Filipino nine-piece collective Ben&Ben last Friday released the music video for its latest single “Lunod,” a collaboration with Zild and Juan Karlos.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Jerrold Tarog (“Heneral Luna,” “Goyo,” “Sana Dati”), the music video is a metaphorical depiction of individuals trying to keep their head above water and their way out of a dark, harrowing tunnel.
It was aptly shot at a historical site El Deposito water reservoir in San Juan City, an underground location known for its historical significance to the events that lead to the Philippine Revolution, Philippine-American War, and World War II.
“The music video is a deeply introspective and symbolic interpretation of the song, which is all tied in together from the concept and writing, down to the location,” lead vocalist, guitarist and “Lunod” chief songwriter Paolo Benjamin said.
“In the video, the song is narrated as the band, with Zild and Juan Karlos, move deeper and deeper into the tunnel slowly—losing breath, then in the latter half taking powerful strides to move out of it. This signals a ‘rebirth’ into a new, more mature version of the self,” he added.
The band members found the shooting location “creepy” because of its dark setting. However, they said it was a perfect location for the track.
One of the vocalists, Miguel Benjamin, said filming at the water reservoir was “poetic.”
“I think the energy there is really heavy but probably it’s also a lack of oxygen as you go deeper. Madilim talaga kasi, hindi mo nakikita ‘yung dulo,” he said, adding that the opening scenes of the music video tied “poetically” with the lyrics.
Overall, Miguel said the band Zild and Juan Karlos enjoyed shooting the music video at the historical site, citing that the venue was pivotal in history.
The band also shared photos behind-the-scenes of the “Lunod” music video.
In a Facebook post, NHCP Museo El Deposito thanked the artists for featuring the historic site.
“It was also nice being a part of your Music Video. Kudos to you guys and the whole team. Thanks for featuring our Historic site!,” it commented.
The music video has since garnered 354,678 views and 44,000 likes as of this writing. It is also the current top 9 trending for music on YouTube.
Meanwhile, this is the second time renowned director Tarog helmed a music video for the acclaimed folk-pop group.
In 2018, Tarog also filmed the music video of Ben&Ben’s track “Susi,” off the historical epic drama, “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral.
“We love collaborating with visionaries in their fields, and so it was a dream working with him,” the group said.
Prior to the release of the music video, Ben&Ben dropped a live acoustic performance of “Lunod” last month.
The version, which features collaborators Zild and Juan Karlos, strips down the bluesy, classic rock arrangements of the original for a more subdued take. It is available for streaming on all streaming platforms worldwide via Sony Music Philippines.
The intimate interpretation of the song is part of an exclusive EP release featuring multiple iterations of “Lunod” in various formats, including an extended version of the track.
“The multiple versions for ‘Lunod’ were intended to bring a full listening experience to our listeners; for them to hear what more could be brought out of the song,” Ben&Ben said in a statement.
“Lunod” also received a remix treatment from hip-hop artist Zelijah, who channeled his struggles with mental health on the production level, and even added a rap verse to convey the mental strains that he went through during the pandemic, and after being diagnosed as bipolar.
“Lunod” collaborators Zild and Juan Karlos, on the other hand, are set to join the Filipino band in its upcoming digital concert in Smart Araneta Coliseum that will be streamed on December 5.
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