Chitarra—the Indonesian-born chanteuse now living in L.A.— creates new Ethereal musical ecosystems saturated with one key ingredient: her voice. Her musical lineage derives from famous intoners who are already well known in the East Indies—the daughter of Purwa Caraka—and it's a blood-bond to music genius that travels throughout her ancestry. This sort of lineage attributes to her affluence as a singer and songwriter, but it's not what defines her as an Artist. Instead, Chitarra creates phantasmal landscapes from the polyphonies of vocal harmonies she endows her consciousness-expanding mixes with. It's an individualistic distinguisher of her sound that she displays throughout her musical career, and on her latest hymn offering, "Chasing Hearts."
Here, the nomadic Artist takes on a phantasmal aesthetic, but not the sorts that manifest in our nightmares—it's completely the opposite. Chiatarra's voice sounds like the euphonies of a clandestine guardian angel—as she soars over the ambient pinnacles of the mix—and her passionate cantor renders vividly amidst an upswell of synergistic vocal harmonies that orchestrate this ethereal venture. The production here feels placid and unbothersome, almost as if its only purpose is to festoon her already strikingly painted musical panorama with an additional layer of fantasia. Bells, vibraphones, and a soft earthy rhythm from the percussion hold the posture of this aqueous track's backbone, and as the harmonics slowly develop—weaving and intertwining into an affecting upswell for the core moments of this spiritually enlightening introspection—in the arrangement of a mantra-like hymn.
There's no escaping the captivating magnetism Chitarra creates with each new ethereal release, and "Chasing Hearts" has us glued to our headphones for the full uplifting experience.
Discover "Chasing Hearts" here.
What's been the most memorable growing experience for your artistically when you initially moved to L.A. and began studying music at LACM? I was already inspired by a lot of different musical styles at the start of my time in LA, but I never fully got to learn them intensively. During my studies, I was mentored by the very people who dedicated their lives in the industry, and one experience which I cherished greatly is being mentored by Tierney Sutton. That definitely changed my singing perspective substantially coming from a mostly pop background. These potent interactions with American music reshaped my musical style. Together with my love for Indonesian traditional music, they sort of pieced together into a vibrant mosaic of sounds - one that I now introduced to everyone. Where do you draw your musical inspiration from mostly, and how do you keep your creative intuitions sprightly when tapping into your influences just isn't cutting it for you? I honestly find inspiration from random thoughts. Other than looking up to my major influences, I like to daydream a lot, usually while I am driving. Super dangerous I know, but that's kinda when my mind wanders. I always love the idea of nature and human interactions with things other than themselves. That's where I tap my inspirations on. Where did you imagine seeing yourself five years ago, and what kind of sentiments does the thought produce for you when thinking about where you are now in your career compared to then? I took a leap of faith when I moved from Jakarta to Los Angeles six years ago. I basically started over. The road has not been smooth. Definitely a lot of trials and errors along the way. I have always found comfort in collective work. So I always lean towards creatively creating and releasing music under a group's name. This is true even before I moved to LA and stayed true until this year. In April 2020 I released my first ever solo single, "Rules of the Jungle". That was a pivotal moment for me. I finally put down the barrier and actually found my true self in the process. It's scary but I feel amazingly brave at the same time. What are you most excited about concerning your musical and creative movements for the last half of 2020 and for the first half of 2021? I just released my second single, "Chasing Hearts", about two weeks ago. I cannot wait to keep peeling off my skin and showcase what is truly inside my musical soul. Both of my first two singles will be part of a mini-album, called "The World In Me" and I am so excited for the release hopefully before the end of 2020. There will be 4 more new songs on the album. If the universe permits, hopefully, live shows in LA and Jakarta in 2021.