In a new interview with Ableton, Nick Lapien breaks down the production process behind Artefakt’s latest chapter.
Artefakt’s sound was originally shaped by the collision of two different musical perspectives – Robin Koek’s love of early Detroit techno and Nick Lapien’s background in ambient and experimental music. That balance between hypnotic grooves and atmospheric detail became central to the project’s identity. Now continuing solo following Koek’s departure, Lapien is carrying that foundation into a new era while gradually introducing fresh ideas and production approaches.
In a new interview with Ableton, Lapien reflects on his newest EP, which marks the beginning of this next phase for Artefakt. One of its standout cuts, Undertow, captures Lapien’s evolving approach, starting with field recordings captured on the Greek island of Agistri.
Discussing how Undertow first came together, he says: “I had a relatively quiet week there with my field recorder. I started recording things I found on hikes – branches, twigs, natural objects, things like that. There was a tree that was slightly split, and if you hit it in slightly different locations, it created a really nice resonance. Then in the evening, back at the hotel, I started messing around with the sounds and trying to bring some movement into the shorter loops I had created during the day. The initial idea was to create the track as much as possible from those recordings.”
In the interview, Lapien also emphasises the importance of a more tactile, performance-led approach to music-making, encouraging producers to move away from overly rigid workflows. “I strongly believe in being hands-on. Playing things in rather than programming everything with a mouse helps a lot,” he says. “If you’re actually playing, drumming on pads, using the Ableton Push, or a MIDI keyboard, then you really have your own timing. You’re playing chords in a certain way. Every person has a different tendency to look for certain harmonies.”
Download the live set to Artefakt’s new track Undertow, and read the full interview unpacking his production process on Ableton’s website. Listen to the track on SoundCloud.
