Amid the notion that record labels are on their way out and that game-changing break of getting signed by one is a thing of the past, a new company was recently launched, boasting an interesting breed of musical acts and a celebrity couple who are artists themselves serving as bosses.
O/C Records, described as a joint venture between rocker-actor Kean Cipriano and the iconic Vic Del Rosario, clearly presented itself as not the typical label as we know it.
‘‘I exactly know how it is to be an artist and what he or she deserves. Our label is one that respects the artists and the message is magpakabaliw ka sa art mo and do your thing and we will take care of the business side of it,” expressed Kean who rose to fame as frontman for the hit band Callalily and later evolved into a mainstream actor himself.
Of course, it meant that the artists attached to this new label have enough talent and charm, and not just mere mad acts who think they’re deep and just misunderstood. The initial roster proved interesting, with Unique of IV of Spades fame on board. In fact, he will officially debut on Sept. 29 with a show at the Kia Theater in Araneta Center, QC branded as Grandma Concert Tour.
Unique’s “Midnight Sky” track has more than three million streams on Spotify. He also has a song called “Ozone” which obviously referenced that disco house tragedy in 1996.
Others backed by O/C are folk singer Rice Lucido, songbird Frizzle Anne, the psychedelic band Bita and the Botflies, and acoustic funk groover Earl Generao whose song “Lunas,” with now nearly 300,000 Spotify streams, is melodically catchy as it is lyrically engaging.
Acknowledging he’s one of the few who really made it in such a cutthroat field, Kean noted, “I’ve been in the industry for 13 years and it’s the best time to give back because I’m really blessed with fruitful and meaningful career.”
That is a sincere expression of gratitude which should immediately benefit the fortunate ones he signed and will sign on his label.
Kean’s wife-actress Chynna Ortaleza is no doubt a woman behind his continued success. She said in part, “We’re glad to be given such importance and respect by Boss Vic.”
To further stressed its commitment to giving the music scene a fresh take on the business of handling Filipino artists, O/C Records promises to be “a haven for the fearless authentic artists to fully explore their craft and insights and an eye opener that defies what is deemed typical and class for a new set of dynamics in rhythm.”
That poetry is easier said than done.
Yet having a clear, nontraditional mindset from the onset is an indication that things will be done differently. Unique himself pointed out he’s scared of record labels because of the general view that artists lose creative freedom once they’re signed. That he allowed himself to go under O/C says a lot about it being truly a new record label.
