N-TCHBL lays down two hours of dark, moody progressive…

Behind the moniker N-TCHBL stands Marija Nikolić, an artist who returned to the DJ booth after a decade-long absence from the live circuit.

During that period, she launched her FRISKY Radio show Subliminal, which remains a consistent Top 10 program on the station and has made her one of its longest-standing residents.

In 2024, Marija stepped decisively into production, securing releases on labels including Univack and Contrast, with support from Hernán Cattáneo and her mentor Moshic.

On this Balance Selections mix, the N-TCHBL sound is in full bloom. Featuring music from Stereo Underground, HAFT, Rick Pier O’Neil and others, it’s a set rooted in the underground, where shadow and subtlety shape the narrative.

Tracklist

1. Lament Over Belgrade {N-TCHBL Balance Intro}
2. MOSHIC – No Milk In The Fridge {Unreleased}
3. Nomad in the Dark – The System {Unreleased}
4. Rivvo – Celestial Drift (Solis [US] Remix) {One Of A Kind}
5. Hobin Rude, N-TCHBL – Common Ground {Unreleased}
6. Rick Pier O’Neil – A Darker Shine (RPO Part 1) {RPO Records}
7. John Keding – Dunkel (Hobin Rude Remix) {Rude Resonance}
8. Stanisha, Paul Key – The Universe Is Fractal (Moshic Remix) {OLD SQL Recordings}
9. Mike Isai – Control {Sudbeat Music}
10. Stereo Underground – In Dark Rooms {District Rec}
11. McKeown & Bassiray – Cave (Diego Moreira Remix) {Zero Tolerance Recordings}
12. MOSHIC – Relax It’s Faith {Unreleased}
13. Yohai Mor – Judgment Day {Wander Nation Records}
14. Shane Patrick Riley – Nirvana {Balkan Connection}
15. HAFT – Zhaal {Do Not Sit On The Furniture Recordings}
16. Hobin Rude, N-TCHBL – Shared Silence {Unreleased}
17. Boraa – Optical Illusion {Suza Records}
18. Benja Molina – Apollo {UV}
19. Li-Polymer – Full Moon (Simos Tagias Remix) {One Of A Kind}
20. Rodrigo Pochelu, Chär Spinelli – Revelations (Taylan Remix) {AH Digital}
21. N-TCHBL – ID {Unreleased}
22. Deepfunk – Upon A Lilac Sea (Marcelo Vasami Remix) vs BarZu – Remember Me {N-TCHBL Closing Mashup}

Name: Marija Nikolić
Location: Belgrade
Alias/Producer name: N-TCHBL
Labels affiliated with: Univack, Contrast, Timeless Moment, One Of A Kind, LuPS

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There were no musicians in my family, yet music was constant. Our home was filled with ex-Yugoslavian hits and the sevdah and merak of my mother’s Balkan roots.

That deep, melodic sense of longing still runs through my sets and productions, often surfacing in the oriental shades of my sound.

Later, grunge took hold. I became, and remain, a devoted follower of alternative rock, especially Nirvana and Radiohead. While the chance to see Nirvana has long passed, catching Radiohead live is still on my list.

My sound truly shifted when Radiohead and Depeche Mode flipped the first switch for me, proving me that it’s “OK Computer“, not just guitar riffs.

They opened the door to a more expansive, textural way of thinking. The first name to truly ignite my obsession with 100% electronic music was Deep Dish.

Their Yoshiesque and Global Underground mixes didn’t just play, they made my head and heart literally burn.

Later, Hernán Cattáneo and Moshic deepened that impact. These three names are forever “guilty” for shaping my identity as an artist.

Growing up in Niš, my world was split between two obsessions: rock’n’roll and techno. I found club culture through the local scene, led by our hero DJ Spirko (RIP), a defining figure for the electronic community there.

The legendary Night Club Čair still holds a special place for me. Walking in for the first time in 2001 felt like stepping into a giant Kinder Egg lit by a disco ball.

It was vast, shimmering and completely removed from the punk and rock shows I’d known. That night shifted my trajectory. The rest followed naturally.

Life tends to write the best stories, and music has a way of connecting like-minded souls.

During a January trip to Barcelona, thanks to the Progressive En España crew, I met Violeta Reynal, an Argentinian pianist now based there. Her signed vinyl album Hypnosis became the most meaningful souvenir I could have taken home.

Beyond the music itself, which is a beautiful piece of work, the encounter left me with something more lasting: a new friendship and, hopefully, a future collaboration.

My production setup is intentionally modest: a reliable laptop running Ableton Live 11 Suite, a Novation Launchkey, vintage Sony MDR-7506 headphones and a Focusrite Scarlett interface.

I even use a simple piano app on my phone to capture ideas when they strike. For sound design, I lean on Hive, Diva and Analog Lab to shape sketches into finished tracks.

As a DJ, I value raw authenticity. My sets are recorded live on my Pioneer gear and published exactly as played, with no edits or post-polish. The occasional imperfection is part of the performance.

For me, it’s straightforward: Ableton for production, Pioneer for DJing. Always.

As my Balance Selections set goes live, I’ll be on the road to Rijeka to play the iconic Club Crkva alongside DJ Ruby on February 21st.

There are also a few exciting plans taking shape back home in Belgrade. Keep an eye on my Instagram for those announcements.

Beyond the booth, I’m proud to be one of the longest-standing residents on FRISKY Radio. My show, SUBLIMINAL, is my first musical child.

While I stepped away from live appearances for nearly a decade, SUBLIMINAL has run monthly without interruption since March 2011.

With over 180 episodes and a regular presence in the FRISKY Top 10, it remains the central pillar of my career. New episodes air every third Monday at 3pm CET.

Hobin Rude, N-TCHBL – Shared Silence coming later this year on a 2 tracker EP. 

Take a good listen of that N-TCHBL – ID before the closing track, it’s my heart and soul

Moshic – Monsters World With No Hate (Gai Barone Remix).

Two brilliant music minds made a track that will forever be in my top three tracks ever made!