by Nash Schenzie Kei Morallos
It’s been three decades since the Eraserheads completely defied expectations with Fruitcake, their critically acclaimed 1996 English Christmas concept album. To honor its enduring legacy, independent record label Offshore Music has teamed up with award-winning illustrator and comic book creator Rob Cham for an exclusive, limited-edition merchandise collaboration.
In an exclusive online media roundtable, Offshore Music’s head honcho Ely Buendia joined Rob Cham to dive deep into the project. For Ely, revisiting the 22-track album was a reminder of a period where the OPM icons were operating at peak creative capacity.
“Leading up to the planning of the reissue of Fruitcake, I hadn’t listened actually to this album in a while,” Ely shared with MYX. “And recently, I did listen to it, and to me, it still holds. I think this is one of the most creative chapters in the band's story. We were really firing on all cylinders and I've grown fond again of albums like this.”
The original release featured a rich, companion storybook originally illustrated by Cynthia Bauzon, charting a young girl's journey through the fictional community of Fruitcake Heights. Taking on the mantle for the 30th anniversary is Rob, whose vibrant, distinct visual storytelling offers a fresh, modern entry point for both old-school "Eheads" and a completely new generation of listeners.
To fully capture the zone, Rob literally binged the classic music videos and reread the original storybook. Seeing a contemporary artist handle the lore with such immense respect struck a chord with Ely.
“I’ve always been a fan of artists like Rob who are really deep into anything that they work on. I believe in excellence and I think Rob is a very excellent artist,” Ely praised. “I’m a frustrated illustrator myself, and it’s really great to see your creations like these characters come to life... I think everyone will find something new to love again in this album.”
Imagining what's next
When asked if seeing this visual collaboration blossom sparks a personal itch to build more fictional universes or theatrical concepts with Offshore Music’s current roster, Ely did not discount the idea.
“It’s really totally what people did not expect and the band prided itself on that. We always threw in something new every album, and yeah, who knows? I might also do something similar in the future because again, I've always loved doing something like musicals and stories,” Ely teased.
Rob echoed this sentiment, highlighting how the independent art and music scenes in the Philippines naturally feed into one another. This intersection of medium is rapidly becoming a blueprint for the local independent scene rather than just a rare anomaly.
"There's always been a cross-pollination where it definitely benefits all of us," Rob explained. "It’s an exchange of ideas... something that grows together. The art we make also helps us in exposing our work to audiences outside of our usual circles."
By merging the narrative-driven visuals with sonic experimentation, creators are proving that a modern release can be a multi-sensory experience rather than just a collection of tracks on a streaming playlist. It opens up a platform where musicians can act as directors of their own lore and visual artists can shape the physical and digital world those sounds inhabit.
The highly anticipated Rob Cham x Fruitcake 30th Anniversary merch line already made its official debut at the Offshore Music Bazaar on June 26, 2026, at Thai Mookata, Makati City.
Coinciding with the Fête de la Musique Indie Stage at the exact same venue, it was the ultimate convergence of local music, art, and timeless alternative rock nostalgia.
Written by Nash Schenzie Kei Morallos, an aspiring media practitioner from Antique. Currently a third-year Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies student at the University of the Philippines Visayas, she is stepping into the global entertainment scene as a MYX Global intern.
