“It was capturing magic in the studio.”
Philippine-based producers King Puentespina a.k.a. crwn and Six The Northstar capture the scenic La Union sunset on a solar-themed soul, hip hop, and house fusion album entitled EQUINOX.
The album is inspired by the concept of an Equinox or the moment where the sun crosses over the Earth’s equator. “It was perfect because that was exactly how Six and I approached making the album,” crwn explains. “We wanted a motif and an overarching story behind the music and made sure that it translated that experience.”
According to crwn, the collaboration was born earlier this year, when Six visited him in La Union. The former is also part of a band, SOS, whose members recently established a recording studio in the province during the pandemic. The two started working on beats together, which eventually led to the creation of EQUINOX.
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A long time in the making
Both Six and crwn have been wanting to make a record together for a while now. “[I’ve] been constantly coming back to La Union and [the] stars basically aligned one trip…[I] transferred a bunch of records to the samplers and off we went,” Six shares. La Union is a province situated in Ilocos, a region in the north of the Philippines, known as the surfing capital of the country.
Despite their different paces when it comes to production, crwn explained that they were able to learn from each other in the process and also let go of some of his own perfectionist impulses. He adds, “Composing EQUINOX taught me how to let go of being too fixated on making the ‘perfect’ beat. I was always caught up with making every detail pristine before this and it showed me that music can just be music.”
Six shares the same learning experience, saying that collaborating with crwn taught him how “to pay attention to certain details” and learn to “let go” in the process while still having fun.
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Turning the sun into sound
Speaking on the creative approach to crafting the moods and atmospheres of EQUINOX, Six explains, “[The album] is approached like how the day would also go, like from morning to night. Like, it’s dope how you are working on things in La Union…focused on your day job or whatever, then everybody just stops to appreciate the beauty of the sunset.” He goes on to add that because the sun is the center of energy and beauty, it was easy to have the sun at the center of the album.
Translating a concept like the sun to sound is no easy feat, but crwn says that they were able to achieve this by using samples from the ‘70s that were “either closely related or directly drew inspiration from the sun.”
Moreover, the duo wanted to pay homage to their heroes in music who have been inspired by similar concepts through the samples used in EQUINOX, including iconic lines from classic Filipino films, such as late actor Fernando Poe, Jr.’s “Pagmasdan mo na ng mabuti ang araw, dahil bukas, hindi ka na sisikatan ng araw” (Look at the sun closely, because tomorrow, the sun won’t rise on you anymore). in the third track, “Bukas, Ngayon At Kahapon” (Tomorrow, Today, And Yesterday).
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When describing how they want the listeners to feel when going through the album, crwn says that they want the audience to feel like “the sun making its rounds throughout the day.” “EQUINOX is a unique journey that brings you a lot of emotions. It’s calming but at the same time it can break a few necks,” he adds. The two recommend listening to the album while lighting , over a bottle of wine, or relaxing in the sun.
Forging forward with Pool Records
The producers will hold an album launch event on Saturday, July 30, which doubles as the official launch of crwn’s record label, Pool Records. It will feature performances from crwn and Six The Northstar themselves, along with TALA and Curtismith, who released a record under Pool Records last year. The event is described on the website as “the intersection of sound” and promises a multi-sensory experience.
“I think where Pool Records stands out is when we’re able to translate the music into something tangible and make music feel like it’s a living, breathing being,” crwn shares. “Pool Records’ goal will always put the experience of listening and participating in music at the forefront.” He goes on to comment on how he aims to fill in the gaps in the current live music scene by creating those moments where the artists and audience understand one another.
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“My dream is to always make sure that the artist, their music and the audience are just one entity during the show. That they all share the experience together. Listening to the music and experiencing the music should be the same thing for me.”
Catch crwn, Six The Northstar, TALA, Curtismith, and DJ sets by Duality and Badkiss this Saturday at Karrivin Plaza, Chino Roces Ext., Makati. Tickets are sold here. EQUINOX will be available on streaming platforms on July 31. Pre-save the album here.
Inline images provided by crwn
