MUMBAI: Following the success of recent singles ‘High Hopes’ and ‘House of Cards’, DJ/producer, NOCUI, returns with his striking new EP CLUB EXIT – a slick, emotionally charged statement that sees the Berlin-based artist sharpen his focus, expand his sonic palette, and take a decisive step forward in his artistic evolution.
Out the 16th of May via Shapeless Culture, CLUB EXIT is a taut, three-track collection that captures NOCUI at his most direct, personal, and musically refined to date. The EP builds on the growing momentum of a catalogue that already includes acclaimed EPs Anomie and Starlight Delight, standout singles like ‘Crave The Physical’, ‘Machine Power’ and ‘Faster’, and 2024’s ambitious debut LP Italian Robot – a three-part conceptual work exploring the fragility of humanity in an age of accelerating technology. Where Italian Robot looked outward, interrogating our relationship with machines, CLUB EXIT turns inward. It’s a project about accountability, vulnerability, and the often painful clarity that comes with emotional reckoning.
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The title track and EP opener, ‘Club Exit’ sets the tone: a rolling, cinematic journey that unfolds in real time, led by shadowy synths, textured percussion and a powerful sense of narrative. It’s the sound of disillusionment and self-realisation on the dancefloor – a track that speaks as much to the soul as to the body.
On ‘House of Cards’ NOCUI leans into the darkness. Built around a razor-sharp blend of synths, vocal hooks and pulsing low-end, the track moves with intensity, infused with hypnotic Eastern melodies and anchored by a striking reggaeton rhythm. Dramatic and unapologetic, it interrogates the illusions of perfection and self-image in the digital age.
Closing track ‘High Hopes’ flips the mood. Lush and melancholic, it fuses elements of pop, R&B, and deep house into a dreamy, emotionally resonant closer. With silky vocals and sun-drenched synths, the track radiates vulnerability and warmth, capturing the ache of longing and the quiet thrill of possibility.
Speaking on the EP, NOCUI says:
“Club Exit is an EP born out of a desire to restore accountability and responsibility to the forefront of modern music. In today’s pop and electronic scenes, lyrical themes are too often dominated by hedonism, self-destruction, and toxic, immature values. The era when lyrics sought to inspire meaning, growth, and self-awareness feels like a distant memory. For me, that ends here.
As an artist, this project is a turning point. Club Exit is a deeply personal exploration of my own mistakes—an honest reflection offered with the hope that it may bring solace and solidarity to others striving to improve themselves and, by extension, the world around them.
The title track, “Club Exit,” tells the story of a young person who lost their way, seduced by temptations, ultimately just longing to fully embrace life. His humanity, his vulnerabilities, were exploited—and he fell for it. But that chapter is over. Now is the time to take responsibility, face the truth, and pursue real change. Maybe it’s the time for electronic music to actually bring positive change to this world?”
With CLUB EXIT NOCUI proves yet again that he is an artist unafraid to challenge conventions, both sonically and thematically. A striking new chapter in his ever-evolving journey, this latest release is a testament to his ability to craft music that is both ferocious and deeply evocative.
A key figure in Berlin’s underground scene, NOCUI launched his label Shapeless Culture in 2023 as a platform and community for forward-thinking electronic music. Flexing his A&R skills with anticipated releases from the likes of FRCTLS, Siberí and more, the label further cements his reputation as one of the most exciting new voices in electronic music today.
