Interview: Nino Blink discusses his raw and hypnotic techno EP, “Headquarters”.

Nino Blink is a Scottish artist living in Singapore, who plays and produces driving techno. He founded the classic Creepy Finger record label, and has released music on other imprints such as Lowlita and Gain Records. His latest release, Headquarters, is a raw and hypnotic techno EP on Moog Conspiracy’s record label Elektrotribe Records. We invited Nino Blink for this interview to learn more about his new release and background in music…

How did you first discover electronic music, and what made you decide to become a DJ?

“Growing up in the UK, I was quite lucky to hear a lot of dance music in the charts during the ‘90s. There were a few underground classics here and there, but it was mostly commercial stuff. A standout moment growing up was when my brother called me into his room one day to put on some music, and he made me sit and listen to the whole thing from start to finish. I remember it was like 40 mins or so, and I was wondering why it was so long. Turns out it was Sasha’s “Voyage of Ima,” which to this day is an absolute masterpiece. A few years later, I was really into hip hop; me and my brother were watching the DMC scratching championships on TV, it was the year A-Trak won when he was only 15. I was mesmerised by it, and for years, begged my parents to get me decks when it was my birthday or Christmas. They were so expensive though, and I had to wait until several years later when I went to college, and ended up spending my full student loan on a set of turntables.”

Who are some of your biggest influences, and what makes them so inspiring?

“There’s so many, but naming a few off the top of my head, Matador, who I’ve been fortunate to party with a few times. He’s very down to earth, and musically gifted. He shared his story with me about how he went all in with music after years of trying, and it turned out to be his breakthrough year, which made me really admire his level of persistence. James Harcourt is easily one of the best producers out there, and also a really nice guy. James helped me a lot with really critical feedback on my tunes over the years. Hollen is someone who I’ve been following musically for more than 15 years, as he just consistently churns out banger after banger at an incredible rate. Got to love anyone who has that much dedication to their craft. Gary Beck is an absolute gentleman, and someone that will always take the time to chat. Gary makes music without following any trends, and his sound has continued to evolve over time, which makes it always sounds fresh on a dance floor. Pan-Pot I love for how they’ve continued to be forefront of the scene for such a long time, and I also love the music they play. I’ve genuinely never heard a bad set from them, and they’ve introduced me to a lot of new music, plus many other artists I’ve discovered from their mixes.”

At what point in your career did you decide to start making your own music?

“I first started to dabble with it in high school, when I had a program called Gold Wave. I used to sample stuff with it and put edits together for one of my school friends to rap over. When I went to college after high school, I studied sound engineering where they introduced me to Cubase, and then a friend in my class gave me Reason. A real turning point for me, was when my friend showed me Ableton a few years later, as the interface really fit my workflow style.”

Can you talk through the concept of the tracks on your new Headquarters EP?

“I’m currently based in Singapore, and it’s a dedication to two of the techno clubs here, which are called Hq and Mdlr. Hq has red lighting and a really underground vibe, while Mdlr is a larger club with better visuals, and a warehouse vibe like some of the clubs in Europe. I wanted the tracks to be something that people could just put their head down and dance to in these types of clubs.”

How do you approach making a new track, and what studio equipment is essential to your sound?

“Most of the time, I start with a kick and a bass to get the bottom end sitting nice, then I build layers on top of it. I tend to alternate between doing either percussion or synths next. There are times where I’ll start with a lead or a sample, and build the track around it, but normally I start with a kick and bass. My go-to synths have always been the Roland SH-101 and Moog Subsequent 37, but lately I’ve been using Serum 2 quite a bit.”

Your new Headquarters EP is out on the Elektrotribe record label, how did you first make contact with the label, and which other imprints have you worked with?

“For many years I’ve been friends with Romain who is the label owner, as I used to run a label called Creepy Finger, and in the past, we had both done remixes for each other’s imprints. He also gave me my first ever gig in Berlin about 13-14 years ago, and we’ve kept in touch ever since those early days. Recently, I’ve also released on Sinisa Tamamovic and Mladen Tomic’s Night Light, Anna Tur and Hosse’s label Lowlita, and Sisko Elektrofanatik’s Gain Records.”

In your opinion, what sets DJs apart from bands or other performing artists?

“With a band, they have a setlist they play in the same order, although it might vary slightly, it will mostly always be the same routine. With DJs, they have to be able to read the room, and adapt when necessary. You can see the same DJ several times in a row, and each set will always be different.”

What are some of your passions outside of music?

“I’m a massive petrol head who loves cars. I also love travelling to new places, and watches are another passion of mine.”

Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, what else is coming up in your schedule, and is there anything you want to add before we finish?

“I’ve got a lot of new music still to release this year, and also some gigs in Berlin and Singapore. I’m excited to see how the rest of this year pans out, and I thank everyone that taken the time to listen to my music. Thank you, your support is greatly appreciated!”

Nino Blink’s new EP “Headquarters” is out now on Elektrotribe, buy the release HERE.