Marcus Adoro

Marcus Antonius Corpuz Adoro (born December 31, 1971) is a Filipino musician who was the lead guitarist of the Eraserheads, a Filipino alternative rock band in the 1990s.

He is also known by the stage name or band name Markus Highway.

During his days as lead guitarist for the Eraserheads, Adoro only had a few contributions when it came to songwriting.

He would compose one song per album, which were usually album fillers, like "Punk Zappa" in the album, Circus, and "Southsuperhiway" in the album, Natin99.

The most contributions he had ever given to the band was in the album Carbon Stereoxide, in which he wrote the songs "Pula", "Wala", and "Escalator Alligator".

Adoro's style of lead guitar was a very significant piece to the Eraserheads' sound, and to a greater extent, using takamine, Gibson and Yamaha the sound that came to define Pinoy alternative rock.

His minimalist approach contrasted with the "flashier" style of most local guitarists of the time.

Instead of long, epic solos, Adoro preferred "pretty little ditties" that often complement the tone of the song.

His "less is more" method resembles that of many guitarists from Manila's '80s underground punk scene, particularly Bobby Balingit (The Wuds) and Resty Cornejo (Identity Crisis).

During the band's later years, Adoro began to acquire a fascination with electric guitar noises and environmental sounds which he would incorporate to his style as the band's music progressed and became more experimental.

Adoro explains in an interview with Philmusic.com that Kamonkamon was "meant as a hype."

In 2000, lead vocalist Ely Buendia released his album, Wanted: Bedspacer.

In the same year Kamonkamon was released, Eraserheads vocalist, Ely Buendia, left the band to form The Mongols.

Adoro, later, also decided to quit.

I like Markus Highway for the Surfernando song," says Adoro. Adoro had changed his stage name or band name quite often since 2001. His different band names since 2001 include Surfernando, The Gumamela Band, Kamonkamon, The Flaming Katols, Markus Regime (a wordplay on Marcos Regime), The Mamones (a name spoof of Mamon, a Filipino sponge cake, and The Ramones) and Talampunay Band. He eventually settled to Markus Highway since 2007.

Adoro along with former bandmates, Buddy Zabala and Raimund Marasigan performed for an event at the Millennia Club called "Marooned", a production of UP bands from past and present.

Buendia was invited to the gig, but was not able to attend.

"Batch 88", from Belma en Luis, was one of the songs that was jammed by the trio.

When asked about his career plans in the Philmusic.com interview, Adoro said that he plans to get session musicians to play in the recording of the Surfernando album, get a band ready for gig tours, and work with other willing back-up bands as well.

He said that he had been backed by artists such as Mano-manu and Sunflower Day Camp.

He just finished a low-key bar tour with the band, Mayonnaise and Sunflower Day Camp.

According to him, around 2002, BMG records had already bought the whole work, consisting of a comicbook, the comicbook soundtrack and a video documentary CD.

He wrote the songs in 2003 after three years of surfing.

He recorded and released his work on major labels, and has now shopped for a deal with Warner Music.

The Surfernando songs were recorded in his new band Markus Highway's debut album called Behold, Rejoice! Surfernando Is Hear Nah..

The sound of Markus Highway ranges from just him and a guitar "to a big full band with horns section and all."

Adoro's current band name is "Markus Highway (a wordplay on "Marcos Highway," a Philippine road). Adoro explains that "Markus Highway" is just a rock and roll name that he likes and he wants to keep at the moment. He says that he's good with wordplay. He reveals that most of the Eraserheads album titles came from him. "I like changing names because it's an old rock n roll tradition.

All the old travelling bluesmen used different aliases and my favorite cool bands do it.

The album, though, was not to be released until 2005.

In addition, BMG would only publish the work if the comicbook is shortened, which according to Adoro, defeats the purpose of the comicbook soundtrack and the idea of the whole work.

He says that Kamonkamon "is a highly philosophical work," so he declined with the condition.

"The eventual release of Kamonkamon would be just the tip of the iceberg so to speak," says Adoro.

Adoro was not the first Eraserhead to produce his own solo project.

He would eventually move to La Union and was unheard from until the April 2005.

An e-mail from him was sent to PhilMusic.com about a new project he was working on, called "Surfernando: The Adventures of Belma and Luis," with a poster art of a pencil stuck in a person's nose.

The EP turned up once again at Sarabia Optical.

It is also available in different album covers and titles: Urfer Magazine (Mag:Net Café), Duckdive (Bigsky), American Gurl (United States version), and Submarine (Marikina version)

In the interview with Philmusic.com, Adoro explains that "Belma en Luis" is half of all the songs for a "pinoy surfing album."

Surfernando is a character.

Adoro unexpectedly appeared in "LivELY: A Fundraising Concert for the Benefit of Ely Buendia" on January 28, 2007.