Moonstar88 drops new album in 10 years with web3 activations and special trading cards

MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Following the release of their latest single “Parola” early this month, Filipino rock band Moonstar88 dropped their first album in 10 years on Friday, January 27. “Lourdes 2088” is the first mixed reality album that provides the hybrid experience of music and today’s technology.

The album plays with the idea of a dystopian future (2088) where inventions go beyond the realm of science — even heartaches have a solution in order for people to adapt.

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“As a band, as much as we’re passionate about music, we’ve always been agile with how we can reach out to our fans and listeners,” explained Maysh Baay, the band’s vocalist. “The band started from the cassette era to CD to streaming/social media and now web3 and a somewhat full circle path to physicals (vinyl and trading cards). We ourselves are ardent art and music fans so we want to give the best experience to our fans. It’s exciting how technology makes that possible for music plus we are so lucky to have the best producers and collaborators for Lourdes 2088.”

Each track is represented by trading cards that each allude to a certain invention that helps people through emotional breakdowns brought about by heartbreak: the PusoCal (BreakUp Scheduler), ReEMO (Emotional Baggage Recycle Bin and Editor), Freezer (Cryogenic emotional stasis headwear), and more. The art for the trading cards, as well as the aesthetic of the album, is created by Nelz Yumul, the creative brain behind weewilldoodle, the Philippines’ premier doodle/illustration group.

Access to the trading cards is through the band’s special edition purple-colored vinyl (PHP 2,100). A limited Future Edition of the album (PHP 3,000) will also be made available, one that grants the vinyl owner access to unique web3 experiences and exclusive Moonstar88 content and perks. This is the first vinyl release of the band in collaboration with The Grey Market Records and Backspacer Records.

The album which has been a decade in the making takes its audience way beyond ten years’ time, accentuated by web3 activations made in collaboration with GIGIL Metama, a web3 agency.

“We will always embrace change just to reach the Filipino people na mahal ang music namin. From tapes to CDs, interactive CD, pop-up album… parang lagi natin mina-maximize anong meron than resisting it,” shared band guitarist Herbert Hernandez. “Kaya ano man ang darating na new format, it could be metaverse or actual bisita sa ibang bansa… ano pang means gagawin namin.”