Aching murmurs
‘Minsan nakakainis isipin na kapag bata, hindi na puwede maging magaling. Hindi ako masyadong focused sa opinyon ng mga tao dahil tapos na ako diyan. Pero minsan nakaka-bother lang ‘yung ganung perspective nila about your music.’
Kate Bush was 19 when she released “The Kick Inside,” an envelope-pushing debut album that set the template for pop music as an avant-garde expression. It opened doors for young female musicians to experiment with weird sounds, take control of their own music-making, and embrace the possibilities of otherworldliness as a sonic reference.
The classic album inspired the likes of Bjork, Cocteau Twins and Grimes to make records that were idiosyncratic, to say the least, finding shelter in otherness without fear of being judged.
Another groundbreaker was Lorde. The recording artist was 17 when she conquered global music charts with Royals — a slice of sardonic commentary that took a swipe at celebrity culture and materialism. It was the pop darling’s breakthrough single, and it inspired a lot of artists — young and old — to explore their own eccentricities and present their individuality as a way to stand out in an overwhelmingly mainstream music scene.
And now comes Unique, an 18-year-old outsider who fronted IV of Spades, one of the most commercially successful independent acts of the last five years. Now gone solo, Unique’s music seems wise and observant beyond his years. His debut album, “Grandma,” channels that fascinating period of self-discovery and disaffected youth into a record teeming with sonic ambition and range. It’s easily one of the finest local releases of 2018, a well-produced opus with songwriting that stretches pop/rock music to unimaginable and exciting places, and with melodic instincts that speak on an intimate level albeit coming from a place of intrinsic complexity. Despite its success, Unique points out that some of his detractors dismiss him because for not sounding his age. “Minsan nakakainis isipin na kapag bata, hindi na pwede maging magaling,” the singer tells Supreme. “Hindi ako masyadong focused sa opinyon ng mga tao dahil tapos na ako diyan. Pero minsan nakaka-bother lang yung ganoong perspective nila about your music.”
Outside of prevailing trends, Unique fosters an artistic identity that pulls from many corners of the past. His reference points bend the ‘60s pop music of the Beatles, the psychedelic trips of the Who, and the sensitive singer-songwriter balladry of Elton John and Todd Rundgren into new shapes, all while injecting a modern flair into the mix. He’s an old soul at heart, but there’s a tendency for this performer to probe the ragged parts of being a complicated, troubled teenager who sees the world through a mature lens. His songwriting style has always been about leaving puzzle pieces that generate questions, rather than giving listeners a clear picture of his thoughts and feelings. It’s far from abstract, but touches upon social issues and personal conflicts without laying out the complete story. He seems to thrive on the non-linear. “Pagdating sa pagsusulat ng kanta, mas okey ’yung kahit ikaw mismo hahanapin mo kung ano ’yung sagot sa ginawa mo,” the singer-songwriter reflects. “Parang ano kasi masyado nilang iniisip na dapat kapag gumagawa dapat bibigyan mo sila ng sagot. So ako ang ginawa ko bibigyan ko sila ng tanong, ng maraming tanong.”
Watch Unique perform a stripped down version of Goodnight Prayer on Supreme’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/philstarsupreme. For more updates, follow Supreme on Twitter and Instagram @philstarsupreme.
In terms of themes covered on his latest record, Unique doesn’t shy away from controversial topics. The sprawling ballad Goodnight Prayer in particular slowly unravels into a commentary on religion and faith. “Medyo blasphemous siya, pero hindi halata kasi akala nila prayer,” he says about the song. But the OC Records artist clarifies that most of the tracks on the album are written using multiple personalities, like David Bowie assuming the role of Ziggy Stardust, the exotic space queer behind the gems Starman and Moonage Daydream, or Nicki Minaj inhabiting the spirit of a quick-witted, flamboyant British dude Roman Zolanski on hip-hop chart-toppers Roman’s Revenge, Roman Holiday and Roman Reloaded. “’Yung Goodnight Prayer, hindi ko boses ’yun,” he explains. “Persona siya ng ibang tao. Binigyang buhay ko lang siya sa mga salita at kwento.”
For other interesting titles, look no further than the post-disco longing of OZONE (Itulak Ang Pinto), which references the infamous disco club fire of 1996 that left 162 people dead. The idea started when Unique and his friend came across a restaurant that previously housed the now-closed Ozone disco. “Isang beses napadaan kami sa GoodAh!!!. May nagsabi sa akin na yun daw yung dating Ozone. Nag-stuck siya sa isip ko hanggang kinabukasan. Dun ko nasulat yung kanta. Pero yung pagkasulat ko noon hindi pa siya kanta, di pa siya lyrics. Ano pa siya kwento na tinapalan ko ng love story. Tapos umikli. Nagbawas ako ng mga letra.” The song documents the dissolution of a relationship and how it ended up engulfed in flames. It’s no straightforward breakup story, but it effectively communicates the gravitas of a sunken love affair through the lens of the Ozone disco tragedy.
Cha-ching, another provocative anthem that debuted online with a self-directed video, is rife with Lynchian images of greedy men, rats, pigs, worms, blood and money. Music fans were quick to post their take on Unique’s latest music video. “Una, you guys have to understand the context of the lyrics and the song itself. It describes greed, a rush for power, sin, in its shallowest form,” a fan commented on YouTube. Another person posted an interesting reaction to Unique’s compelling new single. “Even if the lyrics are short and repetitive, Unique has captured the underlying, filthy issues of one’s vested interest and its impact in society. Altogether, the song and music video create a stirring psychedelia — a grotesque, “brainwashing” effect just as MONEY or GREED (Cha-Ching) can do.”
That Unique’s songs draw reactions from all ages says something about his work: it’s an unequivocal love letter to a world creeping toward death and bleakness, a universal hymn that echoes our aching murmurs. Unique writes without knowing the answers, but he still believes there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that a tiny speck of hope will save us from flames. “Patuloy kong hahanapin ang kahulugan ng pagibig,” he sings optimistically on Sino. Love won’t provide all the answers, but the journey leaves him wanting to write more, experience more heartaches and triumphs, and channel it into his music.
