Ben&Ben to blend animation, film and live music in ‘hybrid’ concert
MANILA, Philippines — Ben&Ben will take the concertgoers into a “magical, world-building realm” at their first-ever “animation-concert” hybrid, blending live music, new dimension of storytelling and state-of-the-art multimedia elements. Inspired by their latest album and fondness for animation, the band will stage an intriguing concept for their concert on Dec. 14 at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena. It is produced by Ovation Productions.
The show will be a fusion of animation, film and music performances that will surely create a unique soundscape, immersive, audio-visual experience for the audience to remember.
In a recent exclusive interview with The STAR, the nine-piece collective shared that they are kinda nervous because it will be the first time that they are pulling off such kind of show.
“Much as we are fans of various artists and many concerts, the result of how we (sorted) things out for the concert and the album, there’s no basis (peg) for it. So, we are really nervous,” admitted Paolo Benjamin.
Paolo’s twin brother and vocalist Miguel chimed in, “But at the same time, as artists, that’s what excites us. Kapag ka alam mong may ma-try ka na you don’t know what will be the outcome. That’s what we did in the album and also in the concert. We only have one shot to do that on Dec. 14.”
The forthcoming gig was in collaboration with Puppeteer Studios and was named after their third studio album, The Traveller Across Dimensions.
Aside from sharing their stories on the album, they also thought about how they would present the visuals and the videos creatively, in such a way that it would have a life of their own. Miguel elaborated, “We could actually expand it. We could actually make a story out of it and create an animated universe. We draw inspiration from Japanese animation, Disney animation, (and the likes). Kasi grabe sila magkwento. Even though it’s fiction, kahit na hindi naman siya totoong buhay, you could learn a lot of lessons from it and apply (them) in real life.”
After recording the album, they were able to create an animated universe that features both their music and their liking for animation and incorporate it into their show.
Paolo is an avid fan of the Japanese manga series Naruto, while Miguel is fond of Studio Ghibli animated works. The other band members also mentioned some of their favorites, such as, “Avatar: The Last Airbender” for Poch Barretto; “The Prince of Egypt” for Keifer Cabugao; Disney animation films and Netflix series “Arcane” for Patricia Lasaten; “Oshi No Ko” for Andrew de Pano; “Case Closed,” also known as “Detective Conan,” for Agnes Reoma; and “Love Death + Robots” for Jam Villanueva.
According to media release, The Traveller Across Dimensions follows the journey of its central character, Liwanag, as she embarks on an enchanting adventure to find inner peace. As she travels through three symbolic realms — Light, Energy, and Feel — Liwanag confronts trials that challenge her path toward self-discovery.
In addition to Liwanag, the album introduces several other key characters who play integral roles in the narrative.
Gabay, a wise traveler, returns to the Light Dimension to serve as a mentor to Liwanag. Puhon, Liwanag’s loyal pet, aids her in navigating the Energy Dimension.
Mahiwaga, another traveler on a parallel quest to complete the Lifecrest, crosses paths with Liwanag in the Feel Dimension. These characters enrich the story, each contributing to Liwanag’s growth and her understanding of herself and the world around her.
Produced by the band and Ziv, with additional contributions from Petra Sihombing, Sam and Tim Marquez, and JP Verona, the album blends diverse genres and innovative sound design.
The album, which involves narrative about one’s phases of life, is a journey of self-discovery through animation.
Ben&Ben said that the narrative serves as an allegory for personal growth, “Her story reflects our own journeys through innocence, struggle, and maturity. In the process, Liwanag learns that the pain of loss is an essential part of the peace she seeks.”
Miguel furthered, “All of us go through sa pagiging innocent, pagiging mas bata, like wala ka pang masyadong nararanasang paghihirap sa bahay. But also, (all) of us also go through tough times, iba-iba ng klase and we feel like it’s impossible, we want to give up, and all of us learn from it.”
And once we have a full grasp of everything, that’s when we changed, he added. “Sometimes, it’s good, sometimes not. But in a way, you go through a test and it will make you stronger. The themes of the songs are about the stories of our lives. Not just one aspect of our lives, iba-iba — about love, heartaches, hope, mental health, among others.”
“It’s like, even though it’s fictional, just like what you watch in animation, we hope that it’s the same lesson that the listeners will pick up, yung mga bahagi ng buhay,” he continued.
Meanwhile, newly married couple Pat and Agnes shared that they felt all the love and support from their family and friends during their wedding.
“We’re still in transition (married life). We still couldn’t believe that it happened because we’re preparing for it more or less than one month,” recalled Agnes. “As in we felt the love of the people (around us) because the wedding was successful because of everybody — people here and abroad, and our team, and our family. We felt everybody’s love talaga.”
The Traveller Across Dimensions is out now via Sony Music Entertainment.
(Tickets for the concert are now available via SM Tickets.)
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