Created over a year-long period, Ken Ishii and David Castellani share their stunning first collaboration, ‘Obia’.

 

The pair have shared a musical kinship ever since Ishii remixed Castellani’s ‘Hyperstop’ in early 2023. Whenever the Japanese techno legend would tour LA, they’d link up, with a shared studio date always on the cards. It finally happened during an extended stay in November 2024. Not only did Ishii join the line-up of Noetic’s first LA showcase, but a free-flowing studio jam eventuated from which the thrilling three-track ‘Obia’ was born. The production process was fluid and instinctive, with the pair relishing the use of various analogue hardware, before embarking on a year of detailed focus to complete the tracks remotely.

 

The EP kicks off with the rugged ‘Eidolon’. Equal parts patient and powerful, it builds intensity through shadowed atmospheres, hypnotic pulses and fragments of sound that seem to appear from a distance. A track to get lost in.

 

‘Obia’ is a galloping force, moving between pressure, repetition and controlled disruption. Standing out for its sonic detail, it’s marked by spectral details that flicker briefly before dissolving back into the mix, while building energy with subtle shifts in texture and tension.

 

‘Phantasma’ – meaning ghostly apparition – embodies an otherworldly energy, combining mechanical momentum with shifting waves of tension. The track is highlighted by descending tonal forms which move through the arrangement like passing hallucinations, bringing a distinct sense of character while preserving its hypnotic foundation.

 

“It’s been extremely special to collaborate with such a talented and experienced artist such as Ken. Collaborations can generally be complicated and difficult to find a flow – working with Ken was a breeze as the process moved with ease and fluidity. I’m very proud of the three tracks that we’ve crafted and love how both of our voices come together.” – David Castellani

 

“Our musical approaches are not the same, but we totally relate to each other’s artistic attitudes. We have done remixing, been in a studio for jam sessions, and played together at events so far. Now we are finally releasing these collaborative tracks. I truly enjoyed the collaboration and crafting every sound used for the tracks.” – Ken Ishii