Ang Nawawalang Vinyl

MANILA, Philippines - OPM is going back to its musical roots — in terms of audio format, at least. This past year, four Pinoy bands have released their albums in 12-inch vinyl format; including Tarsius’ “Primates” album released last September and Up Dharma Down’s 300-copy release of “Capacities” about to come out in December. Now, this year’s Cinemalaya Audience Choice winner Ang Nawawala, has jumped onboard the vinyl train, releasing a vinyl version of the film’s OST, “Ang Nawawalang Soundtrack.”

But why are bands going back to vinyl? Probably the same reason why some people still keep using film cameras: quality laced with a tinge of nostalgia. Like with taking that careful shot on film, vinyl requires a lot more attention than the run-of-the-mill MP3 file. Owning something that isn’t as accessible as digital makes it a little more worth having. For Ang Nawawala’s director Marie Jamora, releasing the movie’s score on vinyl is just that. “I firmly believe that vinyl is the future of music,” she says. “It gives artists the royalties they deserve, it uses the most perfect audio format, and it’s un-piratable.”

During the film’s Cinemalaya run last July, Jamora originally gave away 200 CDs containing eight songs from the film for free. Because of its limited quantities, fans have been wondering when they can pick up another copy of the soundtrack. After months of waiting, Jamora has finally announced that the “Ang Nawawalang Soundtrack” is slated for a December release.

There’s a lot to the found in “Nawawala.” The soundtrack contains 13 tracks that have been remastered especially for vinyl. Included are live performances of songs by Pedicab, Itchyworms, and The Strangeness. There’s also a re-recording of Eraserhead’s Minsan by Ely Buendia and Raimund Marasigan, that’s made specifically for the film.

Not to shun digital completely, the old school record will be accompanied by a digital download card of all the songs on the vinyl as well as other tracks that were featured in the film. Also included in the card are 19 tracks of the film’s award-winning score.

Aside from the digital download card, the transparent record (instead of the traditional black) will include an exclusive 11x17-inch poster of Ang Nawawala, illustrated by Bauzon-Arre specifically for the vinyl release.

Marie hopes that people will appreciate the “Ang Nawawalang Soundtrack” as much as she has. “Mikey, Jazz, Peavey, and I have been working on the soundtrack non-stop for the last two months…nitpicking each instrument of every track to make sure every song sounds as perfect as it should.” She says, “I cannot wait to share my favorite music with the world. Like the film, this soundtrack has been a labor of love.”

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Five hundred copies of the “Ang Nawawalang Soundtrack” will be available for pre-order starting Nov. 10. Visit facebook.com/AngNawawalangOST or email AngNawawalangOST@gmail.com for pre-order details. Once released on December 19, the vinyl will be sold at Heima, Blanc Gallery, and The Grey Market.