Nick is primarily an improvising drummer, but also performs on guitar, synths, voice, and electronics. He’s created music for dance, film and video – including computer animations by Lillian Schwartz – performed in Rhys Chatham’s “A Crimson Grail,” The Boredoms’ “88 Boa Drum,” and the Nakatani Gong Orchestra. Nick currently performs in Necking, Die Mißbildungen Des Menschen, solo and in various collaborations. Before returning to San Diego in 2015, he lived in Brooklyn for 10 years and consistently performed at such venues as Death By Audio, Secret Project Robot, Dead Herring (which he co-founded), Issue Project Room, and many more. His groups in New York included Necking, Alien Whale, Prsms, Hair Jail, Gunung Sari, and other collaborations. Before moving to NY, his California groups included Oma Yang, Felicia & Coctopus, and Vholtz.
Nick’s drumming style is significantly influenced by the unique brand of hardcore he grew up with in the 90s in San Diego, CA. This is most evident in Necking, which has consistently included other members from San Diego. Necking is self-proclaimed “Free Punk”.
Nick’s electronic music performances are also largely improvised, processing percussion sounds through analog electronics and laptop running Max/MSP. Using no pre-recorded samples, organic sounds create textures and melodic ghosts. He values the contrasting sound qualities of acoustic, analog, and digital processes and often sets them in a volatile feedback-loop configuration, allowing electronics to interact and reveal inherent voices which communicate with material objects.
Live performance is very important in all of Nick’s music. He performs with energy and spontaneity, valuing the interaction with the audience and his collaborator friends.
Solo set on Radio Axiom, November 22nd, 2019. Starts at 39:00, ends around 1:04:00.
Necking covering KARP for Halloween at Death By Audio, Brooklyn, 2011. Rop Vazquez (bass/vocals), Dong-Ping Wong (drums), Nick Lesley (guitar/vocals)