Overview Origin: Manila, Philippines Years active: 2010-present Labels: P-POP Records XLR8 is a sing and dance boy group in the Philippines under VIVA Records' P-Pop Label. XLR8 is composed of Hideaki Torio, Carlo Lazerna, the identical twins MJ and MM Magno, AJ Muhlach, Kiko Ramos, Arkin Del Rosario and Caleb Santos. They are regulary seen on the Sunday noontime variety show Party Pilipinas aired on GMA 7. Group Name XLR8 member Carlo Lazerna was the one who thought of the name for their group which was inspired by a character from an American cartoon series Ben 10. XLR8, the cartoon character is an Omnitrix alien that resembles a semi-armored velociraptor, the base creature for the form's design. XLR8 is pronounced as ‘’accelerate’’ in relation to its “Kineceleran”(portmanteau of the words 'kinetic and 'accelerate') nature that equates to its power and its speed in attacks and motion. Thus, naming their boy group as such reflects the group’s success goals and artistry is in accelerating mode. They also named their official Fan Club as A.FM or “Accelerated for Music” relevant to their group name. Members Adrian Muhlach * Full Name: Adrian Justine Muhlach * Birthday: May 20, 1992 * Instrument(s): vocals, guitar, drums, piano and flute AJ is the son of Cheng Muhlach. Aga Muhlach is his half-brother. He is the nephew of movie actress Amalia Fuentes and cousin to Niño Muhlach. He plays many musical instruments such as the guitar, drums, piano, and flute. he loves to dance. He looks up to John Petrucci, Joe Satriani and David Cook. He likes sleeping and watching Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel.[19] He has also appeared in commercials like Poten Cee Vitamin C and the Mama Sita BBQ Marinade Commercial. AJ also wants to act and work with his brother in a film someday Arkin del Rosario * Full Name: Arkin Del Rosario Jr. * Birthday: December 23, 1992 * Instrument(s): vocals Arkin is also an actor. He grew up listening and dancing to the music of Michael Jackson and 'N Sync but somehow got sidetracked and landed in professional theater. At 11, he discovered that a renewed interest in singing. He then began appearing in professional stage plays like Florante at Laura, El Filibusterismo, Ibong Adarna and many others showcasing his incredible talent. Geleen Eugenio eventually introduced Arkin to Viva. He has also appeared on television and was already thinking about a career in acting when the chance to join XLR8 came along. He is now back to his first love — singing and dancing. Arkin believes that when people point out your weaknesses and makes fun of you, it’s an opportunity for you to rise above. Caleb Santos * Full Name: Caleb B. Santos * Birthday: February 21, 1992 * Instrument(s): vocals, guitar, and drums Caleb learned to sing in the church choir and despite his busy schedule with XLR8 continues to be active in church activities. It was there that he learned how to play the guitar and drums. That is also why he considers the gospel act Hillsong United his major influence. He also likes the music of Jay Sean and Jason Mraz and misses the old computer games. When asked in his S Magazine interview of whom he is closest with among the XLR8 boys, he said that all of them are close enough to him but he talks often to Aki because he finds Aki's Japanese culture amusing. Carlo Lazerna * Full Name: John Carlo B. Lazerna * Birthday: October 22, 1991 * Instrument(s): vocals Carlo enjoys video games. He is seldom without a game going on no matter where he is. His other passion is dancing which he began as a form of exercise but has now become a big part of his career. He also likes pretty girls and treats his fellow members like his brothers. He likes watching animé and shows like Phineas and Ferb, The Simpsons and Spongebob. He shared in his S Magazine interview that there was a fan whom he chatted with for a while that wounded her own wrist and wrote Carlo's name on it which freaked out his family.[27] Carlo is also the one who thought of the group's name. Hideaki Torio * Full Name: Hideaki Torio * Birthday: August 21, 1991 * Instrument(s): guitars, drums,vocals He opted to make the Philippines his home because he wants to be in show business. His career experience includes regular stints in Walang Tulugan with the Master Showman (where he is known for his witty comments) and the defunct SOP (Philippine TV show). He is both a singer and dancer. He is a big fan of Westlife. He speaks Japanese and Tagalog. Aki says he's close to all of his fellow XLR8 members especially with Arkin whom he says is his neighbor and to Caleb which he talks to most of the time. Kiko Ramos * Full Name: Francis Albert Ramos * Birthday: February 28, 1992 * Instrument(s): vocals Kiko just used to love dance competitions on TV, he didn't know that this enthusiasm would lead him to showcase his own style and dancing power. The boy who loved every challenging episodes of America's Best Dance Crew and So You Can Dance can also be dubbed as hyper lad in the group. He a grandson to [Ben Delgado], the first Pinoy crooner to become succesful in Las Vegas. Kiko can certainly dish out those sentimental ballads with feelings and has performed in stage musicals but what he really loves is dancing to R&B and Hip- hop music. He likes Michael Bublé ,Josh Gorban and Korean and Japanese pop tunes. Kiko believes in "No Pain , No Gain " mantra, he would definitely give his best shot for the improvement of their group. MJ Magno * Full Name: Meljohn Magno * Birthday: February 22, 1990 * Instrument(s): drums, organ and guitar MJ is one of the Magno twins. At the age of 16, MJ knew that he loves singing and performing in front of many people. Together with his twin MM, they usually perform in special family occasions which amazed their relatives. Later on, Mj together with his twin MM took voice lessons to improve their craft. Aside from playing numerous musical instruments like drums, organ and guitar, he is also a songwriter. He is in fact making his songwriting debut in the group’s album with the songs "Dance With Me", "I Love You Girl" and "Ms. Beautiful". He has appeared in GMA shows like SiS (TV series), Walang Tulugan with the Master Showman and All Star K!. MJ knows how to give the best shot for an opportunity and he knows how to make good use of it. MM Magno * Full Name: Melmar Magno * Birthday: February 22, 1990 * Instrument(s): vocals, guitars(bass guitar) MM is 1/2 of XLR8's Magno Twins. He first appreared on Master Showman together with his twin brother and because of their twin novelty, Kuya Germs dubbed them as "Master Showman Twins". MM also shares in his S Magazine interview that he prefers having a fashion sense that will always stand out. In the same interview he shares that one of the most unforgettable thing a fan did to him was when a group of gays went straight to him and asked for a kiss and to his amazement, the gay went straight to his face and kissed him and as he put it "may laway at dila pa". Debut XLR8's first live TV appearance was on Party Pilipinas on GMA 7 on March 28, 2010 where they performed their promotional song entitled You're So Hot. Television Appearances: Party Pilipinas / GMA 7 (March 2010 - present) V Scene / Channel V Philippines (March 2010) I Laugh Sabado / QTV 11 (April, June, July 2010) Diz Iz It! / GMA 7 (April, June 2010) Eat Bulaga / GMA 7 (April 2010) Unang Hirit / GMA 7 (April 2010) Walang Tulugan with the Master Showman / GMA 7 (April 2010) Ka-Blog! / GMA 7(May, June 2010) Full time Moms / QTV 11 (May 2010) MYX Daily Top 10 / MYX Channel (June 2010) Star MYX / MYX Channel ( June 2010) MM Magno (with the rest of XLR8) / Take me Out / GMA 7 (May 2010) Arkin del Rosario Jr. and Caleb Santos / (Sa Pula sa Puti) Eat Bulaga / GMA 7, (July 5, 2010) Print appearances Philippine Star/Entertainment Section (March 2010) / Meet Viva's 1st boy band Philippine Star/Sounds Familiar by Baby A. Gil (April 2010) / Will XLR8 break the Pinoy Boy Group Curse Pinoy Song Magazine (April 2010) Manila Bulletin/Entertainment Section by Jonathan Hicap (April 2010) / Fans Defend Boy Band XLR8 against SuJu album Issues S Magazine (June 2010)/ The Boys of XLR8 by Mark Sablan Manila Bulletin/Celebrity World by Crispina Martinez-Belen (July 2010) / XLR8 Boys, RP's answer to Korean Boy Groups Invasion Pinoy Song Magazine (July 2010) Philippine Star/Sounds Familiar by Baby A. Gil (July 2010)/ Catching Up with XLR8 Radio appearances The KC Show / 92.3 U92 Fm (April 2010) 93.9 iFM / (April 2010) Concert appearances GMA at 60 Heart of Television / Araneta Coliseum / June 18, 2010 KPOP meets PPOP / Araneta Coliseum / June 19, 2010 Record Breaker Concert Tour / Baguio / July 10, 2010 Albums XLR8(Self-titled) Official Singles You're So Hot(Release date: March 2010) I Love You Girl(Release date: July 2010) Official Music Videos You're So Hot I Love You Girl Official fansite: http://acceleratedformusic.net
