Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Neletronic Guru
Hi, I’m Nenad Nedelkov AKA Neletronic Guru, an independent producer and performer creating dub and alternative music. My project blends the deep, echoing rhythms of classic dub with experimental alternative edges – think heavy basslines, immersive reverb, and atmospheric soundscapes that pull you into another world. All DIY from my home studio, released directly to listeners via Bandcamp and streaming platforms.
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
My earliest memory is being about 5 years old. Listening to vinyl records on an old Troubador gramophone player that my Mom played for me.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
It really kicked off in my teens when I discovered dub mixes online – producers like King Tubby taking reggae tracks and transforming them with effects, drops, and space. I downloaded some basic software and started messing around, remixing tracks I loved. The realization that I could manipulate sound like that, create my own versions, hooked me completely. From there, it evolved into original production.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
started around 2018 as a way to fuse my love for roots dub with alternative influences like trip-hop and ambient electronic. After years of bedroom experimenting, I decided to go fully independent – no labels, just direct releases. My current focus is on an upcoming album exploring themes of introspection and urban isolation, building on dub’s remix ethos but with more experimental structures and field recordings.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
Imagine sinking into a warm, endless echo chamber: thunderous basslines that pulse like a heartbeat, layers of reverb and delay creating vast spaces, subtle melodies drifting in and out, with alternative twists like distorted textures or unexpected drops. It’s chilled and immersive, perfect for late-night headphones – rooted in dub’s reggae heritage but venturing into darker, more experimental alternative territory.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
Learning the art of “less is more” in dub mixing – stripping elements away live on the desk to create tension and space. It taught me that silence and echoes can be as powerful as sound. This shifted me from overcrowding tracks to focusing on dynamics, making everything breathe and hit harder.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
Reason Studios 13 is my main DAW for everything from composing to live dub mixing. Essential plugins include EchoBoy for delays, Valhalla reverb for those huge spaces, and various bass synths. I also use a MIDI keyboard, field recordings from my phone, and a real spring reverb unit for that authentic analog warmth.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
Reply
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
Living in a busy city, dealing with isolation and introspection during tough times, has deeply shaped my sound. Dub’s echoing, spacious quality mirrors that sense of distance and reflection – personal struggles become layers of delay and reverb, turning emotion into atmosphere. It’s therapeutic, transforming inner chaos into something meditative.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I hope listeners feel a sense of calm immersion, like floating in a sonic bath that washes away stress. Messages-wise, it’s about finding depth in simplicity, embracing space in a noisy world, and the power of transformation – just like dub remixes turn the familiar into something new.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
Patience and listening – both in production and life. Dub especially teaches you to listen deeply, to what’s there and what’s not, and to let things unfold organically rather than forcing them.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Glastonbury’s The Park stage at sunset, or a proper dub soundsystem night at Notting Hill Carnival. The energy of a live dub set with a massive rig pumping bass would be unreal.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Adrian Sherwood – his innovative dub production and genre-blending with alternative acts would push my sound into wild new territories. Or Lee “Scratch” Perry for that pure creative madness and roots wisdom.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? You can stream and buy my music on Bandcamp (https://neletronicguru.bandcamp.com/), Spotify (Neletronic Guru),
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
To release a full-length album that truly captures my vision, tour small venues and festivals with live dub performances, and collaborate with like-minded producers. Ultimately, building a sustainable career while staying true to the underground ethos.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
That I’m just a person passionate about sound as a way to connect and heal. Through my music, I hope they discover a shared love for depth, experimentation, and the beauty in echoes – and maybe inspire them to create their own.
