WREXHAM, WALES — Filipino violinist and singer-songwriter Muri (Muriel Gonzales) made her Focus Wales debut on May 16, 2026, performing on the festival's AXEAN Stage as the sole representative of the Philippines. Joining artists from Malaysia and Indonesia on the AXEAN showcase — a curated spotlight on Southeast Asian music within the festival — Muri brought her signature blend of violin swells, neo-soul vocals, and introspective songwriting to the stages of Wrexham, North Wales.
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Photo credits: Ted Orsenado
Filipino indie pop/soul artist Muri and Japanese electronic producer Shigge have finally released their first joint EP, SETSUNA.
In an intriguing fusion of cultures and genres, the 4-track release reflects on the fleeting, ephemeral nature of moments in an increasingly fast-paced world. Taking its name from the Japanese word “setsuna” which means “instant,” the EP explores impermanence, both emotionally and sonically.
Photo credits: Ted Orsenado
Filipino indie pop/soul artist Muri and Japanese electronic producer Shigge are slated to release their first joint EP, SETSUNA, on all digital music platforms worldwide this August 8, 2025.
A Japanese word with Buddhist origins that means “instant,” SETSUNA symbolizes the beauty of moments: they’re fleeting yet powerful.
“Our EP, SETSUNA, hopes to capture moments that can seem insignificant yet hold a lot of importance,” Muri explains. “Where insight or enlightenment arrives when we least expect it or look for it.”
Set to take place on Friday, August 1 2025, at Sari-Sari Bar in Makati City, TRIN 43 continues TRIN’s vision of promoting the country’s vibrant indie music scene and harnessing its global potential. The multi-genre showcase will feature an eclectic mix of breakthrough and boundary-pushing artists from this side of the world.
Photo credits: Ted Orsenado
Filipino soul-pop artist Muri and Japanese electronic producer Shigge have finally dropped “Golden Hour,” the luminous first single off their upcoming joint EP, SETSUNA—slated to be released next month.
The soulful electronic track serves as the entry point into the shared universe Muri and Shigge crafted together, capturing the fleeting beauty of twilight: the moment when day dissolves into night.
Filipino singer-songwriter Muri and Japanese producer Shigge have officially announced their collaborative new single, “Golden Hour,” via a minimalist teaser posted to Instagram last night, sparking anticipation for their cross-border release.
The soul-infused electronic track was conceived during an intensive songwriting camp at the AXEAN Festival in Bali, Indonesia last year, where Muri and Shigge crossed creative paths. What began as a spontaneous studio session has evolved into months of sonic exchange, with ideas bouncing fluidly between Tokyo, London, and Manila.
Photo credits: Franco Maigue
Following her recent confirmation for a performance at the 2025 South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival, indie pop/soul sensation MURI is set to represent the Philippines at this year’s Bangkok Music City (BMC).
MURI, the acclaimed singer-songwriter known for her unique blend of R&B, jazz, soul, and indie pop, will take the global stage alongside 58 artists from Thailand and more than 18 international artists.
Photo credits: Franco Maigue
Filipino rising artist MURI is set to take the stage at the 2025 South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival in Austin, Texas, from March 10-15, 2025.
The AXEAN Festival alumna joins an impressive roster of international talents, showcasing her unique blend of soul, indie, and jazz-pop music to a global audience.
“I feel incredibly honored to have been chosen and to be representing the Philippines on such an international stage,” MURI shares in an official statement. “I’m excited because SXSW is one of the biggest festivals for artists to showcase in, and it’ll be my first time going. Aside from playing, I’m also pretty excited to be there as an attendee, watch other artists perform, and attend all the cool talks and presentations.”
Muri is gearing up for the release of her highly anticipated debut EP, 11ème on all digital music platforms worldwide this Friday, September 20, 2024.
The indie soul-pop release will explore themes of adjustments, desolation, and challenges that one has to go through when settling in a new city far away from the comforts of home. This record is special to Muri as it allowed her to “try new things, challenge her assumptions about songwriting, and inject elements of multiple worlds.”
After mounting successful in-person events in Singapore for two consecutive years (2022-2023), AXEAN announces its return in a new tropical destination thousand miles away from its former homebase.
Filipino artists such as chart-topping R&B artist Maki, indie-folk collective Munimuni, electronic producer crwn, dream-pop band bird. and soul-jazz chanteuse Muri lead the first wave of acts performing at the international music festival which will take place in Bali, Indonesia, from September 28-29, 2024.
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The violinist-singer/songwriter expresses cultural adjustments in sophisticated jazz-pop number
London-based, Filipino indie-pop artist Muri releases “Afternoon,” the first official single off her upcoming debut EP.
The track chronicles the adjustments of living in a new, unfamiliar place away from home, something that the Filipino singer-songwriter has dealt with in recent years after deciding to pack her bags and pursue a music career in Europe.
“I was constantly comparing here and home, which created this sometimes dark cloud of bitterness, desolation, and frustration, without really realizing that that was an unhealthy thing to do,” tells Muri, the violinist-singer of Philippine-based indie-folk collective The Ransom Collective. “And it really takes a lot out of you, until you realize you can redefine your own reality for yourself. Afternoon is kind of that journey. Both the dark, and the good that you find when you lean into it differently. Whether that’s realizing there’s something, someone, you’re missing, whatever it is that may have given comfort and is now gone. And then finally learning to see what or who is in front of you that shifts your whole perspective.”
The Ransom Collective’s Muri is slated to drop “Afternoon,” the first single off her upcoming debut EP to be released this year.
The Filipino singer-songwriter and violinist teased the project’s date of release on her social media accounts, along with the song title.
According to Muriel Gonzales, “Afternoon” was inspired by her personal experiences as a young woman navigating career and life challenges entirely on her own, in a country far away from home.
“I’ve been working on this song for quite a while,” she admits. “Without revealing too much about the creative and thought process behind Afternoon, I actually find it freeing to open up about being vulnerable and share a piece of myself through songwriting. Sometimes, expressing what you really feel helps you gain a deeper understanding of yourself as a person and as an artist. Making the entire track was both a journey and a reflection. I can’t wait to share it with the rest of the world.”
