Alternative boyband KINDRED fortifies their lambing (courtship) narrative through a 15-track mixtape that colorfully foreshadows the possibilities of Original Filipino Music (OPM). “SUBSET” converges the collaborative efforts of eight kindred spirits—dot.jaime, Fern., VINCED, Slomosays, Nouvul, Pikunin, Punzi, and Cavill—slating their varied artistic influences over a project, three years in the making.
A “genre-bending” mixtape, “SUBSET” ventures toward the evergreen sounds of city pop and experimental dance, with hints of R&B and Neo OPM. Unphased in terms of living up to pre-existing industry standards and expectations, KINDRED’s communal voice echoes ambiguity, ushering a collection of ballads produced with love and for the eccentric and optimistic future.
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Apart from pre-released staples “Switch on U!,” “Lambing,” “Megastar – Interlude,” and “IDWTEXTUBABY,” the collective’s timelessness and intentionality are evidenced through Ligaw—situated around themes of reconnection and the readiness to look back on what once was. An ode primarily to the local fledging youth-driven music scene, the 13th track reaps KINDRED’s uniquely progressive persona, perfectly aging with the changing times.
More than just a unit, KINDRED thrives on the continuous bond fortified by the eight-man ensemble and the community that flourishes with them. “SUBSET” is a product of the interpersonal connection formed through sound and kin, awakened by their conscious efforts and initiative to grow.
“The album symbolizes what I think it means to be personally intertwined with a project. There are different sounds in this album that elicit different kinds of feelings, and I think it’s just us as KINDRED communicating what we’ve gone through as people and as artists,” Fern. tells Complex Philippines.
“In the process of birthing this mixtape, I’ve found that the real treasure lies within the special bonds we’ve managed to forge with each other—I’d even go as far as to say that I’m forever changed by this friendship and experience. KINDRED is my ‘family-shaped musical utopia,' and I hope more people awaken to their own special bonds and life-changing friendships the same way we did. Real love and friendship go a long way, and this is living proof,” Novul mentions.
“We may only be eight up on that stage, but without our village of people championing and supporting us, we’d be nowhere,” Slomo Says adds.
Catch the live debut of ‘SUBSET’ at the Avire Tower, 27 P. Tuazon Blvd., Project 4, Quezon City, on November 10, 2023, and stream their latest mixtape, now available across all platforms.
