Biography
During the closing years of the 1990s, while countless Aphex Twin imitators surfaced, a handful of fresh talents forged distinctive sonic identities instead of defaulting to uniform ambient techno. Brothomstates, the Finnish native Lassi Nikko, ranks among those inventive arrivals. His electronica draws chiefly from late-’90s IDM and related electronic currents yet weaves in strands from genres far removed from that era’s palette.
Lassi Nikko entered music-making in the early 1990s. He supplied compositions to assorted demoscene collectives—a subculture of inventive computer enthusiasts—and built an international reputation. Adopting the Brothomstates alias at the decade’s close, he delivered multiple live performances that drew favorable notice from wider audiences. After supplying remixes and standalone tracks to various compilations, he issued Kobn-Itch-Ey in 1998. Like many releases of its moment, the album appeared solely online, yet it remains strong relative to its contemporaries.
An energetic set at Koneisto and further demonstrations of skill led the Finnish indie electronic label Exogenic to release a 12" vinyl EP. That record displayed a musically matured Brothomstates and signaled promise for subsequent work. Nikko stayed largely out of view, issuing occasional smaller items on minor labels, until 2001, when it was revealed that he had signed with British Warp Records and an EP would follow.
Brothomstates’ first Warp release, Qtio, drew praise from music magazines, while the next album, Claro, earned positive notices worldwide. At that stage Nikko’s music had attained a polished and cohesive finish despite minimal production.
Lassi Nikko entered music-making in the early 1990s. He supplied compositions to assorted demoscene collectives—a subculture of inventive computer enthusiasts—and built an international reputation. Adopting the Brothomstates alias at the decade’s close, he delivered multiple live performances that drew favorable notice from wider audiences. After supplying remixes and standalone tracks to various compilations, he issued Kobn-Itch-Ey in 1998. Like many releases of its moment, the album appeared solely online, yet it remains strong relative to its contemporaries.
An energetic set at Koneisto and further demonstrations of skill led the Finnish indie electronic label Exogenic to release a 12" vinyl EP. That record displayed a musically matured Brothomstates and signaled promise for subsequent work. Nikko stayed largely out of view, issuing occasional smaller items on minor labels, until 2001, when it was revealed that he had signed with British Warp Records and an EP would follow.
Brothomstates’ first Warp release, Qtio, drew praise from music magazines, while the next album, Claro, earned positive notices worldwide. At that stage Nikko’s music had attained a polished and cohesive finish despite minimal production.
Albums
