Born out of a need to break convention and forge something new, NLI emerges as somewhat of anomaly in the world of techno. Her dystopian vision reveals a gritty, raw and complex sound that fuses with her personal experiences. Her debut album, ‘Initiation’ was released in 2024 on her own techno imprint, ADHESIVE Records, which marked the beginning of a new era for her as an artist. Offering an intimate insight into her own inner sonic world, her album tells a story that is both relatable and inspiring. Now, she presents Siren, her new EP back on her label Adhesive Records. ‘Siren’ showcases the most extreme and abrasive peripheries of NLI’s sound, artistry and identity. It explores complex psychological themes across its 7 tracks, showcasing her signature dystopian sound featuring wailing synths, aggressive kicks and key modulation.
To mark the release and dive a bit deeper, we interviewed the artist about her beginnings, evolution and more. Pick up Siren now at: www.beatport.com/release/siren/5864688
The Brvtalist: Tell us a little bit about your background and getting started with the NLI project.
NLI: Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to be a musician. I actually started out in classical piano and it was my intention to pursue a professional career as a concert pianist, which is why I went on to study music. NLI came about much later; when I discovered techno I had already distanced myself from my classical roots and was experimenting with electronic music production. I connected with underground artists whose way of thinking about music aligned with my own, which is something that I struggled with in the rigid and conservative world of classical music. Being nurtured and supported as a musician in these extremely forward-thinking and avant-garde circles, I was able to fully embrace my identity as NLI and be the musician that I truly was rather than confining myself to do what was expected of me.
TB: Did it take some time to find your sound or did you already have a clear vision of that?
NLI: My sound is so closely tied to my identity on both an artistic and personal level that I would say it’s something that developed over time. There wasn’t a moment where I ’decided’ that ’this works and this is what I’ll go with’ so to speak. My sound transcends genres, styles and trends — whether I make warehouse techno, industrial or psy techno, my music has a distinct identity that is instantly recognisable to my listeners and is not tied to a particular sonic element. This is something that has been the case for me musically throughout my life! My sound is in this way not dictated by myself or my surroundings, it’s more a sonic reflection of all the intangible elements that make up my identity as an artist - NLI is simply the physical manifestation of it.
TB: 'Siren' is described as the most abrasive and extreme part of your sound. Tell us more about formulating this EP.
NLI: I wanted the EP to evoke a sense of discomfort while simultaneously allowing the listener to revisit familiar themes and narratives explored in my debut album ‘Initiation’, which was released last year. While ‘Siren’ is a standalone release that is entirely separate from ‘Initiation’, the EP follows my album in its storytelling using fractal techno, which is the term that I use to describe my own distinct sound. The individual tracks act as ‘fractals’; creating a complex story through an infinite pattern of sonic symbolism and underlying meaning. Most of the tracks I wrote for ‘Siren’ explore a period in my life and career where I experienced increasingly more pressure and demands as an artist, ranging from responsibilities of keeping an online presence on social media to power dynamics within the music industry. I was faced with the grim reality of having to create something beautiful in a rotten world, almost like a delicate flower having to find a way to grow in the contaminated ground of a post-apocalyptic world.
TB: Did you feel any particular pressure following your first release?
NLI: In terms of putting out a specific kind of sound? I previously touched upon how my approach to sound transcends the conventional understanding of this term. I’ve noticed that there seems to be an industry-wide misrepresentation of what sound actually is, and what it means for an artist to have a particular sound. In fact, many emerging artists are told that their sound comes down to the music that they play or make, which is both misleading and factually incorrect. While your sound is closely related to your style and/or genre, these two terms are not and should not be used interchangeably. If your sound doesn’t, so to speak, ‘exist’ outside a specific type of music that you play, you do not actually have a sound. I have personally never felt pressured to conform to any sound but my own, simply because I don’t see the point in doing that to yourself. Not only is this a way for me to stay in control of my own creativity and vision, but it is also a framework that allows me to maintain a position as an artist who answers to no one – least of all to those who have no real knowledge, taste or understanding of music.
TB: Talk about some of the biggest challenges new artists face while coming up in this era?
NLI: The music industry has always been an echo chamber of opinions and I keep hearing from a lot of people that the game is rigged by those in power, which is why so many young artists struggle to break through – while this may well have been true at some point, I’d say that the game is no longer rigged by people but it’s almost entirely controlled by machines now. My point here is that the vast majority of new artists greatly underestimate the significance of social media when they enter the industry by relying on outdated or just bad strategies when marketing themselves and their music. Everyone complains about the algorithm instead of figuring out a way to make it work for you! Another problem that I think a lot of new artists encounter is not understanding how the industry works. While this is no fault of their own, I would say that artists should make it a priority to educate themselves on all the ‘boring stuff’ they need learn in order to be able to navigate the music industry in the correct way, which requires a decent amount of hard work, patience and self-discipline. I’ve noticed that most new artists avoid doing this at all costs because there’s absolutely nothing that’s enjoyable about this process and it will inevitably lead to some temporary self-hate and existential dread, but it’s extremely important to make sure you’re well prepared and know exactly what you’re doing as it may well make or break your future career.
TB: What's coming up next?
NLI: I’ve had an incredible start to 2026 with my HÖR debut in Berlin a few weeks ago, the release of ‘Siren EP’ back in February and I will now be making my long-awaited debut in France alongside some of the most talented names in techno this year, which I’m very excited about! As always, I have a ton of new music on the way and have several releases locked in with a few of the most prominent techno labels in the game. I will also continue to support the underground and make my music accessible to as many as possible this year by updating my list of Free Downloads on my Artist SoundCloud with some of my most requested unreleased ID’s. In addition to this, I will be launching a huge new project within the next few months that was developed specifically with the needs of my own community in mind. I think this venture will bring something new and fresh to the scene by paving the way for new ways of thinking about techno and contemporary rave culture more widely. As an artist, nothing matters to me more than the community that finds a home in my music and I personally think that we’re currently heading towards a new golden age in techno, where rebuilding a scene destroyed by commodity fetishism will become reality.