Ena Mori presents two sides of an emotional journey

FOR Filipino-Japanese artist Ena Mori, it’s possible to use different styles and voices to express one’s emotional vulnerability. This is reflected in how her latest EP, Ore, provides a rough contrast to her previous one, rOe, released last year.

“It’s a cyclical album, but ultimately, I separated it into two because of the different voices I was using. The way I approached writing Ore was sterner and more direct than the previous record,” Ms. Mori said in a press interview on March 4.

Produced with Tim Marquez, mixed by Sam Marquez, and mastered by Emil Dela Rosa, the new EP emphasizes abrasive, disjointed soundscapes over fluid softness.

Even the titles of the two EPs hint at this key difference: rOe, referring to Ms. Mori’s favorite sushi condiment of fish roe, connotes a nice roundness that brings some comfort and conveys a delicateness. Meanwhile, Ore, referring to the natural resource collected in the form of rocks deep in the earth, evokes the opposite texture.

“I was looking for some wordplay that would make sense by changing the spelling,” said Ms. Mori. “I landed on ‘ore’ because I was playing the board game Settlers of Catan, and the natural crystallized gems are the total opposite of how delicate and pure the fish egg is. It’s a rock that’s been there for centuries that has changed shape, a modal opposite but still connected through the spelling.”

Compared to DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE!, her album from 2022 which served her “urge to just shout” during the pandemic, the two EPs are more of an “internal analysis.”

“I’ve been reflecting on my past experiences and making sense of what I feel,” Ms. Mori said. “It’s more introspective.”

While emotionally unrestrained and dance-oriented, the genre of avant-pop that she occupies can still be played in the club or enjoyed in live shows. The EP’s focus track, “19 Underground,” is a good example, written from the perspective of a 19-year-old trying to navigate their artistic and personal awakening.

“I think my maturity shows in how I don’t have to use pretty words to say something, or pretty sounds to make a record,” explained Ms. Mori, when asked about what is different in her songwriting this time around. “You can use noises, which we experience all the time, from honking in the street to feedback from a mic. We categorize it as noise because it hurts your ears, but there’s something so natural about that. It’s about not being afraid of that.”

She also shared how her vantage point as a Filipino-Japanese artist allows her to be comfortable in her deeply personal cultural identity, with all its bumps and hurdles, without worrying about how it would be received. The intertwined chaotic power and haunting resonance in tracks like “Funny” and “La Loba” are examples of finding ease in this unease.

“I’m just trying my best to make music true to myself rather than being conscious of how I will be accepted in some sounds, countries, or particular scenes,” Ms. Mori said, noting that she’s comfortable using Japanese and English lyrics simultaneously.

“Whenever I feel something fits the lyrics, I’ll choose that. It’s not about hitting a market. At the end of the day, I believe that whatever you write will resonate with a lot of people from different countries,” she added. “Music really is universal. The language or genre doesn’t matter because it’s about feeling.”

Ena Mori has several upcoming shows including her Backyard Live performance, to be released online on March 13, and her appearance at the SYNCHRONICITY music festival in Tokyo, Japan, in April. In May, she will be at the Circus Music Festival in Parklinks, Pasig City.

“Live shows are challenging because making a record is completely different from live shows. It takes a lot of discipline because the technicalities, like in dual setups where I play a lot of instruments, can get hard,” Ms. Mori said, on her preparation for all these shows.

“It’s a discipline that I’m working on so that I have more room to be present onstage, especially because I’m a maximalist of sound. I end up playing so many things, and I’m excited to convey that live!”

Ena Mori’s two EPs, rOe and Ore, are available on all digital music streaming platforms. — Brontë H. Lacsamana