Moto Perpetuo - Heat Engine

Pluk (Nicolas Bougaïeff Tool Remix)

Techno Doctor Nicolas Bougaïeff is a Berlin-based electronic producer and artist known for pushing the boundaries of sound, rhythm, and tempo. With a PhD in minimal techno, Bougaïeff bridges the worlds of rigorous theory and bold experimentation, merging academic precision with sonic innovation. 

His background — shaped by a multicultural upbringing and an academic career — deeply informs his approach to both music and life.
Born in Canada, Bougaïeff’s heritage spans Hungary, Poland, Russia, and France, and his early exposure to linguistics and diverse cultures shaped his worldview. “Learning a new language and integrating into new cultures felt normal to me,” he reflects, explaining his seamless transition to Berlin life in 2008, where he immersed himself in the city's techno scene.

For over a decade, Bougaïeff has explored the intersections between music, mathematics, and technology. His pioneering concepts, such as Pivot Mixing (a technique for tempo modulation in electronic music) and Prime Rhythms (polyrhythms based on prime number ratios), have challenged the traditional understandings of rhythm in electronic dance music. His work often incorporates bespoke tuning systems and experimental synthesis techniques, reflecting his deep engagement with modular hardware. This is further demonstrated in his collaborations with manufacturers like dadamachines and Five12.

As a performer, Bougaïeff has captivated audiences at iconic venues and festivals such as Berghain, fabric London, and MUTEK Montréal, blending intense club energy with avant-garde experimentation. His personal journey as an outsider—navigating Berlin’s techno scene as an immigrant—mirrors the integration of techniques typically foreign to dance music, resulting in a distinctive sound that challenges conventions. Beyond the dancefloor, his collaborations span visual artists, classical musicians, and technologists. Notably, Bougaïeff co-founded Liine, a music technology company with Richie Hawtin, which developed the Lemur app — famously used by astronaut Alexander Gerst on the International Space Station.

For Bougaïeff, music is both a technical craft and a vehicle for profound expression. His artistic journey spans diverse sonic landscapes, from early releases on labels like Trapez to his debut album The Upward Spiral (2020), which captured the industrial techno sound of the clubs he frequented. The album was followed by Higher Up The Spiral (2020), a remix compilation featuring Chris Liebing, Dusty Kid, and Introversion, highlighting his ever-evolving sound.

In his follow-up album Begin Within (2022), released on Mute, Bougaïeff ventured into new sonic territories, incorporating his voice as an instrument — a bold step in his ongoing exploration and redefinition of musical boundaries. In 2024, he released a series of EPs on NovaMute, further showcasing his signature approach to polytemporality by blending complex rhythms and tempos into a distinctive auditory experience.

"I see my music as an act of liberation," Bougaïeff states. "Liberation from within, from the boundaries of genre, and from constraints of thought. Problems are soluble. Everything will be okay."

Booking : 
thibaud@swarm-mgmt.com
hugo@trafficartistagency.com
Further booking contact & general inquiries : info@dustykid.it

Paolo Alberto Lodde aka Dusty Kid is undoubtedly one of his country’s most exciting electronic music exports. A native of Sardinia, Italy, Lodde is a classically trained musician and an individual who approaches house and techno like few others in his field.
A live act of considerable distinction, he first emerged in the mid ‘00s courtesy of a string of rapturously received releases, the likes of which helped breathe new life in to a scene that was then preoccupied with monotonous, over-hyped minimal sounds. With the benefit of hindsight, Dusty Kid’s emergence was one of many sparks that helped usher in a whole new era of genuinely exciting, intricately produced electronic music that remains to this very day.
An early embracer of all things musical, Lodde started playing the piano at age 4. By 10, he was studying alongside students almost twice his age. However, it was when he swapped the piano for synths and sequencers that his take on music took on a whole new approach. Heavily influenced by the likes of Jeff Mills, Underground Resistance, Jam & Spoon and Daft Punk (and free from what he perceived as the constraints of the piano), he began producing his own electronically-inclined compositions, with his first single, ‘I Found a Reason’.
Boasting a nimble, dexterous and always scrupulously-produced sound aesthetic, his unique way of working quickly brought him to the attention of globally-esteemed labels a la Boxer, Systematic, Southern Fried, Bpitch Control, Suara and Mau5trap, with tracks such as ‘Kore’, ‘Milk’, ‘America’ and ‘Lynchesque’ quickly cementing his name into the hearts and minds of the global electronic music scene.
Alongside his solo releases, Dusty Kid is also an impressively consistent remixer, putting his own stamp on music by the likes of Moby, Armand Van Helden, The Pet Shop Boys, Booka Shade, Robyn and Simian Mobile Disco over the years.
An endlessly consistent purveyor of up-front club fare, Lodde is just as comfortable producing techno- focused records as he is more pop-orientated records, a way of working that’s in keeping with his refreshingly unpretentious take on music.
A truly versatile musician who’s never been shackled by convention, it’s Dusty Kid’s eclecticism and ability to embrace new sounds that means he continues to stick out from the crowd. A musician who continues to electrify and innovate at a rate that would make most of his peers blush, Dusty Kid truly is a talent worth embracing.