Rising London-based artist NLI announces her debut album Initiation, set for release on her own label Adhesive on 6th November 2025. The 13-track LP is both a bold artistic statement and an intimate sonic autobiography, marking the most complete realisation yet of her self-described 'fractal techno' sound.
Few names in underground electronic music embody innovation and intensity in the way NLI does. First breaking onto the radar with her 2024 self-release ASPD, a track that resonated across queer collectives and underground podcasts, she has since built a reputation for reshaping techno with abrasive textures, field recordings and noise. Her approach is unflinching, breaking away from conventional structures to create music that is both thought-provoking and dancefloor-ready.
Initiation distils this ethos across thirteen powerful chapters, each track telling a piece of her story while exploring a different facet of her sonic world. The title track captures the chaos of her entry into the London rave scene, its jagged Jersey kick patterns and deconstructed industrial layers reflecting both the early support and hostility she encountered. 'It was a time when my name was whispered in every techno circle,' she recalls. 'The dramatic synths recount the emotional intensity of that period, while the samples reflect the absurdity of people who tried to destroy me only to turn friendly once I gained traction.'
Elsewhere, NLI takes listeners deeper into her psyche. The searing 'Riot' channels frustration at systemic sexism in the industry, its unresolved tension echoing the anxiety of being objectified and silenced. 'Burnout' plays with distortion and repetition to highlight the pressures of balancing music creation with social media demands, its pitched samples questioning whether it is 'the algorithm or the rhythm' killing artists. 'Girlhood', made in the aftermath of her grandfather's passing, offers a more delicate moment, where live-recorded bells evoke innocence against heavy kicks, capturing the complexities of grief, growth and memory.
The album also stretches into new stylistic territory. 'Manor' nods to NLI's early squat and forest rave experiences alongside psy-trance collectives, while the playful 'WTF' pairs hard techno drive with tongue-in-cheek vocals sampled from a friend's bedroom DJ session. Tracks like 'Anthropomorphism' lean into the mystical and dystopian, combining industrial weight with choral atmospheres to explore humanity's relationship with AI and spirituality. Closing track 'Adhesive' functions as a battle cry, a high-BPM climax that embodies the spirit of her label: disruptive, uncompromising and future-facing.
Speaking on the album as a whole, NLI explains: 'Initiation is a very personal recount of my journey. Each track tells a story about my initiation into techno and music in general, but also shines a light on the struggles many young artists face entering the industry. It's my sonic autobiography.'
Founded in 2025, NLI's Adhesive imprint was created as a home for this uncompromising vision. Conceived as more than a traditional label, it operates at the intersection of sound and visual art, championing artists who push the boundaries of techno while refusing to conform to industry norms. The album launch will be marked by a label showcase at E1 London on 7th November, a night that will bring Adhesive's ethos to life in the heart of the capital's underground.
With Initiation, NLI sets out not only her most complete body of work to date, but also a manifesto for a new era of techno: fractal, fearless, and fiercely independent.
Initiation, the debut album from NLI, will be released on the 6th November on Adhesive, followed by a special Adhesive showcase night at E1 London on the 7th November.
Few names in underground electronic music embody innovation and intensity in the way NLI does. First breaking onto the radar with her 2024 self-release ASPD, a track that resonated across queer collectives and underground podcasts, she has since built a reputation for reshaping techno with abrasive textures, field recordings and noise. Her approach is unflinching, breaking away from conventional structures to create music that is both thought-provoking and dancefloor-ready.
Initiation distils this ethos across thirteen powerful chapters, each track telling a piece of her story while exploring a different facet of her sonic world. The title track captures the chaos of her entry into the London rave scene, its jagged Jersey kick patterns and deconstructed industrial layers reflecting both the early support and hostility she encountered. 'It was a time when my name was whispered in every techno circle,' she recalls. 'The dramatic synths recount the emotional intensity of that period, while the samples reflect the absurdity of people who tried to destroy me only to turn friendly once I gained traction.'
Elsewhere, NLI takes listeners deeper into her psyche. The searing 'Riot' channels frustration at systemic sexism in the industry, its unresolved tension echoing the anxiety of being objectified and silenced. 'Burnout' plays with distortion and repetition to highlight the pressures of balancing music creation with social media demands, its pitched samples questioning whether it is 'the algorithm or the rhythm' killing artists. 'Girlhood', made in the aftermath of her grandfather's passing, offers a more delicate moment, where live-recorded bells evoke innocence against heavy kicks, capturing the complexities of grief, growth and memory.
The album also stretches into new stylistic territory. 'Manor' nods to NLI's early squat and forest rave experiences alongside psy-trance collectives, while the playful 'WTF' pairs hard techno drive with tongue-in-cheek vocals sampled from a friend's bedroom DJ session. Tracks like 'Anthropomorphism' lean into the mystical and dystopian, combining industrial weight with choral atmospheres to explore humanity's relationship with AI and spirituality. Closing track 'Adhesive' functions as a battle cry, a high-BPM climax that embodies the spirit of her label: disruptive, uncompromising and future-facing.
Speaking on the album as a whole, NLI explains: 'Initiation is a very personal recount of my journey. Each track tells a story about my initiation into techno and music in general, but also shines a light on the struggles many young artists face entering the industry. It's my sonic autobiography.'
Founded in 2025, NLI's Adhesive imprint was created as a home for this uncompromising vision. Conceived as more than a traditional label, it operates at the intersection of sound and visual art, championing artists who push the boundaries of techno while refusing to conform to industry norms. The album launch will be marked by a label showcase at E1 London on 7th November, a night that will bring Adhesive's ethos to life in the heart of the capital's underground.
With Initiation, NLI sets out not only her most complete body of work to date, but also a manifesto for a new era of techno: fractal, fearless, and fiercely independent.
Initiation, the debut album from NLI, will be released on the 6th November on Adhesive, followed by a special Adhesive showcase night at E1 London on the 7th November.
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