Through Paul Vibhavadi, Phum Viphurit finds a new sense of freedom in his storytelling

MANILA, Philippines – Phum Viphurit has always been known for his laidback indie sound, his mellow vocals often meshed with catchy guitar riffs and bass lines. Just think of his earliest releases, “Lover Boy,” “Long Gone,” and “Strangers in a Dream.” 

While these qualities are still present in Phum’s music years later, this time around, the Bangkok-born artist is marking an interesting new era in his career, and quite literally transforming with the help of his alter ego, Paul Vibhavadi. 

Paul is that human-sloth hybrid you may have seen in Phum’s recent social media posts. When he was promoting one of his latest singles “The Other Side,” he archived his entire Instagram page, and left his followers with just one thing: a video of him addressing everyone like normal, then suddenly turning into the furry creature we now know as Paul. 

“I really wanted to explore that type of [gimmick] by seeing how people react if one day, an artist that you like just disappeared…like he was on his phone talking to you and you saw [him] change right before your eyes. It’s just the beginning of the art, of the story, of the concept, of this alter ego,” shared Phum. 

Indeed, this is just the beginning of the latest of Phum’s artistry. 

Breaking into new ground

On October 17, Phum released his EP, Paul Vibhavadi Vol. 1. In this record, listeners will be able to accompany Paul on his quest to find the mythical forest, and get a taste of peace and solitude in the process, too. But instead, all Paul finds is disappointment. 

“It’s the first season of Paul Vibhavadi,” Phum explained. “The ending song is about his decision: does he leave everything behind and disappear forever or does he choose to transform back into human? It’s pretty out there.” 

It’s through this alter ego that the 29-year-old was given the freedom to tell stories beyond his own experiences. It’s even allowed him to escape the unspoken need for any artist in the current music landscape to churn out album after album, and to constantly be on tour. Interestingly, it’s where the lines between reality and fiction blur, too. 

“The biggest change in this project was probably the perspective of looking at it. I saw it as complete fiction. Of course, there are some things that are related to my journey as Phum, but it sparked a totally new fire for me,” Phum shared. 

With a new identity also comes a new sound – and it’s something that Phum has long been interested in but is now just showcasing in his latest EP. 

“I’ve always been into electronic music, specifically early 2000s house, like The Chemical Brothers or bands like Modjo. And I knew straight away that if I ever got the chance, when the timing was right, that I would pursue this type of sound. But also, I would love to incorporate my style of storytelling and how I write lyrics as well. That became this project,” Phum told Rappler.

For the eyes, not just the ears

It’s pretty clear that Phum’s artistry doesn’t just lie in his music, but also in the visuals of his releases. Take for example the music video for “The Other Side,” which sees Paul Vibhavadi try to find his way through the mythical Himmapan Forest. 

Phum has directed and co-directed several of his music videos already in the past, but “The Other Side” marks the first time he’s had to don full makeup and special effects for an entire day — in the sweltering Bangkok heat at that. Physical challenges aside, however, Phum says he would do it all over again if he could. 

“[My co-director and I] just thought, ‘Let’s have a little fun.’ How far can the character go? What are the symbolisms we could play with? And yeah, the room, we can leave for the audience to interpret the journey,” the singer-songwriter shared. 

Being a film school graduate, Phum takes inspiration from various types of cinema to create his music videos, often finding himself engrossed in a wide range of series, movies, experimental short films, and arthouse productions. Case in point: French filmmaker Michel Gondry. 

“[Gondry’s work is] always innovative, not always super high budget, but when he makes a video for someone, it’s always relevant to what the artist is doing, and the concept is always unique. There’s just that special touch to it that you can’t put your finger on. One day I hope to make my visual works that cool,” Phum told Rappler. 

As Phum builds up on Paul Vibhavadi’s lore and explores where else his creativity can take him, he only hopes that his listeners have as much fun as he did working on his new releases.

“This is probably the most fun I’ve had making music in a very, very long time so I hope it translates. No matter how weird the journey gets, just please know that I’m having a lot of fun and laughing at a lot of the reactions people were having,” Phum said. – Rappler.com