NUDE178: Kristian Heikkila

Kristian Heikkila is an underground techno artist from Stockholm in Sweden whose style is influenced by the likes of Robert Hood. He is a skilled DJ and a producer who has featured on prestigious record labels including Pan-Pot’s Second State, A.Paul’s Naked Lunch and Hertz’s Sway.

Kristian Heikkila recently relaunched his record label Konstruktion with a raw and analogue techno EP titled ‘Bounce,’ and we are excited to have this dynamic podcast from him.

With a back catalogue that spans over a decade, Kristian Heikkila has a timeless style of techno that orientates around the jackin’ rhythms of fast-paced percussion and jazz-infused energy of hypnotic synth lines.

The title track, “Bounce” opens the release with rhythmic vocal stabs layered over a rumbling bassline and the analogue tones of modulating synths.

Next up, “Soul” fuses soulful vocal tones with menacing chords to create a dark and ominous groove with uplifting undertones.

Today, he joins the NUDE Techno podcast, with an hour of Techno. Listen to it below on SoundCloud & Mixcloud. If you are feeling this series, then please consider supporting it on Mixcloud Select.

Sum up this podcast in 10 words…
Energetic, Raw, Deep, Hardgroove, Hypnotic Techno with current favourite artists.

What’s your personal favourite track on it?
Track #11 is one I really adore, which is an upbeat hardgroove track by Chlär called “Love Blaster.

What’s the special ingredient in this mix?
I love to switch between different styles of techno to keep the listener interested and ensure the mix is always evolving. I get bored easily so changing sounds keeps me focused on what I’m doing with the decks and locked into the groove.

Tell us about your next EP?
It’s been a long time coming, but I would say my new ‘Bounce’ EP sums up the last 2 years of my music production. I started making one of the tracks, “Lost Rider,” at the beginning of 2022, and made the lead track “Bounce” at the end of 2023. It has the diversity of sound that I like in the songs and my mixing style, including influences from classic techno that’s raw and deep, plus some flavours from both DnB and house.

What have you got coming up?
Right now, I am enjoying the success of recent releases on Second State, Sway, Involve Records, OFF Recordings and my own label Konstruktion. The tracks have been getting played by some of my favourite DJs on the radio, podcasts and in club sets. I’m also preparing for my new live sets and programming my gear for an upcoming gig. Playing live takes a lot of time to prepare, but it also inspires me to make more music.

And finally, do you have a special message for our readers?
I am truly grateful to have come this far. It’s been an upstream struggle at times, and I’m humbled by the fact that I’m starting to get the recognition I’ve been chasing. I haven’t had the luck of having a team of people behind me, nor did I start making music early in my life. It took time to find my style, and to others that are still finding their sound… please don’t give up on making music if you truly believe in yourself.

Tracklist

1. Benjamin Mull – Hetsar
2. Len Faki  – It’s Time To Move Your Body (Truncate Remix)
3. Flug – Forward Direction
4. Kristian Heikkila – Bounce
5. OFF/GRID – One Step Ahead
6. Chlär – Dopamine Rush
7. Marcal – Steady
8. Kristian Heikkila – Shake It
9. MarAxe – Terrified
10. Hertz – Integer
11. Chlär – Love Blaster
12. Uncertain – Insane
13. Uncertain – Frame
14. Funk Assault – Screenshot Of Compliment 
15. Lars Huismann – Shimmer
16. MarAxe – Contradiction
17. Kristian Heikkila – Soul
18. Zuul And Gozer – Benjamin Mull