In 2014, Allan Mitchell Silonga decided to form a band for his son Blaster, who would become the band's lead guitarist. The Silongas were able to recruit drummer Badjao de Castro and bassist Zild Benitez, who are the sons of Allan's friends. Unique Salonga, Benitez's churchmate who was already writing his own music, was later recruited to become the band's lead singer.
Most of the band members are sons of musicians. Blaster's father, Allan Silonga, is a member of 90s band Kindred Garden and the singing group Daddy's Home which finished third in The X Factor Philippines. While Zild's father, Franklin Benitez, was the drummer of Hungry Young Poets and Barbie's Cradle. Badjao's father, Chuck de Castro, was a member of Makatha & Posivity Band and was also a session rhythm guitarist of the Rage Band. Blaster and Zild gained popularity when they became contestants for Eat Bulaga!'s hit contest, Music Hero. Zild was the first member of the Music Hero Squad and was the Bass Guitar grand champion, Blaster won the Electric Guitar grand champion and the title of Ultimate Music Hero.
IV of Spades is heavily inspired by 1970s fashion, acts and sounds. Members of the band have cited various musical groups and artists as songwriting influences, including ABBA, Kings of Leon, Tame Impala, My Chemical Romance, Radiohead and Jet. The band’s genre is a mix of 1970s influenced disco, funk, alternative rock and Manila Sound.
Current members
Zild Benitez – co-lead and backing vocals, bass guitar (2014–present); keyboards, synthesizer, programming |
Daniel Zildjian Garon Benitez (born April 23, 1997), popularly known as Zild Benitez is a Filipino musician, producer, and singer-songwriter. He is currently the lead vocalist, pianist/keyboardist, synth player and bassist of IV of Spades.
Personal life
Zild is the son of Franklin Benitez, the former drummer of Hungry Young Poets and Barbie's Cradle. He recently graduated at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde. His course is Bachelor of Arts in Music Production.During his childhood and teenage years, he became a commercial model for various brands in the Philippines, including Lucky Me! Pancit Canton, Coca-Cola, and Nido.
Singles
- 2016: Please Let Her Go
- 2017: To Those Soulful Eyes Of Yours
- 2017: My River
- 2018: Self Imperfection
with Manila Magic
- 2015: "In The Night"
- 2016: "I Feel Like Dancing"
Blaster Silonga – lead guitar, backing vocals (2014–present); co-lead vocals (2018–present)
Lead guitarist of the Filipino indie band IV of Spades known for singles such as "Mundo" "Hey, Barbara," and "Ilaw sa Daan." He has over 140,000 followers on his blastersilonga Instagram account.
Badjao de Castro – drums, percussion (2014–present); backing vocals (2018–present)
Past members
- Unique Salonga – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2014–2018)
Unique Torralba Salonga (born April 26, 2000), popularly known as Unique Salonga or simply by the mononym Unique (stylized as UNIQUE) is a Filipino musician and singer-songwriter. He began his career as vocalist and original frontman of IV of Spades and later pursued a solo career.
Singles
- 2018: "Midnight Sky"
- 2018: "Cha-Ching!"
- 2019: "Sino"
- 2019: "Lamang Lupa"
- 2019: "Bukod-Tangi"
ClapClapClap! (stylized in all caps) is the debut studio album by Filipino band IV of Spades. It was released on January 18, 2019] by Warner Music Philippines The album features songs that were previously released as singles, namely "In My Prison", "Bata, Dahan-Dahan", and "Take That Man and their fourth single "Bawat Kaluluwa".
IV of Spades is a funk-rock band from the Philippines. Formed in 2014, it consists of lead vocalist and bassist Zild Benitez, lead guitarist Blaster Silonga, and drummer Badjao de Castro. Unique Salonga, the band's original lead vocalist, left the band in April 2018 and pursued a solo career, after which Benitez took over singing duties As the band announced Unique's departure and dispelled rumors of disbanding, they told fans on their Facebook page that they were working on their first full-length record
Months prior to the album's release, the band issued several successful singles, including "Mundo" which still featured Unique as a vocalist.
According to an interview with Philippine magazine Chalk, the band members decided on recording the album as an overnight decision while recording "In My Prison". Recording and production commenced in August 2018 and lasted for four months
The album departs from the band's prior funk-rock style. CLAPCLAPCLAP! takes influence from various genres including alternative rock, electro pop, pop, indie pop, ballad, pop rock, and psychedelic rock. Three out of 15 of the album's tracks are written in Filipino, specifically "Bata, Dahan-Dahan!", "Bawat Kaluluwa", and "Dulo ng Hangganan" Its lyrical content explores themes of childhood, freedom, and relationships.
