MANILA, Philippines—Pouring all of his being into his artistry and spending years honing his musical skills, Zild is one of the young musicians in the scene to look out for. Unleashing more dynamics to his craft, the multi-instrumentalist recently released his much awaited “Medisina” album under Island Records Philippines. The album draws together his unique sound, his knack for connecting with listeners, and his storytelling talents, all of which have served him well over the years
The eleven songs on Medisina, the majority of which Zild plays and produces, highlight the contemporary DIY ethos of his music. Instead of focusing on themes or musical sophistication, he thinks the key objective is to produce an album that awakens emotions. He says, “Growing up in the city also created this sound that I wanted to share: messy but contained, gloomy but still [feeling] like home, and young.”
The opening track, “CRAB,” is a post-punk piece that depicts the unintended consequences of friends understanding one’s anxieties. This gives the listener an idea of the aural scope of Medisina, which aids Zild in accomplishing his goal. The song implies that sometimes even they don’t want their friend to succeed. Another song, “Duda,” is about a relationship in which one partner is frustrated as the other doubts his sincerity. Through its sonic and lyrical influences, it pays homage to a genre Zild grew up with, 90s and 2000s Pinoy rock.
It took Zild a year to actually finish this album, and the challenge was twofold; which songs would he include, and if so, whether these songs were truly finished after he worked on them. He also included previously unreleased tracks in his live set lists. One recent favorite, “Dekada ’70,” which shares its name (and theme) with Lualhati Bautista’s short novel about dissent during the Martial Law years, is something Zild says people sing along to with fervor, particularly its chorus.
A launch tour that lasts the entire month of November, lyric films made in the Windows Movie Maker style, and some music videos for his favorite songs are all part of Zild’s plans for the album, according to the artist. As more people hear his songs, they will come to understand an artist whose talent and honesty radiate forth, a necessary remedy for such a trying time.
Images courtesy of Island Records Philippines
Stream Medisina here.