Pushing creative boundaries

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Ely Buendia’s indie label releases songs by 2 new artists

POST-PUNK synth-wave musician Sexy Jay and baroque-pop multidisciplinary artist Halina are two of the latest additions to the roster of Offshore Music, a homegrown independent label headed by Filipino rock legend Ely Buendia.

Presented as cutting-edge solo musicians, their newest singles reflect the creative integrity that attracted them to the label in the first place.

SEXY JAY
For Sexy Jay (real name: Jay Villarosa), who is a barber by trade, the playful track “Daga” is but a taste of his first album, which is coming out later this year. It will be his first time making his own music completely from scratch.

As he explained to ����ý at the March 18 launch at Sari Sari Bar in Makati City, “2018 ako nagsimula gumawa ng music. Last year lang ako nagsimula mag-gig sa small bars. Wala pang isang taon, so medyo late ako. (I started making music in 2018. I only started doing gigs in small bars last year. Not even a year yet, so I’m a bit of a late bloomer).”

It was the joy of collaborating and meeting different artists that set him on the path of a musician. The upcoming album is mastered by music producer and electronic rock group Pedicab’s singer Diego Mapa.

“Naramdaman ko na masaya kaya tuloy-tuloy ko na ginawa (I felt it was fun, so I continued doing it),” Mr. Villarosa said. He added that Mr. Mapa was the one who encouraged him to sign with Offshore, a move that was finalized in January.

His new single, “Daga,” which came out last week, is a continuation of his signature short, DIY, punchy synth-punk style of making music. It’s inspired by his childhood in the province, where he once found a mother-and-child pair of rats in the cabinet.

Meanwhile, the sound is inspired by “’80s music, like analog synthesizers and drums.” With these, the track illustrates the jumpy character of the rats running across the roof or the road. The playful music video, animated by visual artist Apol Sta. Maria, was developed to match the song’s energy.

As for how he sees success, Mr. Villarosa told ����ý that having the likes of Ely Buendia getting a haircut at his barbershop as well as meeting a lot of great musicians — both mainstream and underground — through his career is one step.

“Gusto ko ’yong dumadami ang tropa (I like that I’m making more friends),” he said.

“Daga” is the first of nine tracks that will be part of his first album, slated around June.

HALINA
Another relatively new addition to the Offshore Music label is Halina (real name: Divino Dayacap), who signed on back in October and promptly released a baroque OPM pop song titled “Tukso.”

“I wrote this love song back in 2016 and developed it over the years. It’s about two people with a certain chemistry — nag-aaway, nag-uusap (fighting, talking),” he told ����ý in an interview, citing influences like Ryan Cayabyab, Basil Valdez, and Sylvia La Torre.

“What I like about them is that kahit walang kumakanta, may ginagawa ’yong banda, mga bandurria at strings. ’Yong areglo ng buong music kumakanta (even if no one is singing, the band, with the bandurrias and strings, are still doing something. The arrangement of the whole music sings),” Mr. Dayacap explained.

His songs, rich with textures reminiscent of the ’70s Manila Sound, reflect how his father’s old records influenced him more than the MTV and Myx songs that were cool among his peers.

Halina’s music also has a cinematic quality, owing to Mr. Dayacap’s day job as a film scorer.

“I try to tell stories, not just with the words and the music, but with the environment, by creating moods and feelings and narratives. It’s like sound design in conjunction with the development of the music and lyrics. I use all the tools in my arsenal,” he said.

“Tukso” was initially not orchestral, which changed when Halina performed at Backyard Live in August last year. The intimate music gathering, where a 20-piece ensemble performed the track alongside the artist, opened up new possibilities for the arrangement.

“I became very collaborative,” Mr. Dayacap said. “I let go of my perfectionism because music is a very communal thing.”

As an artist, Halina is also unapologetic about being multidisciplinary, which he believes is the future of artistic expression. “I don’t separate the musical aspect, which is just sound waves, from the visuals, which is just light waves. When I write songs, I already imagine the visuals,” said the aspiring filmmaker.

In December, “Tukso” got its own music video, directed by Mr. Dayacap himself, in line with his multidisciplinary practice. “Music is not the only way. There’s a lot of ways to express what you feel as a human being,” he said.

Both “Daga” by Sexy Jay and “Tukso” by Halina are available on all digital music streaming platforms under the label Offshore Music. — Brontë H. Lacsamana