AUDIOJUNKIE: The lore of Pinoy synth-pop
Synthpop: ‘A melody-driven genre where the synthesizer is the protagonist, blending futuristic electronic textures with the catchy accessibility of traditional pop’ - Gemini.
“We are NEW LORE! A three-girl band making music from art and poetry.” So goes the description on the band’s socials. And that’s all one ever needs to know to get started on this ultra-catchy synth/alt-pop trio that goes by the name NEW LORE.
This trio – bassist Kim Escalona, drummer Carole Lantican, and Tita Halaman – dishes out tasty alt-pop this side of Pinoy pop. The proof is in the pudding, and let’s just take their latest single “I know u by heart” as Exhibit A. This ebullient-sounding piece of synth-based pop instantly puts this listener in a good mood. Sunshine-in-a-cup for those in need of a lift!
And while SB19, BINI, and the whole lot of K-pop copycats get all the hype and attention, important bands like NEW LORE seem to be relegated to the side. But the band doesn’t seem to mind and presses on, and keeps on dropping one engrossing single after another. Check out the following NEW LORE tracks: the Stranger Things-tinged synth of “Grief Cake,” the modern rock-cum-pop allure of “Substack Girl,” the vibra tranquila feel of "Nariyan," and the Pinoy alt-pop stamped goodness of "Loving, Hurting." The trio has released only a dozen or so tracks so far, including the latest, but the consistency is apparent. For lack of a better description, NEW LORE rocks!
The band is born out of NO LORE, the art-pop sibling duo of Jerald Angelo Juatco and Joisha Juatco. When it came time to dissolve the duo, Joisha Juatco, a visual artist and poet, took on the moniker Tita Halaman. NEW LORE came to being last year with Escalona and Lantican joining in. The trio released the surprisingly mature-sounding “GRIEF CAKE” album (2025) that puts on display the buoyant vibe and energy that comes off instantly memorable songs such as “Oh Maturity,” the Imogen Heap-reminiscent and synthpop-heavy “Ambitious” and “Goodsides,” and the excellent 80’s new wave throwback of “Who Hurt You.”
NEW LORE is all about carefully crafted pop art pieces meant to be sonically consumed. In short, NEW LORE is a vibe.
And since we’re already on the subject of synth and alt-pop, here's a new-release shortlist that savvy pinoy pop listeners should be listening to.
First is “Pagmamahal” by HEY JUNE! More retropop than synth, this midtempo ballad just exudes a relaxed aura. HEY JUNE! Keeps it simple but goes jangly and heavy on chorus-y effects and just saturates this track with good intentions.
One Click Straight’s latest single seems like a throwback to 90’s alternative dance with “Trip Lang.” In fact, this synth-laden, driving alt-rock amalgam channels some Jesus Jones energy, especially on those arpeggio hooks that inform the songs’ breaks. As the title suggests, “kanya-kanyang trip” and as much as possible, ‘walang basagan.’ In that spirit, OCS suggests: “Pwede bang simplehan na lang / Pwede bang ‘wag ka nang matakot sa ‘di mo maintindihan?” Raymund Marasigan appears on the track as iwas-pusoy kicker.
At this point, Join Da Club are proverbial veterans of the scene. These holdovers of the banda explosion of the early aughts are still at it and still manage to dish out some surprisingly good tunes. Case in point, their latest single titled “My Heart.” For a second there, I thought head JDC Biboy Renia went math-rock, but when the straight-four drumbeat kicked in, we’re back in familiar Join Da Club territory with those shimmery guitars and lush, earworm melodies.
Check out the Pinoy pop playlist 2026 on Spotify.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6vMp1Yog4J79ihZMziQsAZ?si=e77a1851eab84873