Waseda WeeklyWaseda Weekly

"My goal is to create works that will last for 5, 10 years, and forever."

Seinosuke Dobashi, 4th year student School of International Liberal Studies

At the lobby on the first floor Building 11 Waseda Campus

Influenced by his musician father, Seinosuke Dobashi has been familiar with music since childhood, and by high school, he was active in a wide range of genres, including music production and DJing. Currently, he is working as the artist Niko Dobashi in the group _Noid, which has over 130,000 followers on Instagram, together with friends from other universities whom he met through studying abroad. He is creating music and disseminating it mainly through social media. We spoke with Dobashi about the circumstances that led him to his current activities, the thoughts he puts into them, and his goals for the future.

--Please tell us about _Noid, including the origin of the name and the members.

The name _Noid comes from the phrase that forms the core of our group: "No Idea Without Human Creativity." We have three members: myself on keyboards, KØHKI on vocals, and Wana on synthesizer.

Members of _Noid. From front to back: KØHKI, Dobashi, and Wana.

With the rise of AI, a trend has emerged in which people are drawn to "analog" rather than "digital." In this context, analog synthesizers (*1), which have previously had a digital image, are returning to the analog side with the advent of AI, and we have the idea of pioneering the cutting edge of this new trend.

*1 A machine that produces sound by having a person adjust electronic circuits.

It all started in August 2025 when I met KØHKI online through a friend while studying abroad in New York, and we began making music together. I had returned to Japan earlier, so when KØHKI returned to Japan in December, I suggested that we "do it as artists," and we launched KØHKI's solo artist project first. In February of the following year, I met Wana at an event that my mentor, Masaaki Enatsu of marimoRECORDS, who is also a director of the Japan Synthesizer Professional Arts (JSPA) (*2), was involved in, and in March, I suggested to KØHKI that we work together as a trio, and that's how _Noid began.

*2 An incorporated association established in 1988 with the aim of improving the skills and status of musicians who handle electronic instruments, such as synthesizers.

--What kind of activities have you been involved in as _Noid so far?

First, in order to increase public awareness, we set a goal of "disbanding if we don't reach 10,000 followers on social media by July 2026" and started using social media in April. We posted videos of covers and arrangements of famous songs on TikTok and Instagram, and our cover of a Sakanaction song on Instagram was viewed about 3 million times, allowing us to reach 10,000 followers within a month. Wana was originally managing an account with over 20,000 followers by herself, so we continue to post while everyone, with Wana at the center, thinks about how to film the videos.

Scenes from _Noid's music production process

We are also working on original songs at the same time. KØHKI is mainly in charge of lyrics and composition, and also handles the vocals. I am mainly in charge of arrangement, from beatmaking (*3) which creates the rhythmic foundation of the song, such as drums and bass, to the overall production of the song. Like me, Wana mainly focuses on beatmaking and sound creation using modular synthesizers, which are electronic instruments where you connect sound-making components (modules) with cables and assemble timbres and rhythms from scratch.

*3 Creating a backing track for music by combining rhythm patterns such as drums and bass.

However, since all members write lyrics, compose music, and arrange songs, the roles aren't strictly divided. Instead of one person completely developing an idea, _Noid's approach is for everyone to bring their work in progress and complete it together. If someone completely completes a song, it becomes solely theirs, so we deliberately avoid doing that.

The three of us have completely different musical tastes. Because of this, we feel that it positively impacts _Noid's music production, as it leads to chord progressions and arrangements that we wouldn't have thought of ourselves. We're planning to release an original song in the near future, and we're currently considering how to release it.

--What are _Noid's future goals and prospects?

Our group's primary goal is to create works that will endure for five, ten years, and beyond. To achieve this, we believe it's not enough to simply create something good; it also needs to sell. Specifically, we aim to reach number one on the US Billboard charts within five years. While AI will become more widespread in the future, we anticipate that the value of "human-made" products will increase even further. We also want to expand our activities, such as live performances, for the coming years.

Dobashi during the interview

--What kind of activities are you involved in on your own? 

Besides being part of _Noid, I also work as a music producer and songwriter. Most recently, I was in charge of four songs for the soundtrack of the third season of the anime "MF Ghost".

In addition, I co-organize an event called "YardBirds" with several friends from Waseda University's School of International Liberal Studies, Sophia University, and the University of Tokyo. It's an invitation-only event held at a club in Tokyo, based on the concept of "a place where young people who will change the world in 10 years can meet casually."

Up until now, I've experienced meeting new people through acquaintances and being helped by the support of those around me. That's why I wanted to create opportunities for interesting people of the same generation to gather and get to know each other, even if they're not directly involved in music, and become a hub for that. By limiting the scope of invitations to "acquaintances of acquaintances," I'm creating a safe and comfortable environment for participation.

Scenes from YardBirds held in June 2026 (Photo courtesy of Hanut Sengarr, Color: Ethan Liao)

—Do you have any personal goals or aspirations?

My goal is to continue making good music. This is also my goal as _Noid, and I believe it's very important to create works that will endure for future generations. Another thing I want to cherish is never forgetting my original intentions and gratitude. I couldn't have come this far on my own, so I've relied on the help of many people, and I want to be someone who properly values those relationships.

Dobashi, who is active in a variety of fields including DJing at clubs in Tokyo (Photo provided by mattjpgs)

In the future, I'd like to expand beyond music. By increasing my own visibility, I hope to one day be able to run a restaurant or cafe, collaborate with apparel companies, and work in various other fields. If we continue _Noid's activities seriously and achieve results, I hope that in the future, each member will be able to freely pursue various activities.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Post shared by @_noid.jp

​

936th

Interview and text by: Waseda Weekly Reporter
Chikara Wada, 2nd year student, School of Political Science and Economics

【Profile】

Dobashi handling the equipment. A childhood photo with his father.

Born in Tokyo. Graduated from Waseda University Senior High School. Played piano from childhood until age 19, and began creating music using music production software in his second year of high school. During his time at university, he explored various ways of engaging with music, including forming a techno unit with friends and providing songs to other artists, and is currently active as a member of _Noid. While at university, he studied abroad twice: once in New York as an exchange student and again in Los Angeles at his own expense. Before studying in Los Angeles, he also completed a six-month internship. His favorite Waseda cuisine is from "Menji," a ramen shop he has been frequenting since high school.

Instagram: @nikodobashi_music