We chat to Niko Nota, founder of Acid Funk Music about his musical loves and life.
Tell us a little bit about your yourself?
I am Niko Nota, founder of Acid Funk Music. Acid Funk is my label, in which I create music for TV, Broadcast and Film. I am Colombian-American, based in New York City.
When did you first start to develop a passion for music?
When I was a teenager, I was heavily influenced by electronic artists, especially those who created a lot of ear-candy sounding tracks. I always want to be like these lowkey, underground producers who were able to create and contribute to amazing projects without even saying a word.
The more I listened, the more I created my own visions and sounds in my head, but I would be so pissed and frustrated at myself for not having the ability to transfer those sounds into existence.
That’s when I taught myself how to produce in Ableton, I practiced relentlessly, then went to the biggest Studio in Philly to learn from legends in the industry, then the rest was history.
Which artists did you listen to while growing up?
Despite my young age, I had an old soul and mind. I was obsessed with music from the 70s to the 90s. Prince, Michael Jackson, The Prodigy, Real McCoy, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, the list goes on and on.
Some newer artists from this generation that I love include Kaytranada, Flying Lotus, Toro Y Moi, and Thundercat. I look up to these guys so much because they’re simply geniuses who are masters of fusing electronic music with other genres like funk, soul, etc.
How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard you before?
I would describe myself as an artist who paints a clear picture, or setting with their instrumentals, some songs may sound unorthodox and that is fine.
I create music that can either fit in a scene on TV or film, or complement a vocalist or singer to present their talent and potential. To summarize, I guess you could say I’m a Latino Kaytranada, film score producer.
What music have you recorded and released to date?
I have created a lot of music instrumentals that are designed for TV, Broadcast and Film. They have all been released earlier this year and you can feel free to check it out on Acid Funk’s Spotify. Tune in and you guys will see more releases with singers and collaborators.
Which artists do you enjoy listening to at the moment – and do they influence your work?
The artists I enjoy listening to are the ones I’ve been mentioning throughout this interview, including Kaytranada, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Toro Y Moi, Kali Uchis, Shay Lia.
I want to also include a new artist that I know many people will learn about soon, his name is Teezo Touchdown. He is a rapper from Texas who I have tons of respect for. He is a breath of fresh air because he is so talented, cares about his craft and extremely unique. Please check him out.
Who would your dream collaboration be with?
My dream collaboration would be with some of these producers I mentioned, including Kaytranada, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, etc. I dream to create albums for vocalists and singers.
I am looking to seek vocalists, and singers who have that soul in their voices, like Kali Uchis, Shay Lia, and some of the biggest artists in the industry.
What are your plans for the future?
I am excited to share that I am going to be meeting with some of the biggest music supervisors in the industry, who license music for top tv shows such as The Walking Dead, Vampire Diaries, Stranger Things, etc. My goal is to create great relationships with these supervisors and to be a powerhouse sync-licensing creator.
Hopefully, you guys will hear my work on these top shows soon! Simultaneously, I will be on the lookout for singers who I can produce for, I intend to create hits and I am super excited for all of this.
You can find out more at https://acidfunkmusic.com/about/.
