Apartel are hard to ignore—not just for their quirky soul sound, but also for the sheer size of a band that might number anywhere from six to 12 on any given night. Hatched in 2016 between DRT frontman Jay Ortega and Ely Buendia (of legendary ‘90s outfit Eraserheads), the two bonded over a shared nostalgia for the soul, funk and gospel their parents listened to while they were growing up. They recruited veteran musicians: guitarists Coco Coo and Redge Concepcion, bassist Jun Lazo, percussionist Deej Rodriguez, keyboardist RJ Pineda, drummer Pat Sarabia and the ‘Double D’ Sagun sisters (Donna and Diane) crooning back-up vocals. To conjure a big-band sound, they borrowed the horns section from funk and soul outfit Brass Pas Pas Pas Pas. But Apartel stand apart from the “supergroup” tag that gets affixed to Buendia’s post-Eraserheads projects. The ensemble plays masterfully, utilising a tongue-in-cheek atmosphere of late nights and last calls. Their 2018 debut, Inner Play, is full of tracks like “Sala Sa Init” and “Is It Hip?”, clever Pinoy witticisms and coy double-entendres. Though Ortega has since departed and the line-up continues to shift, Apartel remains true to its mission to make bedroom music smart and sexy again.