Nickelle’s return lands with quiet force — a producer and DJ stepping back into the spotlight with a track that feels both reverent and radically her own. Neo One, released on Jack Said What, pulls straight from the DNA of Detroit’s underground: Carl Craig’s widescreen strings, Moodymann’s lived-in groove, the emotional tension that turns machines into storytellers.
It’s a love letter, but also a reboot — the sound of an artist reconnecting with everything that first lit her up.
A veteran of Fabric, Ministry of Sound, The End/AKA, Turnmills, and dancefloors across Europe and Asia, Nickelle has always navigated that line between club futurism and raw human soul. After a break from releasing, she returns with a track that starts as a deep-tech builder, then cracks open into something cinematic — almost orchestral — without losing the floor in its bones.
Following her recent Westpoint release on Nervous Records, Neo One signals the next chapter: deeper craft, sharper emotion, and a sound rooted in respect for the pioneers while pushing toward a future only she can sketch.
We sat down with Nickelle to talk Detroit, rebirth, emotional frequency, and why Neo One was the track that needed to mark her return.
Making music is the most meditative, and soul-recharging thing I can think of doing.
Neo One feels cinematic yet raw. What was the first spark that brought this project to life?
I don’t really have a set formula as a starting point; as such, it could be a hook that I have in my mind that sets the tone to develop further, or just building on a kick and going from there. I’ve learned there’s value in being a bit selective and not rushing to put out everything you make straight away, only to go back later with fresh ears and a new slant. This is what happened with Neo One. I’d started it and had the main hook down, but had hit a wall and moved on to another project instead. I revisited it a few weeks later and realised it had something about it, and it evolved from there.
You’ve said it was born from your love of Detroit. What is it about that city’s sound that still hits you so deeply?
There is something incredibly raw and authentic about the music that comes out of Detroit. It could be the most sonically dynamic, polished, and put-together track, but there’s always an undercurrent of rawness that reaches me. It’s a texture and contrast thing too, irrespective of genre. Contrasting music, that tends to have a lot of emotion within it, even if it may not be so obvious on first listen, and that’s a quality that I’ve always been drawn to.
From Carl Craig’s strings to Moodymann’s grooves — how did those influences shape Neo One’s emotional core?
Carl Craig’s strings hit me in a way I can’t fully explain — they give a sense of openness out of nowhere, all whilst quietly shifting the whole mood of the whole track, whilst the low end keeps you fully locked in.
With Moodymann, it’s the groove that gets me. His stuff feels lived-in, like it comes from real moments and real rooms. His music tell a story. Inspiration from his work reminds me to make the track feel more human.
They’re both incredible artists.
The second drop feels almost orchestral. Were you intentionally bridging club music and classical drama?
Not initially, the track was going to be a bit more stripped back; it had the main hook, but didn’t have the same big cinematic feel, it was more of a groove built for the floor. I was in the studio with Steve Mac, doing the mix down, and he turned to me and said, “This could be a big epic track with a little extra work. Do you know anyone good at playing keys?”
Reflecting on it later, I thought of Darren Morris. I’d been aware of Darren’s work, but had never actually spoken to him before. I reached out to him on the off chance, I was quite prepared for a polite decline, given that we’d never met, but he agreed.
The work itself was the smoothest process. I gave him a brief, asked for his interpretation, and he delivered, above and beyond. The cinematic strings you hear are Darren’s magic. I couldn’t be happier with how it all turned out.
Your career spans iconic UK clubs like Fabric and Ministry of Sound. How does your DJ past feed into your current productions?
I’m really grateful to have had the exposure and schooling I’ve had from playing a variety of clubs over the years. It’s given me an understanding of how music translates in different spaces and what works on a floor. At the same time, I try not to think too much about staying in a genre lane or trying to make music fit within a certain sound; it’s always evolving.
There are so many classic records from so many incredible artists that have shaped the landscape, inspiration can be found everywhere, but I think it’s just as important to look forward; there’s freedom and a lot of room for growth for exploring new ideas in that.
After years in the scene, what made now the right moment to step back into releasing your own music?
I don’t think music ever leaves you, but there was a period in my life where it didn’t resonate with me quite the way it used to. I was still going out, dancing, enjoying it, but I didn’t feel like putting anything out at that time, or playing any shows. I’d spent so many years defining myself through music and my identity as an artist, that I didn’t really know who I was without it. I needed to step back, strip away some layers, and reconnect with myself, without seeing music as a measure of my worth.
After a couple of years, I started to feel the buzz again and relaunched in 2022. It was initially a slow process, and then over the past year or so, it really started to gather momentum, which is great.
Making music is the most meditative, and soul-recharging thing I can think of doing. I love the journey and that feeling of being scooped up by an idea and getting lost in it all.
Detroit techno is known for its soul as much as its machine. How do you keep that human heartbeat alive in your sound?
I think emotions, when channelled properly, are key to creating music that has any sort of substance to it.
There was a time when everything I made came out really emotional, no matter what I tried. I would be this breezy, happy, upbeat person, making this really emotional music, by default. It was all so random.
Heartbreak has always felt like the perfect muse, though it’s been a long time since I’ve experienced it myself, but the idea still holds for me; the heartbeat comes from being able to tap into emotions and reach a bit deeper when needed, which translates into the music you’re making. You can feel it. That, and a nice floor-focused subby kick drum, I think they both do the job nicely!
Nolan’s remix flips Neo One into a percussive workout. What drew you to collaborate with him on this release?
Tim is incredibly talented. One of the few people that I know can turn their hand to any genre and have all of it sound great. On top of that he’s a lovely human, so it was a no-brainer. I love the deeper, percussive, floor-oriented heads-down slant that he’s brought to the release.
You’ve played everywhere from London to Singapore. Which crowd or city has shaped your energy behind the decks the most?
Stadium in Jakarta has always been a firm favourite over the years; the energy used to be crazy out there. I also had a monthly at a club called Chalet in Rome for a few years, which did a great job at helping me to hone the art of what makes a good DJ set, but my most cherished DJ memory/crowd moment was a bit closer to home. An impromptu secret warehouse party in Brighton after the Essential Festival in the mid-90s. Playing an extended set to a crowd of real ‘heads’ in the early hours of the morning, the sun had just risen and was streaming through the huge windows, and there was so much love in the room. The energy was electric. We wrapped it up late in the morning, and it was one of those gigs you wish would never end. That set has stayed with me ever since. Special.
If Neo One marks a new chapter, what’s next — deeper underground, or even further into the cinematic future?
Finishing the next batch of tracks — the ones that have been sitting on my hard drive for a while and finally deserve some love.
DJ-wise, the next stop is Therapy at Alphabet, Brighton, on 05 December. It’s a brand-new night, and I can’t wait to test out some new bits there.
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