1032 Lab turns music into an experience
Good music is good music, and at its purest, this still holds true. But in today’s multiplatform media landscape—most especially in the hyper-stylized world of P-pop—what fans see can be just as crucial as what they hear.
And no one quite grasps—and applies—this cultural phenomenon better than 1032 Lab, the rising Filipino creative company best known for its work with the trailblazing P-pop group SB19.
With expertise in producing intricate music videos and other visuals, the team has been instrumental in bringing SB19’s epic concepts to life onscreen, onstage, and in merchandise. “We Filipinos are very visual as a people, so it’s not only about what we hear, but what we experience as a whole. We have to touch all the senses when we release [new music],” 1032 Lab co-founder and creative director Iana Cris Forbes tells Lifestyle Inquirer.
“That’s our biggest inspiration when creating visuals for SB19 and other clients. It has to be an experience,” she adds. “Kahit ’yong paghawak mo ng merch—dapat kabit-kabit lahat to produce a successful campaign.”
Self-fulfilling prophecy
In the case of “Kalakal”—SB19’s gritty and explosive hip-hop collaboration with Gloc-9—its title turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Fittingly, a song about the industry grind, with a music video showing each member peddling their own wares in a bustling marketplace, became the ultimate trade.
Needless to say, what they sold, the people bought—the song has so far amassed over 4.8 million views on YouTube and 21.2 million streams on Spotify since its release in 2024. Their latest merchandise drop also sold out quickly, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting relief efforts for typhoon victims.
“The song is about selling something, selling music. So the line that goes, ‘Lapag ang ipon ‘pag kami nagtitinda,’ is so apt, kasi lahat ng merch nila sold out. The events that happened around their music were true to the lyrics,” Forbes points out.
Immense trust
More than commercial success, 1032 Lab’s work also earned acclaim. At the 38th Awit Awards, “Kalakal” took home the coveted Music Video of the Year trophy, while co-founder and CEO Louis Anthony Duran was recognized for Best Cover Art, also for the same song.
Director Alanshiii Ante credits this success to the “immense trust” given to them by SB19, which allowed 1032 to translate the vibrance and familiar chaos of Pinoy markets into high art. In fact, of all the projects they have done with the group, “Kalakal” remains Duran’s favorite “because it’s the most Filipino thing we have done.”
“It’s our culture. We wanted to show ’yong paglalako—lahat ng pwede mong pagkasyahin sa isang motorsiklo,” Duran says. “That passion hasn’t waned even with the emergence of online selling. ‘Di pa rin nawawala ’yong liveliness, which we wanted to translate into art, music video, and campaign.”
Forbes, meanwhile, couldn’t believe their recent victories, because it seemed like it was only yesterday that they were tapped to work on the music videos. They knew how much SB19 looked up to Gloc-9; there was no room for mistakes.
“Idol talaga nila si Gloc-9, so when this opportunity came, sabi namin, ‘Galingan natin,’” she recalls. “We wished na sana maging worth it ito at maipakita namin na kaya ng isang small company like ours to do a project this big. Grabe ang preparation at puso na ibinuhos namin.”
Duran adds: “We’re grateful because there are so many artists who want to work with SB19, given the way they want to uplift the local music scene.”
A “baby” company
1032 Lab may still be, in their own words, a “baby,” but it couldn’t be clearer that their ideas are anything but. As they continue to help elevate Filipino pop and what it could look like, they remain committed to their tried-and-true philosophy.
“The way we do things is that every decision when it comes to visuals should have meaning,” stresses Duran, citing the branding and visual direction they executed for SB19’s “Simula at Wakas” era—“from the intro film hanggang napunta na siya sa Philippine Arena [concert].”
“We make sure that every color, every detail, and everything people see helps tell the story,” he says.
