intimate / inward
Osaka-based electronic musician Chie Otomi traces the selections that left a lasting impression during the three-day listening space *intimate / inward* in Motomachi, Kobe, weaving a quiet passage for deep, attentive listening.
Streamed on 29.7.2026
Archive available from 16.8.2026
Interview
What is the concept behind this Showcase?
In June 2026, I hosted a three-day listening space in Motomachi, Kobe titled Intimate / Inward: A Space for Quietly Listening to Sound. It was a place where people could slow down, listen deeply, and fully experience both time and space through music. This mix is centered around some of the tracks that left the strongest impression during those sessions.
What are the highlights of this Showcase?
- 1.London-Hackney (Imogen Heap)— Nils Petter MolværI played this track at the end of both the first and second days. It fit the atmosphere of the space perfectly, and I was struck by how naturally everyone fell silent and immersed themselves in the music.
- 2.Crest— EnduranceThe beautiful arpeggios seemed to rise endlessly through the room, gradually filling the entire space with sound. It was a stunning piece that made those moments feel both deeply moving and incredibly comfortable.
- 3.Silent Seas (with Franziska Kewes)— Luis MiehlichThis is the closing track from Re-Cartographies, an album by the German artist Luis, who was staying in Japan from around last autumn through this spring. I love listening to the album from beginning to end in its intended sequence, and this final piece is especially moving, which is why I chose it to close the mix.
On the genres and styles featured in this Showcase
In terms of genre, I'd describe it as ambient, ambient jazz, electronic music, neoclassical, and Fourth World. The rhythms are either absent or very subtle, while layers of sound continuously emerge and dissolve, allowing melodies to appear and fade within richly textured soundscapes. Throughout the mix, it moves fluidly between the abstract and the tangible.
Play List
- 1.London-Hackney (Imogen Heap)Nils Petter Molvær
- 2.Dom AmbDaniel[i]
- 3.form.radiooffthesky
- 4.CrestEndurance
- 5.ABOVELapalux
- 6.Central RadianceTunnel Dancers
- 7.Mirror In My RoomLifted
- 8.Unselving I & IIHTRK
- 9.Unselving IIIHTRK
- 10.「1215」Hideo Nakasako
- 11.Palace FantasyMohani
- 12.Silent Seas (with Franziska Kewes)Luis Miehlich