CHICAGO — The Entals, a group of rotating musicians under the artistic direction of composer Ori Kawa, is raising funds through Indiegogo to launch their first EP, “Cosmosis,” which “will showcase what we have encountered while having our heads in the clouds.”
“Life can throw some extreme seasons at us; sometimes we must meditate on our experiences in our own creative spaces to stay sane,” said Ori Kawa (Ori Kawahara), a Chicago-based musician from San Jose. “After a period of musical solitude spent scrapping away at the drawing board, it is time for me to broaden my production process. My goal is to make the proper pairings of musicians to my songs and create circular energy within the artistic community …
“The cornerstone of our products will be a series of studio recording sessions titled ‘The 408 Sessions,’ taking place at Fever Pitch Recording, Room 408, Chicago. (408 is the area code for San Jose.)
“My approach has been to work with upcoming independent artists. It makes sense because of what budget currently allows and my own professional standing. But also, there is something very satisfying and organic about this approach. For ‘The 408 Sessions #1,’ I spent weeks of preparations with singers. It was beneficial for them to get acquainted with the studio environment without added pressure of a stage audience. It was beneficial for me to begin an efficient process that I can now streamline for the rest of the series.
“The musicians from ‘The 408 Sessions #1’ will reappear on other songs, but there will always be less seasoned talent in development. Matching the performer’s sound to the piece is where I will be going by instinct and allowing the style of song to determine the musicians required.”
Funds will be directly allocated to the independent artists involved, including singers, photographers, videographers, sound engineers, music producers and composers. Other expenses will include studio rental, transportation and CD printing/shipping.
Visit the campaign page at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-entals-help-us-release-the-cosmosis-ep. The campaign started on Sept. 1 and closes on Oct. 31.
For more information, visit www.orikawa.com. To hear Ori Kawa’s “Only What You Can Carry,” which is dedicated to Japanese Americans interned during World War II, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsHjToM_XqM.