Feature Interview – Nick Stoynoff  – Zone Magazine Issue 047 –

Chicago based Nick Stoynoff is undoubtedly one of the of the hottest properties within the global Progressive House scene.

With a string of releases on prestigious labels such as Bedrock, Balance, Selador, Sudbeat, Alola, and his own imprint NOFF! Nick’s work has been championed by artists like Hernán Cattáneo, Nick Warren, Guy J, Laurent Garnier, Omid 16b, Anthony Pappa, Dave Seaman, Sasha, and John Digweed, Solarstone, and many others. His meticulous approach to production, honed over years of experience, results in emotionally resonant compositions that linger in the minds of listeners long after the music fades. With close to 2 decades of production and numerous Beatport Top 10’s, Nick is showing no signs of slowing down.

As a producer, DJ, and sound designer with a deep-rooted passion for sonic storytelling, Nick Stoynoff crafts immersive musical journeys that transcend genre boundaries. Drawing from progressive house, deep techno, and cinematic soundscapes, his productions blend hypnotic grooves, intricate melodies, and finely sculpted textures—earning him recognition from some of the industry’s most respected names. Nick’s globe trotting DJ sets reflect his refined musical sensibilities—seamlessly navigating between deep, organic rhythms and atmospheric, forward-thinking sounds. He has opened up for
several notable acts such as Hernan Cattaneo, Anthony Pappa, Dave Seaman, Omid 16b, Nick Warren, 16 Bit Lolitas, Gabriel & Dresden, and Matthew Dekay to name a few.

I recently sat down with Nick to gain an insight into his creative process, early influences and favourite equipment used over the years. We discussed how Nick approaches playing alongside legends within
the scene and how it feels to hear iconic DJ’s supporting his music across the globe.

Recent Success and Label Recognition

Thank you for joining us today, and congratulations on your string of recent releases that have been riding high in the Beatport charts. Over the last couple of years, you’ve released music on some amazing labels, such as Bedrock, Selador, and Balance. Can you describe the feeling that you get when something that you’ve produced gets signed to one of these prestigious labels?

It’s incredibly validating. I’ve been doing this for 15 to 20 years, and labels like Balance, Bedrock, and Selador have had a huge influence on me. To now be signed with those names is truly an honour.

Early Influences and Musical Journey

What were your early influences and what inspired you to start DJ’ing and producing music?

For many of us—myself included—it all began with those early Essential Mixes, especially Paul Oakenfold’s sets from the late ’90s. They were powerful not just musically, but as live recordings that
captured the raw energy of the room. You don’t hear that same kind of enthusiasm as often today.
His Essential Mix World Tour also took him to some truly exotic locations, which added to the mystique. Naturally, that drew me in even more. What started as passive listening gradually turned into
active involvement—and DJ’ing became the gateway.

Creative Process and Production Approach

Production-wise, do you go into your studio with a rough idea of the music that you’re wanting to make, or do you get into the studio and let your creativity lead the way?

Definitely the latter—that’s how I approach music these days. I used to work the other way, starting with a concept or a clear idea, but that’s changed over time. Now, I avoid having anything pre-planned. I don’t use templates, and every session starts with a blank slate. That’s a conscious choice, because one of the things I enjoy most about making music is the unpredictability—each session is a new experience. I never know what’s going to spark the idea; it could be something big or something small. There’s no agenda when I show up—I just show up and start.

There’s a lot of material that has been idling in my drives over the years that are just ideas. Something I have been doing, lately, is taking those old songs/ideas that I no longer have associated sessions files for and running them through AI stem separators, lifting the parts, and putting them into tracks I’m working on to try and re purpose them. It’s about bringing some of It’s about bringing some of these older ideas back to life. There might even be something small in there that turns out to be a really cool bit that works well with something new I’m doing. It’s a weird lifecycle—a lot of it comes full circle. I’ll be listening back to something I started 10 or 12 years ago and will realise, “OK, that works really well with something I started yesterday.”

Live Performance and Crowd Reaction

As a DJ, seeing the crowd react positively to new music is a really great feeling. How do you feel when it’s a track that you’ve produced that you’re playing that gets such a good reaction?

It’s always hard to predict how people will respond, so it’s great when things go well. I had a gig last month here at Spy Bar in Chicago with Dave Seaman and Anthony Pappa—they played two of my tracks, and the crowd responded really positively. It was an amazing feeling to see two of my heroes playing my music and getting that kind of reaction.

That being said, it’s a totally different experience to see how tracks function in a live environment. It’s really informative and educational too—you go, “Oh, that’s working really well,” or “maybe that’s a little
too much of that.” Ultimately, it’s always the lingering curiosity between the moment you finish something and when it is first played out.

So leading on from that, how does it feel to hear or see videos of iconic DJs like Sasha, John Digweed, and Hernán Cattaneo playing your music?

It’s a great feeling and surreal. Also, I think it goes back to your first question—it’s a lot of validation too. It’s weird because I’m a bit of an outsider in many ways. I’m not living in the city right now, I’m not going out every night, I’m not around producers every day. I’m just at home, so when I see these videos, it’s often from another world that I’m really not in every day.

But it’s cool that those two worlds are so different, yet obviously connected because you’re fueling that scene with your music and productions?

This approach has been important—and healthy—for me. I need to keep the blinders on to stay focused. I don’t want to create just for the sake of staying busy; maintaining focus is essential. That’s why I
intentionally keep some distance. There’s a great interview with Gabriel Ananda on YouTube from a few
years back. His lifestyle is almost monastic—quiet, somewhat reclusive, living in the forest and doing his own thing. It’s fascinating to see how some artists stay deeply connected to their work while
intentionally distancing themselves from the larger scene.

Collaboration and Working with Others

You’ve recently collaborated with Aubrey Fry on the “St. John EP” on Balance and also the remix of the Danny Howells track “Stereodrama” on Selador. Do you approach these projects differently than you would if it was a solo project?

We work really well together—Aubrey’s incredibly talented. Our process is very collaborative, like a game of ping-pong, constantly bouncing ideas back and forth. It’s a different dynamic from working
solo. There’s a certain momentum that builds when you’re feeding off each other’s energy. One of the biggest advantages is how quickly we commit to ideas—we trust our instincts and bring a lot of confidence to the process.

We each bring our own strengths and sensibilities to the table, shaped by our solo work, and that blend fuels the collaboration. When we’re in sync, things come together quickly. The Danny Howells remix we did for Selador for example, took us no more than a week. Once the flow is there, it tends to assemble itself quickly.

Are there any producers or artists that you’d really like to workwith in the future, or do you have plans to collaborate with?

I don’t have any immediate collaborations lined up, but I’m always open to working with others. Collaborating outside your usual circle can be a great way to grow—it pushes you to explore new territory and evolve your sound. I’ve got friends in the jazz world I’d love to team up with on a side
project, just to experiment and try something different. Someone like James Holden comes to mind—his work is a great example. He’s created some really unique side projects that blend avant-garde
electronica with jazz, and that kind of crossover really inspires me.

Starting NOFF Records

In 2021 you started your own label NOFF!. What was the main reason for starting your own label? And how does it feel to see the label grow and be supported by top DJs across the globe?

It’s great. I started it around the time that I had put a Balance Guest Mix together. I had toyed with the idea of a label for years—I just wasn’t sure about the objectives or what I wanted it to be, what it was
going to look like or sound like.

Then I reached a point shortly after the Balance mix and said, “Well, this might be a good launching point for a label”. I had all these tracks that I’d written over the years that maybe didn’t make it onto labels, got rejected, or I didn’t know what to do with. I said, “Let’s start releasing this stuff. It’s a great opportunity, and we’ll see what happens.”

I’m really happy with the progress it’s made, and there’s certainly more on the horizon. I take it just one release at a time—I don’t have a prolonged release schedule. Also, it’s worth admitting that some of my
music is on the experimental side and one of the reasons I started the label was to bring in remixers to get my material more connected to the dance floor.

I’ll be focusing more on remixes than originals for a while. That’s pretty much where I am right now. I’m trying to finalise something—it’s taking a while, but hopefully it finishes soon! It’ll be worth it once it’s done.

Playing with Legends

You mentioned earlier that you recently played at SpyBar in Chicago alongside progressive house royalty Anthony Pappa and Dave Seaman. How do you prepare for a gig like that, playing alongside legends of the scene?

Try not to overthink it! About a week before, I said, “You know what? Just have fun with it!” People see these opportunities on the horizon, and there can be a lot of attention and focus around the set, who the names are, as well as the significance of the night. At the end of the day, the best thing is to follow your intuition. So ultimately, that’s what I ended up doing. I was definitely nervous—I really look up to those guys! But they were fantastic—super talented, played amazingly, and just genuinely great people.

It was also really nice to see a lot of old friends. Many of them have kids now or demanding day jobs, so they don’t get out as much. The fact that they made the effort to come out made it all the more special.
In the end, that’s what it’s all about—sharing those moments, making memories, and getting the chance to play alongside your heroes.

Favourite Venues and Cities

You’ve DJed in some fantastic clubs around the world, but where would you say is your favourite city or club to play?

Anywhere in Chicago. For me, it’s home—it’s always felt like the best place. If you listen to my set at Spy Bar, it’s not really ‘prog’—there’s a lot of different stuff in there that teeters on the edge of many genres. That’s what I like about the city: people are very open-minded here and appreciate different styles.
Favourite club to play is probably Spy Bar, Chicago and or The Bear Cave in Bournemouth, UK.

Is there a club that still exists or perhaps doesn’t exist anymore that you would have really liked to have played at?

I would’ve loved to play at a place like Twilo in New York—I really wish I’d been around for that era. So many legendary stories and memories are tied to that club. Chicago, of course, has had its own share of iconic venues—Karma, Shelter, Red No Five. Even though many of them are gone now, they remain important cultural landmarks in the city’s music history.

Chicago’s musical depth goes far beyond clubs, too. Some of the best blues and jazz venues in the world are here. Every neighbourhood has its own unique sound and scene—there’s always something interesting happening musically, no matter where you are in the city.

Meeting Musical Heroes

Is there a DJ or artist that you’ve met or worked with that you’ve been starstruck when you’ve met them?

I’d definitely put Dave Seaman and Anthony Pappa up there. They’re both incredibly down-to-earth and humble, which makes working with them feel effortless. Just really genuine, grounded people.

Technical Inspiration

Who was the first DJ that you watched or heard play that made you want to understand what was going on technically inside the DJ booth?

When I was finally old enough to start going out, the first DJ I saw live in a club was Steve Lawler. He played an incredible set that really inspired me to keep pushing forward as a DJ. From a technical standpoint, James Zabiela has always stood out to me. I still go back to his 2004 Essential Mix—when I first heard it, I remember thinking, “How is he even doing this?”

A few years ago, I caught DVS1 in Detroit, and he absolutely blew me away. He worked four decks non-stop for five hours—no distractions, no walking around or chatting, just completely locked in. Unlike some DJs who seem to drift in and out of focus, he was fully dialled in the entire time. Inspiring!

Preparation and Equipment

In the years that you’ve been DJing and producing music, do you have a routine that you follow to prepare? And is there any specific piece of equipment that’s remained within your toolkit throughout the years?

When it comes to DJing, there’s not much preparation involved for me. Some people have really detailed organisational systems, and that can definitely be important—but ultimately, it’s about finding what works best for you. The goal is to discover your identity through the process.

In the studio, things have changed a lot over the years. I used to have more outboard gear—like a Moog Voyager, Prophet 05 rack, and various guitar pedals—but I sold most of it a few years back. Part of
that was financial [laughs], but the other part is that working “in the box” today sounds really good. Many of the software equivalents are so well engineered now that the gap has really narrowed.

One piece I held onto for a while was the Ensoniq ESQ-1, a late-’80s digital synth that was hugely popular in its time. I actually discovered it through one of my favourite producers, Aril Brikha—much of his music, including “Groove La Chord,” was made with that synth. I also just loved the character of its pad sounds. One of the tracks I made using that piece of gear years ago is called “Coffee is a Morning Thing.” Check it out if you get the chance!

These days, everything happens on a laptop. With the amount of computing power available now, it’s easy to run high-quality plugins and more advanced software. While there are still certain things you
can’t fully replcate in the digital world, you can achieve amazing results working entirely in the box.

At this point, I’m fully in Ableton Live. I originally started with Logic, but it didn’t quite allow me to do everything I wanted at the time. For a while, I was even routing audio back and forth between Logic and
Ableton, but eventually I decided to consolidate everything and commit fully to Ableton.

Life Outside Music

So finally, away from music, is there anything that you like to do to relax?

I enjoy going for walks and hiking. I also love movies and have a real appreciation for all kinds of documentaries. For me, it’s about doing things that are peaceful but not isolating—activities that give me a sense of independence and some quality alone time. How exciting is that? [laughs]