Six years after its original release, Filipino alternative rock band Calein, known for songs such as “Umaasa” and “Someone,” is giving “Oras” new life with a remastered version that preserves its original emotion while bringing greater clarity and fullness to its sound.
Originally released in March 2020, “Oras” arrived just as Calein was gaining momentum. The band celebrated its release with an intimate launch at Social House in Makati, where fellow artists including Unique Salonga, Arthur Nery, and One Click Straight also performed. Blaster and other musicians were among the supporters who came out to celebrate with the band that night. For vocalist and songwriter John Dale “JD” Mustacho, the memory remains vivid. “I was surprised that so many people came to support us,” he recalls.
Days later, the pandemic brought live events and much of the music industry to a halt. “Everybody was shocked and we all had to adjust,” JD shares. “We didn’t really get to promote it properly, so most of what we did became online content.” Drummer Benjo Criste adds, “The fire was there, but when the pandemic happened, everything was cut short.”
With its original promotion interrupted, the band now sees the remaster as an opportunity to give “Oras” another moment. “I wanted to give the song new life and give the band a clear path this time,” JD says. Bassist Oliver Salaysay agrees: “Because the promotion was stopped before, this feels like the perfect time to reintroduce the song.”
Remastered by Jan Aries Agadier Fuertez, the new version preserves the original recording and arrangement while giving the track greater clarity, width, and overall sonic depth. “We didn’t change anything about the song because we wanted to keep its identity and emotions,” JD explains. Oliver adds, “the vocals are crisper, the sound is wider. It feels clearer.”
At its heart, “Oras” began with a story of unspoken love. JD wrote the song after inviting someone he had a crush on to one of Calein’s gigs, planning to confess his feelings, only for her to arrive with her boyfriend. “That was where the first line of the song came from,” he recalls.
The song carries a different meaning for the band today. “Before, it was about someone else,” JD says of the chorus. “Now, it feels more like a hidden love for myself.” For Benjo, the song brings him back to his younger years. “When you listen to it and close your eyes, the music takes you back. It reminds you of your younger self.”
The remaster also arrives as Calein enters a new chapter with its current lineup of JD Mustacho on vocals and guitar, Oliver Salaysay on bass, and Benjo Criste on drums. “This version of Calein feels fresh and more mature,” JD says. “We have a clearer path now. But the sound, the heart, and the identity are still there.”
For Oliver, the timing also opens the song to people who may have missed it the first time. “It’s perfect timing for those who haven’t heard Calein’s music yet.” Benjo, meanwhile, hopes longtime listeners hear the remaster and reflect on how much has changed. “I hope they remember how they felt the first time they heard it, and see how far they’ve come.”
More than anything, Calein hopes the song still makes listeners feel something. “It doesn’t matter if it’s happiness or longing,” JD says. “As long as they feel something, that’s already the reward for us.”
