Turntablist, composer, and sonic explorer NikNak joins Lost and Sound to talk about pushing DJing into new dimensions. From layering ambient textures to weaving intricate narratives through sound, she’s redefining what turntables can do.

We get into her creative process, the influence of video game soundtracks, and how she’s carved a space in the UK’s experimental music scene. She shares stories from performing with Grandmaster Flash, winning the Oram Award in 2020, and navigating the realities of being an artist today—where financial pressures, privilege, and technology all shape the landscape.

This was a really fun chat and NikNak makes some great points about sound as storytelling, the tension between artistry and survival, and why embracing play and experimentation is more important than ever.

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NikNak on Bandcamp.

Follow me on Instagram at Paulhanford

Lost and Sound is sponsored by Audio-Technica

My BBC World Service radio documentary “The man who smuggled punk rock across the Berlin Wall” is available now on BBC Sounds. Click here to listen.

My book, Coming To Berlin: Global Journeys Into An Electronic Music And Club Culturet Capital is out now on Velocity Press. Click here to find out more. 

Lost and Sound title music by Thomas Giddins