Combining his unrelenting passion for electronic music with an inextinguishable desire to push the envelope in everything that he does, Dr. Nicolas Pinto is a totem figure in the world of AI and blockchain technology. Instrumental in masterminding the GenAI NFT launch of Dixon and Âme’s Innervisions’ 100th release back in 2021, November 2023 saw him realise his debut record label LIFEFORMS alongside German producer Tim Engelhardt. Riding a wave of acclaim following successful releases from Tim Engelhardt and Solique in November and December respectively, the burgeoning, technology-focussed imprint now looks to open its 2024 tally in style, as it welcomes Pinto for his first release on the label, under his Nicoleo moniker.

Bringing the listener into his own realm of tripped-out, sonic exploration, Nicoleo’s label debut ‘Chemin’ is a masterclass from the off. With a hazy modular introduction and stripped-back instrumentation making way for a whimsical, dreamlike topline from his wife Bou, Nicoleo’s forward-thinking sound experiment merges with the technological spirit of his musical quest to create a euphoric journey that captivates from the outset. Constructing an impressive assortment of rolling drum loops, ethereal chords progressions and stripped back samples, ‘Chemin’ is a truly spirited offering, with Nicoleo’s deep and rhythmic house grooves providing the perfect tonic to those January blues. We caught up with Nicoleo to find out more.

Can you share the inspiration behind your new single ‘Chemin’?

Our new release is quite meaningful to us: it marks not only my debut on our own label with Tim Engelhardt but it also represents a significant personal and artistic milestone. The record is particularly special because it features spoken vocals from my wife, Bouchra, known as ‘Bou,’ who planted the original seed of the idea behind the music. 
In this release, we delve into the journey of personal and artistic growth, a theme that resonates deeply with me. In life, and artistry, there is no single paved way; each one of us has to make our own path. It can be hard and tumultuous, but it’s the only way.
Each version of ‘Chemin’ brings a different hue, reflecting the diverse colors of our journeys. My evolution as a music producer is echoed in this piece; from my early days as a hip-hop producer and turntablist in the late 90s, digging for breakbeats in dusty crates, to my more recent explorations in cutting-edge sound designs for electronic music. 

As a co-founder of LIFEFORMS, how has the label’s journey been since its inception, and where do you see its future heading?

Setting up the label was a natural progression of our original collaborations with Tim Engelhardt, which grew during the early days of the Covid pandemic. I reconnected with music production after a decade-long break and sought Tim’s guidance for mixing tracks. This collaboration quickly evolved into a deeper connection. We realized that we shared a vision for how technologies like AI and blockchain could intersect with and enrich the artistic journey and especially in the music industry. Tim had always aspired to start a music label, and I have a passion for building things and nurturing talent. So, it felt like the perfect opportunity to combine our skills and passions.
Our first two releases have been well received and got us quite excited about the future of the label. We’re currently working on our next releases for 2024. We’re really excited about what’s in the works. While we can’t reveal much right now, we can assure you that there’s a lot of diversity in terms of artists and styles. We’re also doing a lot of R&D for both music production and label operations. Up until now, the tools we’ve been using were developed for and by Tim and me, but we’re thrilled to share drafts of them with the upcoming artists on our label, as well as getting their feedback.

Dr. Nicolas Pinto aka Nicoleo & Tim Engelhardt

How do your interests in music, AI, and blockchain technology intersect, and how does this influence your creative process?

It’s hard to say. The delineation between different aspects of my work is not clear-cut; it all merges seamlessly, at least to me. I don’t force any specific direction, although I do sense a cohesive story unfolding behind it all. The less I think about it, the better the creative musical output, generally.
This intersection of roles often manifests in various ways – sometimes it’s about research and development of tools to aid my own creative process and that of others like Tim, and sometimes it takes the shape of entrepreneurship. For instance, I recently founded a stealth startup focused on spatial audio mastering technology, with LIFEFORMS being the first to beta test it. You can check out the results in all our labels’ releases on platforms supporting Dolby Atmos, e.g. Apple Music or Tidal. To our knowledge, we are one of the first labels to adopt this modern format in our scene, and certainly with the very-limited budget of our bootstrapping independent structure. 

‘Chemin’ features spoken words from your wife, Bou. Can you elaborate the collaborative process and how her contribution enhances the track?

The original track began in mid-2022, starting with a basic breakbeat loop, a chord progression, and some detailed sampling, when my wife came to the studio to say hi. I asked her to just hop on the microphone and just say whatever came up first to her mind. She promptly said in French “il n’y a pas de chemin tracé, il n’y a aucun chemin tracé” (translation: “the path is not paved, there is no paved path”) reflecting on both our journeys are artists (she’s a ballet dancer) and as parents. At the time, we were navigating the complexities of life with two children under two years old, and now we have three under four. Like most in their artistic and personal lives, we haven’t had the luxury of a predefined path. Instead, we’ve had to carve our own way, confronting and overcoming the obstacles and challenges that come with charting an unmarked course. 
Right then, her lyrics instantly planted the original seed of the idea behind both sides of the track for my first release on LIFEFORMS.

In what ways does ‘Chemin’ reflect your personal and artistic growth as a music producer?

‘Chemin’ is a reflection of my own journey in music – one that has taken me from my roots as a hip-hop producer and turntablist in the late 90s to my current exploration in electronic music, particularly in the realms of synthesizer sound design. The two tracks encapsulate this evolution, blending breakbeat drum loops, ethereal chord progressions, stacked synths and stripped-back sampling to create a sound that I hope is both innovative and deeply soulful.
In this record, each element is carefully crafted to narrate a tale of personal and artistic growth. It speaks to the journey we all navigate in life and art, defined by our distinct experiences and the ongoing evolution that drives our creativity. ‘Chemin’ is more than just a two-sided release; it’s a reflection of my past and a hint at my future, intricately weaving a puzzle path for a future cryptic treasure hunt.

Cover art for ‘Chemin’

Your musical journey spans from hip-hop turntablism to cutting-edge synthesiser sound designs. How do you balance and integrate these influences into your current style?

To be honest, I don’t actively try to balance them out; I prefer to go with the flow and trust what feels right. This approach is exactly how I incorporated some scratches into my first organic afro house track as ‘Nicoleo’ on Sol Selectas. The track, ‘Gnawa Elech feat. LAOR’, co-produced with Ariaty and released last year, was less synth-heavy but already included flavours of my tech background, with some AI vocal sampling. This technology was something I developed in-house a few years earlier when I started the project.

LIFEFORMS is known as a technology-focused imprint. How do you foresee the intersection of technology and music evolving, and how does LIFEFORMS contribute to this evolution?

In a sense, LIFEFORMS is an experiment and we hope that our technological background (e.g. in AI and blockchain) will play a pivotal role in the long-term direction and output of our label. It might however be more subtle than the typical hype-heavy attention-grabbing headlines you may see in the press or on socials.
My deep involvement in the GenAI NFT launch for Innervisions’ 100th release in 2021 was a significant step in proving that this could be done. This ahead-of-the-curve experience with influential veterans in the space (Dixon & Ame) has been instrumental in shaping our approach at LIFEFORMS. We’re dedicated to integrating technology in ways that genuinely enhance the music experience and strengthen the connection between artists and their audience, while staying in the background.
Tools from AI, which I like to refer to as ‘Intelligence Augmentation,’ IA, have the potential to significantly enhance the capabilities of our artists, if they chose to use them. Steve Jobs said that the computer was the bicycle for the mind. To paraphrase a dear friend of mine, AI tools can clearly be the rocket ships for the mind. They can simplify and streamline the production process. Sometimes certain tasks are tedious and time-consuming, and we want to remove those obstacles to keep artists in their creative flow. Whether an artist excels in composition, sound design, production, instrumentation, performance, arrangement or other aspects, these tools can bridge the gap where they may not be as inspired at that moment. They can also be invaluable in the final engineering stages of the music process, such as polishing, mixing, and mastering, especially for newer complex formats like Dolby Atmos, allowing for professional-quality output without the prohibitive costs. The democratization of these tools is crucial for independent artists, leveling the playing field to compete with higher-budget productions.
Concrete examples in our past and future releases include generative synthesizer sound-design trained on the artist’s preferences, advanced macro- and micro-sampling using audio understanding and source separation, advanced audio restoration, advanced generative vocals, like for our GenAI project with Innervisions in 2021, mixing co-pilot, friction-less immersive spatial audio mastering, for example all of our spatial audio masters at LIFEFORMS use this technology developed in-house, drastically reducing the cost of this expensive part of the release process, cover art generation with artist-preferences, etc. We have a lot of other ideas cooking, and we’ll see how they get picked up by our artists. We won’t force anything.
Blockchain tools have the potential to remove intermediaries between artists and their audiences, ensuring that artists fully capture the value they create. This technology brings transparency to the value chain. By utilizing digital scarcity through NFTs, artists can offer exclusive content, paving the way for more personal connections and valuable experiences, as I’ve done with the Innervisions’ 100th release as NFTs. Emerging artists, in particular, often struggle financially. Blockchain could facilitate smoother and more timely payments, potentially providing greater financial stability. These tools are still in their nascent stages, and many are subject to unhealthy speculation. We are here to navigate our artists through this complex landscape, offering clear guidance amidst the overwhelming noise. While we can’t reveal much about our upcoming plans with Tim, we are very excited about them and look forward to sharing with our audience as soon as they are ready for the spotlight. We’re just getting started.

Beyond the release of ‘Chemin’, are there any future projects in the planning you can talk about?

We have a lot of exciting music cooking at LIFEFORMS. I can’t tell everything but you can expect Tim to make a comeback and our dear friend Enamour to drop a special one this year.
For Nicoleo, I’m working on various tracks, but also an album, sort of a puzzle related to ‘Chemin.’ It will probably take quite a while to finish, so stay tuned.

Nicoleo – ‘Chemin’ feat. Bou is out now via LIFEFORMS: https://lnk.to/LIFEFORMS003