Berlin-based Nicolas Bougaïeff follows the release of February’s Primal Extensions EP with Prime Funktion. This is the second instalment of his Prime EP series on NovaMute, which has already received early support from Charlotte De Witte, Dubfire, Boris, Laurent Garnier, and Elisa Bee.
Listen to the menacing new track, ‘Funktion’:
Expanding on his ongoing exploration of prime rhythms and polytemporality, Bougaïeff continues to push the boundaries of techno on Prime Funktion with intricate rhythmic frameworks and hypnotic, high-intensity club cuts.
‘Funktion’ is a potent, menacing track, where a shadowy synth loop repeats over hefty kicks in a dystopian fashion, driven by prime rhythmic divisions that create tension and unpredictability.
Drawing from his PhD in minimal techno and decades of experience, Bougaïeff continues his quest to expand the rhythmic possibilities of electronic music. The Prime series introduces listeners to prime rhythms – polyrhythms derived from prime number ratios that challenge traditional binary subdivisions – alongside his pivot mixing techniques, which allow seamless tempo integration. This explores what Bougaïeff calls ‘temporal liberation’ – where intricate rhythms both literally break the constraints of traditional techno and serve as a symbolic metaphor for broader notions of personal, social, and metaphysical freedom.
The artwork, created by graphic designer Ben Slater, mirrors this approach, visualising prime rhythms as layered circular structures, where individual patterns remain independent yet momentarily align – capturing the tension between freedom and synchronisation.
Beyond his releases on labels such as Mute and NovaMute, Bougaïeff co-founded Liine, creators of the Lemur music app – famously used aboard the International Space Station. He founded the Berlin Academy of Electronic Music and reaches a global audience through his online tutorials, where he explains innovative production techniques. His videos on pivot mixing have gained notable recognition among industry peers.
Nicolas Bougaïeff’s Prime Funktion releases on NovaMute on 7 May 2025, with the single ‘Funktion’ available today.
TRACKLIST
- Prime
- Funktion
- Nucleus
- Womb
