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

WITH its harrowing yet grounded portrayal of the music industry’s grim realities, Songs for Selina is set to open new conversations about the struggles of Filipino musicians who aspire to make it big.

The film follows Selina (played by Mica Javier) and Maya (Rachel Coates) as musical soulmates whose bond is fractured by the unforgiving and cutthroat nature of the industry they once dreamed of conquering together.

A theme of the film is the importance of independent storytelling in a commercially driven industry, according to one of the film’s executive producers, acclaimed Filipino R&B musician Jay R, who is also the chief songwriter of the movie’s original songs. At a virtual press conference on March 5, he explained that the film draws from real experiences.

“The message is for artists to be original because that’s the route we took for this movie. We didn’t license any songs. We created everything from scratch,” he said.

Aside from Ms. Javier and Ms. Coates, the cast boasts a strong ensemble of actors with film, theater, and music backgrounds. It includes Rachel Alejandro, Audie Gemora, Nicole Laurel, Leanne Mamonong, Gian Magdangal, and Jay R himself.

Another thing that sets the film apart is that the songs are diegetic, which means the music is part of the story, as if written and performed by the characters themselves. Jay R shared that the songwriting process for it was challenging compared to writing songs for himself.

“The songs have to hold up weight to be good enough to listen to on the radio. At the same time, it’s telling the story of what’s happening in the movie,” he explained. The original motion picture soundtrack, now on streaming platforms, mainly features solos and duet performances by the two lead stars.

For Ms. Javier, although Songs for Selina was shot back in 2019, the film remains very relevant in the US and the Philippines today. “It’s about the struggles of artists that are trying to make it in the industry and how those paths can be completely different,” she said.

“I think with TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube shorts, the internet is giving everyone access to what goes on behind-the-scenes. This increases exposure and awareness of issues like ghostwriting or creators’ works not getting properly monetized or paperwork problems,” she added. “It does happen in the industry. This movie doubles down on those facts.”

Ahead of the Philippine theatrical release on March 18, the film had been picked up by Amazon Prime US and Tubi for its North American release last year.

Ms. Javier explained that the film has become “a proof of concept that Filipino creatives, from behind the scenes to in front of the camera, can compete on a global level.”

Songs for Selina is also a way for Filipino talents to “put their best foot forward,” according to Ms. Alejandro, who plays a supporting role as a music industry bigwig.

“Filipino singing talent is one of the best, if not the best, in the world. I feel like it’s perfect that this film focuses on music and it’s a story about music. That’s who we are as Filipinos,” she said. “We’re putting our best foot forward in the world, showing what we do that’s so special and extraordinary.”

Songs For Selina, directed by Dean Rosen, is produced by Homeworkz Entertainment and distributed in the Philippines by Black Cap Pictures. — Brontë H. Lacsamana