Nikaj — the vinyl-first (but not always!) DJ behind Pure & Obscure and Gabberet — is one of those DJs who lives in his record crates. He’s submitted a bunch of HCBXCast mixes, founded our Mixmarathon sessions with Gabbergirl, Low Entropy and myself, and runs multi-genre shows like Mainstream Pollution. Now he’s doing a joint set with me tackling Bloody Fist and various offshoot labels which is going live on 1st November. I catch up with him to ask some questions where we dig into his love of vinyl, how he keeps so prolific on DJ sets, and the labels he is involved in.
HCBX: Alright Nikaj, how the hell are you?
Nikaj: I'm doing fine. I've been busy with work and preparing for various mixes. By the way, nice interview you did with Deadnoise for your latest podcast on HCBX. I too practiced for years on other people's turntables, but that was because I was a poor wretch. I sucked at mixing for years because of it! His favourite tracks are also high on my list.
HCBX: You’re known as a vinyl-first DJ with a proper collection — how did that obsession start, and what’s the story of the first record that made you think “this is my thing”?
Nikaj: Actually, you have to go back to 1989. That’s when I started collecting 7"s, 12"s, and LPs and also did tape trading — exchanging cassettes with people through the mail. In the beginning it was mainly Grindcore, Death Metal, and Crustcore, and after a few years also Techno and Hardcore. I also played in a band at that time.
In 1994, I started buying Hardcore, but it was too late to re-purchase all those great tracks from 1993. Most of them I bought in obscure record stores or from DJs who stopped, and later when Discogs came up. I did hear these tracks through all the tapes I received — Turbulentie Radio (Rotterdam), Delta and Balans (The Hague), but also the first five volumes of Thunderdome and some other compilation albums of that time — all of which were my inspiration.
That early Hardcore Techno Gabber has always fascinated me because of its simple structure and straight-in-your-face approach.
HCBX: You've spoken about how the more obscure hardcore and gabber tracks around 1993 hooked you to the genre, what are your favourite tracks from this period?
Nikaj: Ultraviolence – Psycho Drama is my favourite album of all time. But also Embolism, Gabbanation, Hellfish, GTI, Lasse Steen and all of those great releases back then inspired me so much.
My next upcoming mix on HCBX is all about that era.
Natas - Interview at 200.
Marc Acardipane - Give Me a White Line.
Took me years to find it but finally got it in via Hard Wax in Berlin.
Enfant Terrible - P.W.A.
BSE DJ Team - Outbreak
DJ Dano - Welcome To The Thunderdome.
HCBX: Pure & Obscure and the Gabbaret connections show you wear a few hats in the scene — label runner, producer, curator and DJ. Which of those roles do you enjoy the most?
Nikaj: Actually, I don't find being a label owner all that interesting. I do it to be free in releasing whatever I want and supporting the producers. Producers get far too little credit for what they do — many DJs don’t even add a tracklist, that’s a bloody shame.
The other day I heard a Hysta mix — all boring Hardstyle and a few happy tracks. Reading the comments, it seemed like she’d just pulled off a miracle, even though it was just hits and no one seemed to care which tracks were which. DJs like that play for people who don’t have a real passion for this music. It’s a cheap shot.
Many DJs take themselves too seriously and are adored for something that anyone can easily learn. Marc N, Flapkack, Q-Bert, X-Ecutioners — those are truly excellent DJs and that’s really hard to learn. But Hysta, Lil Texas, Darkraver and the rest who go with the flow don’t do anything special.
HCBX: You’ve done several sets on HCBXCast and the Mixmarathon sessions and are pretty prolific when it comes to mixing — do you plan your sets out, or just hit records and see what happens?
Nikaj: With hardcore, I often just play whatever comes to mind, but the problem is that it takes longer to find the right track, and sometimes you’re not satisfied afterwards. That’s why I’ve been preparing everything lately.
With the multi-genre Mainstream Pollution podcasts, I have to prepare carefully because the styles don’t always match well. I played the first one unprepared — that was more random luck than conscious choice.
HCBX: What kind of gear do you use for mixing and your various other artist endeavours?
Nikaj: Two Synq record turntables or Virtual DJ, a Xone 23 mixer, Yamaha RMX1 sequencer, Ableton, and I master with Audacity.
HCBX: Your Mainstream Pollution Podcast shows cover a wild range of genres. How does running a multi-genre podcast differ from the way you build a hardcore/gabber set, if at all?
Nikaj: Actually, this podcast is something Low Entropy, Gabbergirl and I mostly do intuitively.
I usually collaborate with another DJ on one mix. I ask them to use a wide range of styles that suit their taste, and then I supplement that with other styles to create a varied end result.
In my experience, that’s much harder to put together than a random hardcore set. But that’s what appeals to me, even though I sometimes feel like we’re only a small group of enthusiasts who enjoy this kind of mixing.
HCBX: Tell us about your record collection — you have a lot of classics and some more (pure and) obscure releases. Do you chase labels, eras, regional scenes or is it more personal? Is there a particular record you are really attached to?
Nikaj: I have about 1500 records, mainly Hardcore, Techno and Terror from 1991 to 1997.
What I like most are the first 40 volumes of Mokum and Rotterdam Records; the first 20 of Terror Traxx, Hardstuff, Rave Records, No Respect, Reload, Drop Bass, Labworks, Djax, Bloody Fist, Force Inc, Industrial Strength, Deathchant, Twisted Vinyl, Fischkopf, Strike, Juncolor, Overdrive, Nordcore, Gabbanation, Ruffneck, and Knor, to name a few.
But also those obscure records from 1993, often released on tiny labels — I’ve managed to get quite a few of those.
HCBX: Pure & Obscure releases / collabs with Gabbaret show you’re well versed in putting music out as well as spinning it. How do you decide what’s right for the label(s)?
Nikaj: That’s the hardest part of Pure & Obscure and Gabbaret for me. I prefer to approach people based on tracks they already have available — that way I know the final result and like it already.
When people send me things themselves, I often agree to tracks I’m not fully into. The quality of tracks from 1993–1995 was so good — Thunderdome 1–5 was 90% top quality — it’s hard to get that same level in 2025.
With Breakcore, I have that problem much less because the producers there are more in tune with what I like.
.JPG)
HCBX: You’ve played with Gabbergirl, Low Entropy and myself for Mixmarathon sessions — what did you take from those back-to-back marathon experiences? Any weird technical or creative lessons?
Nikaj: The Mixmarathon is a really fun project with people who complement each other in tracklisting but don’t resort to shameless classics or styles that don’t suit us. Jumpstyle, Hardstyle, Happy Hardcore, and Uptempo are not welcome.
The Mixmarathon always has a specific structure — from slow to fast, calm to hard. You have to get a feel for tracklisting, just like a producer needs to structure their track.
I hope we can build a community by inviting more DJs — with the four of us, our supporters, and the guests we bring in, I hope we grow a bigger audience. I try to play records people remember from the past but haven’t heard in a long time, and when I play newer stuff I want to surprise people and make them curious.
A DJ needs to find a public that matches his taste — not be a clown doing Ableton mashups of The First Rebirth with Stereo Murder. That’s poser stuff for nitwits with no musical background.
I’m always learning. In the first episode we used Ambient, which I felt was too far-fetched for a Hardcore Mixmarathon. In the second one I made a Mainstream Hardcore part that didn’t match your more obscure selections, so I changed it to pure Gabber — that fit much better.
HCBX: How do you balance nostalgia for the 90s/early-2000s gabber sound with modern releases and keeping people interested in newer tracks and sounds?
Nikaj: I specifically seek out artists who still use those ‘90s styles — people like Wardyyr, Low Entropy, O.p.b., Don Distorted, James F, and King Cog. I’m proud of what they’ve created for our label.
I work intuitively and hope it makes people happy — never for commercial reasons. For Gabbaret, it’s the same. We don’t make money anyway, so we may as well do what we love.
HCBX: There’s a strong DIY culture in the hardcore/gabber scene — is Pure & Obscure / Gabberet trying to capture a specific DIY ethos? What's the future for these labels?
Nikaj: The future for labels like Gabbaret and Pure & Obscure will continue as long as underground subcultures exist. I’ve been part of that DIY movement since 1989 — we did tape trading, played small gigs, and made music ourselves.
Back then it was letters and tapes; now it’s podcasts, Bandcamp, and social media. The DIY spirit still exists — just in a new form. It’s much easier and cheaper to build a scene now, but the heart of it is still the same.
HCBX: Are there any producers, labels or DJs out there that are inspiring you these days — who should our readers be checking out right now in your opinion?
Nikaj: There are too many to name. Besides hardcore, I’ve been into Igorrr, Methods of Mayhem, Mindustries, Starving Insect, Dev Null, Deathchant, Enduser, Doormouse, Groinibard — and also your recent stuff is great!
I also enjoy electronic folk music from the Arab world. Artists like Wardyyr (who released on our label) are doing pure analog, raw stuff I love. Maladroit, Unstable Tone, Impotentacles, and M5K have released or are releasing great material on Gabberet.
HCBX: What’s next for Nikaj, Pure & Obscure and the Gabberet project? Any releases, collabs or trips we should know about?
Nikaj:
A new Mixmarathon on January 1st
A new episode of the Break The Core various artists album on Gabberet around Christmas
A new Mainstr€am Pollution podcast from Ben (Gabberet) and me under a new alias: The Gabbaret Panthers — out now
A Bloody Fist tribute set from you and me for the HCBX Podcast this coming week
A strictly 1993 mix mentioned above
An Impotentacles release on Mainstream Pollution Records in the coming months
A joint release from DJ Asylum and King Cog, date TBA
Next year, I hope the Tales of the 90’s CD is finished — lots of work and still saving up for its release
HCBX: Anything else you want to get off your chest?
Nikaj: Lots of respect to you for building this HCBX network full of exciting DJs — 100% no Classics and Uptempo guaranteed! Gabbergirl, Low Entropy, King Cog, JD NoiZe, Ben Jalvingh — and all the DJs and producers still creating beats because they follow their taste, not because the mainstream polluted media or fans asked them.
Check out Nikaj vs DJ Asylum on HCBXCast 70 here (broadcast date 1st November 2025): HCBXCast Vol 70
This is the link to Pure & Obscure: Pure & Obscure
And Gabberet here: Gabberet Records
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