramon Bautista; they are the guys from the famous underground show Strangebrew from the old UNTV channel 37. Their radio show moved to different stations and finally they are now part of  the DIG Radio lineup.

One cool thing about Angel and the gang is that they love video games, especially the classic games, also Angel has her own radio show that features anime and gaming. We were happy to become guests (along with the Back2Gaming team) on their show a couple of months back, and also were fortunate to score an interview with Angel Rivero and Ramon Bautista (Tado was not present at that time).

Click on the more button to check out the interview.

 

 

Reimaru Files: So how did the Tado, Erning and Ramon tandem started?

Angel: RA Rivera, who was a director that was hired at UNTV Ch. 37 a few years back, since he knew tado, ramon bautista and me and then he called us on the phone one by one and said come over at UNTV at the Strata 2000 Building and “mag audition kayo” and because RA’s been given a show on UNTV and that was Strangebrew, and he had full artistic control for it so he already had this whole genius idea in his mind. And then he thought of us, because it was a strange kind of combination.

 

 

Reimaru Files: So how did you guys come out with the BrewRATS name?

Angel: It was really contest, and then we had so many entries like Angels and Demons, and then like Strangebrew something Radio…All sorts of funny names. We had a hard time picking, Tado wanted once again once more and then there’s this one caller and suggest; BrewRATS, and we were like… What the hell ang panget as in panget niya talaga

Ramon: And if you hear that word it’s like burat

Angel: *Laughs* and we laughed so hard and then we said oh my god this is a catchy name like “it’s so panget niya, parang ang ganda”. So we said “You know what… Brewster,you win!”. And then we asked him; why BrewRATS? And then he said Strangebrew and then Ramon, Angel and Tado show and with a play of words with burats so…ok this is good.

 

 

Reimaru Files: We also noticed that you have an Anime Show in DIGRadio every Wednesday, so what inspired you to host an Anime/Game Radio Show?

Angel: The truth is, there were days that these two (Ramon and Tado) would be absent, and if they’re not available… *laughs* pose muna kami *takes a picture with the RF and B2G team*…and if they are not here, of course it’s not the same because there’s no aggressor, there’s no bakla jokes and no one will “mangaapi’, so I said: Ok, since I’m the only one onboard today.. I’ll just do something in my interest, So I’ll do an Anime Night, and from that time, it was a hit and everyone was like alive from the grave that night *laughs* and then they want to chat.

It really started when I put a playlist of anime songs and video game songs like Final Fantasy and my background theme was like Chocobo theme, and then it was really a hit. So whenever these two are absent, then I would do an anime night. Then it came to a point, sometimes after the BrewRATs if there are no shows in U92 FM, I would extend for like another 2 hours just to do the anime show. It was like free, it was sort of for the love lang(anime/gaming), since of course we were paid to do the BrewRATs but if there’s still some have extra time and if I have the extra time and we have guests available, so we decided, ok let’s go, let’s do a Final Fantasy Special, I think that’s how it started, and then we also do Retro Gaming Special.

 

 

Reimaru Files: I also remembered one time that you had a special episode with Alodia Gosiengfiao.

Angel: And yeah so eventually, I asked Alodia; “Join na” it’s like join the fun, so she did and that’s why there are anime nights. And after we moved to DIG Radio, I just thought since we have BrewRATS, I’ll also do Anime Night anyway. However, I’ve been very busy lately, since I also write for the Star and so on…So I decided it’s hard to sustain the Anime Night every week, which is why lately I’ve been doing it once a month.

 

 

Reimaru Files: Since you are also a gamer, which do you prefer? PC or Console Gaming?

Ramon: For me, console

Angel: Console

 

 

Reimaru Files: So what’s your favorite game on the console?

Ramon: For me, the NBA Live series…

Angel: Ang baduy mo *laughs*

Ramon: Bakit? Jock ako eh *laughs*… and then Street Fighter *started discussing about having a SF2 match with him and Billy of Back2Gaming*, Civilization, Romance of the Three Kingdoms and their derivatives

Angel: What? The derivatives?

Ramon: Siyempre ung mga Dynasty Warriors

 

 

Reimaru Files: So more on Strategy games…

Ramon: well not more on strategy games, well the one that is closest to my heart is Contra, and also Super Mario Bros. 3

Angel: Oh my god, Super Mario 3 *continued discussing about the power ups in SMB3*

Angel: For me, I like Final Fantasy X, because it was like a huge jump from the FF series, it was like 9 was already like kind of cute although 7 was classic and panalo ung story. But what I’m saying is that from 9, the graphics was amazing and from 10 they started talking, it’s like a breakthrough and plus I felt at that time that there’s a socio-economic implications in the story and there’s a religious discourse, so I feel it’s a Philosophical game.

I also like Chrono Cross since I did like Chrono Trigger, and that’s where I appreciated the multiple characters and the multiple endings and like in the SNES (Chrono Trigger) you’ll have the Frog ending and so and so and then there are some characters that you may not meet like Magus and those like MasaMune. And with Chrono Cross it’s like the same but with better graphics.

And if we go all the way back to Nintendo, As in Super Mario I think is really super classic, Contra is like also super old school…

Ramon: Contra or Super Contra? dalawa yun *starts humming the stage 2 song*

Angel: Super Contra actually, and if it’s mga paulit ulit na games, I don’t know you this Bubble Bubble, Becasue I like the dinosaur that shoots bubbles and then there’s this bad ending. And if you wanna go back to Atari, there’s Space Invaders.

Ramon: Pang mayaman! *Angel laughs*

 

 

Reimaru Files: Okay, Final Question. What if the BrewRATS will become a game, what kind of genre will it be?

Ramon: Ang hirap *laughs*…mga sex games!! *laughs* huhubad ganun…

Angel: Leisure Suit Larry *laughs*

Ramon: Ang bastos ng mga nerdong ‘to…kadiri *everyone laughs*

 

 

 

Catch the Brewrats every Thursday from 9:00 PM to 12:00 Midnight and also Anime Night every Wednesday at 10:00 PM to 12:00 Midnight on Dig Radio.