Previously the singer and guitarist of Unmute, a psychedelic rock/shoegaze outfit that used to frequent productions like Furiosa in Mow’s, Em Yoo has redefined and rebranded herself as Psycho Silver, and she has released her first solo single, “Superbia.”

“Superbia” is a chill and dreamy film noir-inspired electronica track co-produced by Francis Lorenzo (The Ringmaster), whom Yoo met while distributing tikoy during a Furiosa show around Chinese New Year before the pandemic. Years later, she decided to start her solo project and got in touch with him. “Without that tikoy, this venture wouldn’t be possible,” she jokes.

Psycho Silver photographed by Trish Shishikura

“He elevated the sound that I was going for and fleshed out my visions that I thought wouldn’t be possible,” she says in a press release. “His inputs to the songs were like placing the pieces to my missing puzzle. And he understands my music language that a rare few can only decode. And vice versa.”

Psycho Silver photographed by Trish Shishikura

A music video for “Superbia” was also filmed to accompany the single’s release. Directed by Kyle Quismundo (Cheats) and assisted by his brother Kiel, the video shows Psycho Silver frolicking in a deserted cinema, among other outdoor locations. “It was like being with the Duplass Brothers,” she says about working with the Quismundos, comparing them to the filmmaker brothers behind the HBO series Togetherness and Room 104, among other shows and movies.

https://youtu.be/CoVyZrnTJr4?feature=shared

Yoo plans to release more singles and videos this year and the next as Psycho Silver, with Lorenzo as her collaborator, “depending on our work pacing,” she adds. 

Listen to “Superbia” below:

Jason Caballa

Jason Caballa

Managing Editor

Currently the Managing Editor at Billboard Philippines, Jason Caballa's career in music journalism has spanned decades, having most notably served as Music Editor of PULP Magazine and then Associate Editor for the now-defunct Pinoytuner.com.

He has also contributed music articles for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Rogue Magazine, Mabuhay Magazine, and other print publications from as early as his college years. After shifting to advertising as a copywriter in several agencies, he has returned to documenting local and international music with the establishment of Billboard Philippines in 2023.

Having been a musician himself in Manila's rock and indie scenes since the late '90s, Jason is often inclined towards featuring bands and recording artists who come from that world, as his firsthand experiences allow him to come up with insightful angles and questions for his subjects, resulting in unique and in-depth stories.

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