‘Out There’. ‘Spiral’… names known all too well to Trance music aficionados behind the decks and on the dancefloor. For more than a decade Robert Nickson’s productions have helped define the genre and he is recognised as the one most consistent producers in Trance.
At first glance, you may see just another producer from dance music’s cultural home. Whilst his musical influences certainly developed in the Netherlands, Robert’s background is a multinational affair. Born to an English father and Norwegian mother, his perception of the world naturally became quite broad and unique – which is perhaps why (when it came to music) his ideas were instantly ahead of the curve.
From the timeless 2004 record, ‘Spiral’ to more recent masterpieces such as ‘Somewhere In Spacetime’ and ‘Heliopause’, Nickson has continually grown his fanbase; counting many of the world’s leading DJs among them. Global headliners Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk, Tiësto and Above & Beyond are just some of the tastemakers who have been broadcasting his productions for over a decade.
Being that Robert’s musical productions are of this top tier caliber, he is of course no stranger to the stage as well. His DJ style, whilst authentic and without need for flashy stage effects, takes listeners on an ethereal journey beyond the realm of consciousness.
Having toured all corners of the earth from London to Buenos Aires, Sydney to Ibiza and beyond, Nickson has refined the raw edge that made his original sound and DJ sets so palpable. Despite ever-changing dancefloor trends, he has continued to bestow upon us the extraordinary. In fact, a quick look at his gig diary and release schedule shows us this melodic mastermind is very much in the prime of his career.
Robert has toured all over the globe playing at festivals such as Dreamstate, Luminosity Beach Festival and Lucky Fest, as well as at night club in Bangkok, Moscow, LA and the Pure Trance tour through Australia and more. He also started touring as Robert Nickson LIVE, a unique live show where he bypasses the traditional mixer and decks and instead brings a keyboard and guitar to the stage to play his music live.
Over the last few years, Robert Nickson has reminded us that in an age of super-festivals, with all their visual spectacle, there is simply no replacement for genuinely touching music. In 2019, the mastermind of Trance released his debut artist album, ‘Tellurian’ — an album that (despite its name) takes you to another galaxy. Other highlights include mixing disc one of the Pure Trance 6 compilation, collaborations with trance legends, Solarstone, M.I.K.E. Push, Stoneface & Terminal and remixing 2 tracks by movie composer, Tony Anderson.
However exciting these ventures in Trance may be, in 2020, Nickson took a step outside of his comfort zone and produced a synthwave album under his alias, Analog ‘82. In creating ‘Youthtopia’, Robert decided to take a trip back in time bringing listeners with him to an alternate era of pure nostalgic euphoria. Stepping into a time machine is seemingly as simple as slipping on your headphones and putting this album on play.
With such an extensive back catalogue and air-miles balance, one would be forgiven for assuming Robert Nickson has already celebrated his illustrious career. However, with even more live performances, festival appearances and new and exciting records on the horizon, you can be sure the best is yet to come from this noble producer.