The Mix 038: Taiki Nulight

From starting out as a bedroom producer aged 14 to running laps around the world as a touring DJ, Taiki Nulight – AKA Erka Chinbayer – has earned his flowers over the past two decades. Now 31, the British-Mongolian DJ and producer looks back at his career so far with nothing but praise for the people who helped to get him here: UK dubstep legends like Benga, DJ Walsh, N-Type – all providing Taiki Nulight with the fuel needed for a prolific music career.

Before he was Taiki Nulight the solo artist, Erka made up one half of production duo Taiki & Nulight alongside Chicago-hailing artist Secondcity. Together, the pair made deep, rolling house and electro tracks before parting ways due to a “creative clash”, leaving Erka to become more experimental with his productions. “He wanted to focus more on house music, while I was leaning toward heavier stuff,” Erka explains. “It just made sense for both of us.”

When given the creative freedom to go back to his roots as a dubstep artist, Erka developed a trademark sound that fused 140 with garage and house, with dark and murky basslines typical of mid-’00s UK dubstep. Erka discovered legendary LA record label Night Bass, which he says was a “game changer” for his blossoming career, quickly becoming affiliated with the imprint where he released a slew of singles and his acclaimed 2018 album ‘Murky Manor’. Since then, his music has taken his around the world time and time again, bringing his bass-driven selections and plenty of his own productions to stages from Ibiza’s Pacha to Michigan’s Electric Forest.

Gearing up to release his next EP, ‘Stay In Your Lane’, on Chaos later this month, Erka is departing a little from his typical dubstep sound. “I’m super excited for this one, it covers everything from dancefloor bangers to more song-based stuff,” he explains. Featuring collaborations with P Money, Hamdi, Capo Lee and more, ‘Stay In Your Lane’ promises to showcase a new, more introspective style of 140 from Taiki Nulight.

We sat down with the bass shapeshifter to chat about his latest record, coming up in the UK's golden era for dubstep, and touring the world. Taiki Nulight also delivers a mix journeying head-rattling basslines and silky-smooth dubstep in a homage to his time in the 140 scene so far. Check it out below.

How was your summer? Were you touring a lot?

Yeah, this summer was actually quite incredible. Obviously, I made a genre transition last year, probably around September. I had the idea before, but it really took effect around then. I also joined a new agency towards the end of last year. This summer has been amazing – lots of festivals and a whole new touring circuit, which has been really fun. Lots of new promoters too, so it's been super busy in terms of shows.

Can you tell us a bit about that genre shift?

For people who know me, I came into the scene as a 140 dubstep producer. That was my first passion. It was the first genre I really fell in love with as a producer, but at that point, I wasn’t technically good enough to fully express what I wanted to in my music. So I took a step back and discovered Night Bass, which was a game changer. Me, AC Slater, and a few others pioneered a genre that blended house with a bit more edge, kind of what I was trying to do with dubstep. That era lasted about 10 years, which was a lot of fun because it felt like uncharted territory. That’s when my career really took off, and that’s where the genre shift started.

You’ve said before that you taught yourself how to produce via YouTube tutorials, can you tell us a bit about your beginnings as a self-taught producer?

So, I’m 31 now, and I started making music when I was 14 – it was a hobby at first. I got a trial version of FL Studio, but I couldn’t save any projects, so I had to finish everything in one go. It really taught me to work fast! From 14 to 17, it was just a hobby, but at 17, I started getting some attention from my music, and that's when I took it more seriously.

Around that time, YouTube was becoming a big thing, so I started uploading my music there. It was one of the few ways to get recognised. I didn’t know many producers locally – just a couple of friends who dabbled – but most of what I learnt came from online resources. What was great about it was that I could look for specific things that I wanted to learn, so it was all very self-directed.

You started out as a production duo with Secondcity, why did you decide to go your separate ways and start making music solo?

We were good friends, but there was a big age difference, and we had a bit of a creative clash. He wanted to focus more on house music, while I was leaning toward heavier stuff. Once I felt ready to go off on my own, we mutually agreed to split. It just made sense for both of us.

You got your start early alongside a lot of UK dubstep legends. How have you seen the 140 and UK garage scenes evolve over the years?

The biggest change I’ve noticed is in UK culture. You can hear it in the music too, from the early days to what’s been happening recently. One of the main shifts I’ve seen is the growing influence of UK artists on the American scene. It used to be more about that classic American dubstep vibe, but now there’s a stronger UK presence, which has definitely caught people’s attention.

You were mentored pretty early on by Benga, right? What was that experience like and what did he teach you?

I wouldn’t necessarily call it mentorship, but he did take me under his wing and showed me the ropes. The main thing was that he supported me on the radio and helped me to get exposure, which was huge for me early on.

Were there any other key figures who helped shape your journey?

Yeah, definitely. DJ Walsh was another big one. He had a radio show in Caterham, and he invited me to join him there. I used to go over with LAXX and do live streams, it was one of the first times I got to be in a space surrounded by like-minded producers. I also spent time with N-Type, Skream, and Benga, just lots of people who were influential in that era.

As a “hardcore Nintendo kid”, has retro gaming ever influenced your music?

A little bit, but not too much – I definitely grew up playing a lot of Nintendo games. In fact, Joker did a mini-series called ‘The Joker Drive’ where he made music using a retro aesthetic. It was something I’ve always wanted to do, but early on in my career, I wasn’t technically skilled enough. Still, Nintendo definitely had a big influence on my life.

You’ve been posting a lot of clips recently of you producing with different software. What’s your usual process when working on a track or remix?

With remixes, I tend to avoid listening to the original song too much, I’ll just use the vocal and treat it like an original track. If I listen to the original too much, I’ll subconsciously go in that direction, which I try to avoid. With original tracks, I’m very much a hermit when it comes to production. I like to work alone, knock things out, and then present them. I know a lot of producers these days work in a more collaborative, fast-paced way, especially in rap or hip hop. But for me, I take my time and prefer to work solo.

You’ve got a new EP coming out soon, ‘Stay in Your Lane’. What can we expect from that?

The EP includes two tracks that are already out, ‘Style’ and ‘Stay in Your Lane’ featuring P Money, Jolie P, and Capo Lee. The next single, ‘Unknowable’, comes out in November. It’s a bit of a departure for me – it’s still 140 BPM, but it’s more of a song than a club track, so I’m really excited about that one. There’s also a collab with Born coming out in December, and another track called ‘Third Eye’, which is an instrumental I really love. The final track is ‘Patterns’, a collaboration with Hamdi. I’m super excited for this one, it covers everything from dancefloor bangers to more song-based stuff.

Your tracks have been played by big names like Skrillex and Joker this summer. Is there anyone you’re hoping to collaborate with next?

I don’t really have anyone specific in mind – I like to work with people who are friends or people I have a good connection with in the studio. I’m not really interested in collaborations just for the sake of it. My process is to work on something, go away, and then send it back and forth. I don’t do many studio sessions where we sit in a room and knock out a track all at once. For example, ‘Unknowable’ is one of the few tracks I’ve worked on in that way.

Going back to your influences, you grew up in Mongolia but moved to the UK at a young age. Do you draw any inspiration from Mongolian music?

A little bit, but it’s a very different culture, so it’s not something I’ve really tapped into. When I was growing up, there wasn’t much of a dance music scene in Mongolia – just some commercial dance music. I do try to pull aesthetic influences from my culture, but having grown up in England for most of my life, I’d say I feel more connected to English culture when it comes to my music.

You’ve got a tour coming up in Australia and New Zealand – what’s next after that?

Yeah, I leave tomorrow for the tour! After that, I’ll be back in the US at the end of November. I’m also doing DRUMSHEDS in London on December 13, which I’m really excited about because I don’t get to play in the UK much. Then, I’ll be wrapping up the rest of my album with Polydor, so a lot to look forward to.

Can you tell us about your Mixmag mix?

This mix is a reflection on everything I've been working on over the past few months, blending my latest tracks with a selection of both new and classic records from artists who have had a major influence on me in the 140 scene. It’s a true representation of who I am and what I’m about.

‘Stay In Your Lane’ is out on November 29, pre-order it here

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter

Tracklist:

Doechii - Nissan Altima (Taiki Nulight Remix)
Sir Spyro & Killa P - ID
Taiki Nulight - 142 Godzilla
Taiki Nulight - Pulse Edit
Hamdi - ID
Taiki Nulight & Casey Club - ID feat. Diligent Fingers
Joker - ID
MPH & MJ Cole - ID
Taiki Nulight - Third Eye
MPH, Pola & Bryson - ID
Joker - Purple City
4 Batz - Date @ 8 (Taiki Nulight Remix)
Joker - The Vision (Instrumental)
Taiki Nulight & Borne - Outta Control
Skrillex, Joker & Sleepnet - Tears
ID - ID
Nero - Innocence (Taiki Nulight Remix)
Joy Orbison - Flight FM (Taiki Nulight Remix)
Emalkay - Crusader
Dismantle - Broke
Borne & Alexis B - Hush
Skrillex, Ahadadream - TAKA (Taiki Nulight Remix)
Yaeji - Raingurl (Mr Carmack Edit)
MPH - Funkmaster
Overmono - So U Know (Taiki Nulight Remix)
Cloonee - Sippin’ Yak (Taiki Nulight Remix)
Kito - take your vibes and go (Taiki Nulight Remix)
Hamdi - Counting (Taiki Nulight Remix)
Taiki Nulight, P Money & Jolie P - Stay in your lane
Taiki Nulight & Hamdi - Patterns
Taiki Nulight - Flip it x3
Whiplash - Caravan (Taiki Nulight Remix)
Taiki Nulight & Harry Stone - Unknowable