PHILIPPINES—Young Filipino singer-songwriter, and multi-hyphenate visionary, Unique Salonga, sure knows how to break conventions to mark a return to music, welcoming 2022 with a brand new track, “Oblivion”, along with a first-ever solo art exhibit of the same title.
Released this month via O/C Records, Salonga’s latest release is a one-hour soothing tone of ambient music that, for the artist, offers a brief escape from reality—a creation that harnesses the power of sound to transport listeners to a tranquil dimension—free from all the chaos in the world.
The 21-year-old “Sino” artist describes “Oblivion” as a “pag-escape natin instantly dito sa external na mundo.” He adds, “asahan niyo na isa ‘to sa magiging tool para makapag-transcend mula sa mga problema na dinadala niyo sa pang araw-araw. Nang magkaro’n naman tayo ng time para ayusin ang sarili natin sa panloob. Masyado na kasi tayong stressed at busy sa panlabas.”
Image courtesy of O/C Records.
In the same way, Salonga shared that this piece and its creative process became a therapy tool that served as an aid to overcome his crippling anxiety, which started under the cloud of the pandemic.
The release of this subliminal track preludes the launch of his first-ever solo art exhibit, at Secret Fresh Art Gallery in San Juan that opened on January 23. The audio-visual exhibit features various tessellation art by the singer-songwriter himself combined with the ambient music he produced for each art piece. As such, to amplify the immersive experience, audiences are compelled to bring their own set of headphones for their mobile devices to fully engage and marvel in the audio and visual exhibition.
“Hilig ko na talaga siyang [tessellation art] gawin dati pa pero lately ko lang na-realize na pwede ko siyang seryosohin at gamitin para makipag-communicate sa unconventional na paraan,” Salonga shares.
His jab at art is deeply intertwined with his storytelling process where for him, each track and art should be experienced fully by both the eyes and the ears. He notes, “Kapag pinag-combine mo kasi sila, mas madali tayong napapakalma nito. Hindi siya gaanong magiging effective kapag magkahiwalay sila kaya kailangan mo talaga ‘tong ma-experience nang sabay.”
In a statement, Salonga notes how the exhibit is largely influenced by his quest to inspire other artists to explore passion for other pursuits. He says, “Gusto kong ipakita na hindi mo kailangang ma-stuck sa iisang field o specialization. Gusto kong magbigay sa kanila ng lakas ng loob para mahanap nila ‘yung natatago pa nilang potensiyal.”
Official exhibition poster courtesy of O/C Records.
“Oblivion” is now available on all digital streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. The Oblivion art exhibit will run until February 5, 2022.