Ben&Ben expands the TTAD universe

The Traveller Across Dimensions comes alive beyond music

Paolo Benjamin with the characters of the TTAD lore in plushie form; (RIGHT) Miguel Benjamin reading the free-to-download TTAD e-book

A year after releasing their third studio album The Traveller Across Dimensions (TTAD), the country’s biggest folk-pop band Ben&Ben is taking it to the next level by expanding the TTAD universe and giving it more tangible manifestations in the real world.

The album, which was awarded Album of the Year at this year’s Awit Awards, included a number of hits such as Autumn, Could Be Something, and Triumph, which received the Best Performance by a Group Artist nod from the same awards program.

The band last month released an e-book companion to the TTAD album, which tells the full story of Liwanag, the titular character who belongs to a race of inter-dimensional beings called Travellers. Her goal is to reach a place called the Duyan Dimension—a place where all Travellers are said to achieve perpetual inner peace.

In her journey, she goes through three Dimensions: Light, depicting innocence; Energy, depicting struggle; and Feel, depicting maturity. She writes 12 songs along the way, which relate her experiences in each of the Dimensions. In every step that she takes, she tries to answer a fundamental question: “How must we live?” After many adventures and both good and bad experiences, she eventually reaches the Duyan Dimension, her ultimate goal.

Liwanag’s songs—the 12 songs in the TTAD album—reflect the various experiences of the band members over the past several years and showcase their growth as people, as songwriters, and as musicians.

While the songs themselves reflect the whole TTAD narrative, the companion e-book gives the story more flesh.

To make the TTAD universe even more tangible, the band will be launching the Traveller Plush Series, featuring four characters from the TTAD lore. These are advocacy-driven collectibles inspired by the TTAD story’s message of being “Present with love.”

These will be formally introduced on November 28 at The Traveller Across Dimensions: An Immersive Storytelling Experience. It is an event that aims to spark conversations about mental health, mindfulness, and empathy among today’s generation through Liwanag’s story.

The event is open to school administrators, guidance counselors, student leaders, and advocates. The sign-up sheet can be found on this link: https://bit.ly/TTAD_Schools. Due to limited venue capacity, answering the form does not confirm a slot. The organizers will send a confirmation email if your slot is secured.

Join us in our journey into the TTAD universe. Let us never forget to always be “present with love.” This event is made possible by co-presentors Panasonic Philippines and San Miguel Foundation; in collaboration with Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Movieworld, Puppeteer Studios, Duckworld Philippines; with label partner Sony Music Philippines; event partners Blogapalooza, Comm&Sense, Dot Coffee; and media partners Cignal, Mediaquest Ventures, and WhenInManila.com.