O/C Records

Lore & Background

Kean Cipriano, former frontman of the alternative rock band Callalily, ventured into artist management with the indie alternative rock band IV of Spades. The band gained rapid fame after their hit song 'Mundo' in 2017, but over a year later, in December 2018, lead vocalist Unique Salonga left to pursue a solo career. Cipriano continued managing IV of Spades until Unique's departure, after which he decided to leave, citing the toxicity of the music industry as a reason for starting his own label.

Reader's Guide

O/C Records represents a shift in the Philippine music industry, as a label founded by a former band frontman seeking to create a less toxic environment for artists. Its name, combining the surnames of founders Ortaleza and Cipriano, underscores its personal nature. The label's roster includes a wide range of artists, from former band Callalily (until 2021) to newer acts like Arthur Nery, Glaiza De Castro, and Mrld. As part of Viva Entertainment, O/C Records bridges independent and mainstream music production in the Philippines.

Did You Know?

• O/C Records was founded on August 14, 2018.
• The label's name stands for Ortaleza and Cipriano, the founders' surnames.
• Kean Cipriano was the former vocalist of Callalily, which disbanded in 2020; a separate band called Lily was formed by former members in 2021.
• Cipriano cited the toxicity of the music industry as a reason for starting his own label.

Founding & the Couple Behind the Name

O/C Records emerged on August 14, 2018, as an independent record label based in the Philippines. The venture was spearheaded by Kean Cipriano, best known for his years as the lead voice of the alternative rock group Callalily, together with his wife Chynna Ortaleza. The label operates within the broader Viva Entertainment umbrella, a partnership forged with Vic del Rosario of Viva Records. The name itself is a straightforward nod to the two founders—Ortaleza and Cipriano—signaling that this was a joint creative enterprise rather than a corporate spin-off. Cipriano's path to label ownership was not a sudden leap. He had already cut his teeth in artist management, guiding the indie alternative rock band IV of Spades through a period of rapid growth. That experience, combined with his years performing on stage with Callalily, gave him a dual perspective on the music world: the artist's hunger and the manager's logistics. O/C Records was, in many ways, the natural convergence of those two vantage points, born from a desire to build a space where artists could thrive without the pressures Cipriano had witnessed firsthand.

The IV of Spades Chapter That Shaped the Label

The story of O/C Records is inseparable from a brief but electric chapter involving the indie alternative rock band IV of Spades. Kean Cipriano stepped into the role of their manager, and under his guidance the group—recognized for their musicality, distinctive fashion sense, and artistic style—experienced a swift ascent. The turning point came with the release of their track "Mundo," which catapulted the band into wider recognition. Yet the very momentum that brought them visibility also set in motion a parting. Three months after "Mundo" landed, lead vocalist Unique Salonga announced he was leaving the group to pursue a solo path. Cipriano, for his part, felt that once "Mundo" was out in the world, his managerial mission had been fulfilled. He spoke openly about gratitude for the opportunity while also pointing to what he described as the toxicity of the music industry as a driving factor in his decision to walk away. Rather than simply returning to his previous life, he channeled that frustration into building something new—a label where the pressures he had seen up close would not define the artist experience.

A Roster That Defies a Single Genre

O/C Records has cultivated a roster that spans a wide spectrum of Philippine independent music, reflecting the label's commitment to diverse voices within the alternative and rock landscape. Among the names associated with the imprint are established acts like Callalily (through 2021), 12th Street, and Jay Kent, alongside newer or more niche artists such as Bita and the Botflies, bird., Frizzle Anne, and Pooky Koma Lagkit. The list also includes solo performers like Adie Garcia, Earl Generao, and Patty Tiu, as well as project-based groups like Project Moonman, Healy After Dark, and Thursday Honey. Notably, some artists carry a Viva affiliation—Arthur Nery is listed with that tag—underscoring the label's integration within the Viva Entertainment family. The roster's breadth, from Pinoy Rock to more experimental and indie-leaning acts, suggests a philosophy of curation over genre restriction. Kean Cipriano himself appears on the artist list, reinforcing the hands-on, personal nature of the operation. The collective identity of these acts, united under the Ortaleza-Cipriano banner, paints a picture of a label that values artistic individuality while providing a shared institutional home.

Independent in Spirit, Supported in Structure

Founded in 2018, O/C Records occupies a distinctive niche in the Philippine music scene: an independent imprint that nonetheless benefits from the structural support of Viva Entertainment. This hybrid positioning—rooted in the personal, founder-driven ethos of an indie label while drawing on the resources of a larger entertainment company—sets it apart from both purely grassroots collectives and fully corporate operations. The label's origins in the alternative rock world, through Cipriano's years with Callalily and his management work with IV of Spades, give it a clear musical DNA. Yet its roster stretches well beyond a single genre, encompassing Pinoy Rock, solo singer-songwriters, and experimental projects. The fact that Callalily remained on the label until 2021, even after Cipriano's departure from the band (which subsequently rebranded as Lily), highlights the personal threads that bind the roster together. In an industry Cipriano has publicly described as toxic, O/C Records stands as a deliberate counter-narrative: a space built by a husband-and-wife team, named after both their surnames, where the goal is to let artists grow on their own terms rather than being funneled through a one-size-fits-all machine.