Hitting the scene at the start of 2022 with his 5 track EP ‘Logical Self’ on the UK’s Taipan Trax, nickname has been quickly making a name for himself both locally and abroad. Seeing extensive support from names including techno royalty VTSS, Kessler, NIKS and DJ Spit and with recent releases on Happy Wax Records, Nasty Industries, and Jupiter4 just to name a few he continues to showcase the diversity and consistency of his sound.
This sentiment is echoed in his latest EP ‘The Big Beat Manifesto’ on local imprint Happy Wax Records, a powerhouse 6 track that bounces effortlessly between Techno, Footwork, Breaks, Drum & Bass and Jungle. Expect absolutely nuclear tracks ranging from 140 breaks to halftime and jungle that are guaranteed to cause a riot in all situations.
nickname is a trending artist throughout the scene as he has proven his unique style within multiple of his sets & this is one of the main reasons we selected Nick for our 10th drop! I find diversity within an artist works a lot with keeping a fresh & new audience it gathers from it!
We recently caught up with Nick for an interview about his career so far as an artist & what the future looks like for him!
Below is also a link to his Sound Gallery set!
Q & A:
Question 1: When did the drive to start mixing/producing & being involved in Dance music be a big thing for you in your life?
A: I was always in and out of random dance tracks throughout my teens but when I was 15/16 a guy in the year above me brought a launchpad to school with the (iconic) Uberjak’d track Whistle Bounce cut up into 16/32 bar sections in Ableton’s session view. He gave me a quick go and I was hooked straight away. From there I was doing heaps of finger drumming stuff using Mad Zach’s soundpacks and making the shittiest house tracks until lockdown when I started making what I’m now known for.
Question 2: Who has given you the drive to get where you are today?
A: Maybe a generic answer but my mates and loved ones without a doubt, I’m extremely lucky to have such a supportive network of people around me who encourage each other to get involved with their passions and back them once they get going.
Question 3: What is the main focus right now in your music career?
A: Growth in all senses of the word. I’m really trying to hone my sound engineering side as it feels like the thing that’s bogging me down most in terms of production, also trying to pick up more gigs as well as it’s only been recently that they’ve been coming in. Got some big goals for next year though so #watchthisspace
Question 4: Your most recent Ep released on Happy Wax Records "The Big Beat Manifesto" is trending hard in Naarm right now, How long did this production take & what is your fav track from it?
A: I think the oldest track (in it’s original form at least) was Bizarre Adventure which originally was made as this shitty knock off of Chunky by Format:B, that started in November of 2020. The other ones were mostly started in lockdown but spent a long time unfinished in my demos folder until Happy Wax reached out and decided to pick them up! I think The Big Beat Manifesto will always hold a special place in my heart for how turbo stupid it is, shout out to everyone who’s picked up the Peep Show sample.
Question 5: Who do you think is the hottest up & Coming DJ/producer in Naarm atm?
A: I don’t think I can choose one so here’s my shortlist of favourites around right now
Yollks
Ekzander
Prizefight
Osmosis Jones
Rakhi
IsGawn
SAV//BLANK
6Sense
Question 6: All time fav track?
A: I always go back to New Order - Confusion (Pump Panel Reconstruction Mix). Dad downloaded it off Limewire back in the day and it’s stayed with me ever since, absolutely goated acid line.
Question 7: What is one piece of advice you can give to someone just starting in the industry?
A: To producers I think the most important thing you could ever do when sending your tracks out to labels is have a private demos playlist on Soundcloud, when I sent out my original EP on Taipan Trax I had two tunes that I thought were ready to go. One of them didn’t get touched by anyone, like no one wanted it at all. However I sent along with them a demos playlist with 20 or so songs in it and 4 of them got picked right off the bat. In my experience label heads often pick unexpected tracks so make sure you have backups ready!
Other than that have a good attitude, ask for feedback and actually action it. All of us are still learning especially when you’re new to it and that’s ok.
Question 8: Name your style in 5 words!?
A: Eclectic, tongue-in-cheek, raw, silly
Question 9: What is your dream & do you think you can achieve it one day?
A: I would LOVE to head overseas in the next couple of years to play some shows, there’s a lot of people I speak to online from Europe that would be sick to meet! Other than that I’m really gunning for some festival slots next year, if anyone reading can help me out call me.
Question 10: Do you feel like the Naarm community is growing stronger & stronger towards electronic dance music?
A: Absolutely, the diversity in sound you can find in Naarm is amazing. I’ve only been involved over the past year but the people I’ve met are incredibly generous with their time and experience. As long as that continues then the community will always strengthen and grow.
You can also find Nick on his social media handles below!
SOCIALS:
Soundcloud:
Instagram: @nickname.music
Spotify: @nickname