Textured and hypnotic dub techno from a St. Paul label owner.

Tekk Nikk (5/7/25)

Tekk Nikk is a St. Paul-based DJ, producer, and live act with deep roots in the Twin Cities scene. Today, she runs 

, an electronic record label whose Parallel Lounge series has featured local and Midwestern favorites like TML, Sard, and Mutual Identities. She also assists with 

, an open format music series featuring artists with ties to the Midwest underground. As a DJ herself, Tekk Nikk is known for her rare finds that feature intricate, psychedelic grooves.

We chatted with Tekk Nikk about her background and intentions for the mix. Read a transcript of the interview, edited for length and clarity, below:

I started out doing live hardware and it takes a lot of time and effort to write a dance set with that. So, I wanted another way to to perform and to play to a dance floor.

Does using hardware and DJing tie into each other? Or are they completely separate?

They definitely tie into each other. I have used tricks from how I perform a live set to a DJ set and vice-versa.

I have helped run labels for the last eight years and I thought it was time to start my own.

How would you define the sound of the label?

It's pretty eclectic electronic and club music. It's ambient, it's techno, it's kind of any form of electronic music.

Stay tuned for new mixes on Carbon Sound every Wednesday. If you’re a DJ and want to be considered for the series, email a mix of yours to jgreen@mpr.org.

Julian Green built and manages the music library for Carbon Sound and oversees content creation.  


Awa Mally for MPR

Julian Green

Textured and hypnotic dub techno from a St. Paul label owner.


Textured and hypnotic dub techno from a Minneapolis label owner.

Woman with glasses and baseball cap in Polaroid photo