Soft Speak

Los Angeles-based producer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter obli is set to release his debut album ‘Soft Speak’ via Anjunachill. A deeply personal and immersive body of work, ‘Soft Speak’ sees obli refine his signature blend of sample-driven electronica, warm textures and emotive songwriting, offering a collection of intimate yet eclectic compositions rooted in reflection, loss, and human connection.

Hailing from Newark, Ohio and now based in Los Angeles, obli brings over 15 years of touring, studio work and musical experience into a solo project built around dynamic sample work and electronic textures. “obli is me,” he says. “All of the music I’ve played and listened to brought me to this point creatively. It is the sum of my past and present as well as the art I’ve made thus far. It feels personal, warm, and deep.”

Beginning his career touring with Sonny Moore (Skrillex), obli went on to spend years performing and recording with Dead Sara, as well as playing guitar for multi-platinum, GRAMMY-nominated artist Julia Michaels. Launching obli as a solo project in 2019, early momentum quickly followed when his debut release was featured in a mix by Mild Minds, leading to a signing with ODESZA’s Foreign Family Collective. Since then, he has built a growing catalogue of releases, earning support from Zane Lowe (Apple Music 1), BBC Radio (Jack Saunders, Lauren Laverne, Annie Mac, Sian Eleri, Craig Charles), Double J, Wonderland, NOTION, Line Of Best Fit, and artists including RÜFÜS DU SOL, Lane 8 and ODESZA. As a live performer, obli has toured North America supporting BAYNK and performed headline shows, including a sold-out EP launch at Barboza in Seattle.

Now entering a new chapter with Anjunachill, ‘Soft Speak’ marks his most fully realised and conceptually cohesive work to date.

“‘Soft Speak’ to me is a return to where I first fell in love with electronic music - the more gentle, the softer side of it,” he says. Written during a period of personal reflection, the album is shaped by a desire to create space for stillness and softness in an increasingly overwhelming world. “I wanted to make something that people could really sink into… a place where they can disconnect, if only for a moment.”

Across the record, obli crafts a world entirely his own - a fluid, genre-blurring soundscape that draws from the electronic, lo-fi, downtempo, indie and dance spaces that have shaped him over the years. The result is a deeply cohesive listening experience - one that invites immersion, reflection, and emotional connection.

“In a way, this album is about trying to hold onto something,” he says. “Whether that’s a feeling, a memory, or just a moment of stillness.”