MISSINGNO: Meet Nevik - Producer, Event Promoter, and Tunnel Raver

Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder)

In the hidden spaces of Calgary’s urban landscape - beneath bridges, inside tunnels, and even within the confines of a U-Haul truck - a vibrant underground music community pulses with life, each heartbeat guided by the innovative vision of producer/DJ/rapper Nevik. Under the banner of “Missingno,” named after the glitched Pokémon that appears only through a programming error in the original Red and Blue games, Missingno and the work Nevik does manifests in unexpected ways, a beautiful anomaly in Calgary’s cultural landscape.

This connection to gaming runs deep in Nevik’s artistic DNA - his producer name emerged from Skyrim’s characterization creation menu, while his rap persona Luqa evolved from Lucario, the aura-sensing Pokémon. These virtual worlds provide more than just names; they offer a framework for building alternate realities where art can flourish outside conventional spaces.

The journey began with a Christmas gift in 2013 - Logic Pro given to a 14-year-old with a strong desire of producing and crafting worlds through music. His early productions were steeped in dubstep, citing Skrillex’s legendary Shambhala mix as an influence - festival grounds he still dreams of experiencing one day. “It started as practice,” Nevik reflects, recalling the days when he’d work McDonald’s shifts to slowly piece together his first studio setup.

At the now-defunct Axe Music, an employee named Rob Elvis (who performed as A City of Bridges), helped him select the KRK Rocket monitors and Scarlett interface that would become the foundation of his set-up. From these humble beginnings, Nevik’s production and artistry has blossomed into collaborations that span Calgary’s musical spectrum - from crafting beats for Sub Pop-signed revolutionary rap duo Cartel Madras to weaving anthems with pop/punk artist Chloe Stankowski, from early sessions with Zeko Deshoda to sonic experiments with cloud rap pioneer hooligan chase.

This versatility allows him to bridge different corners of Calgary’s music scene, creating spaces where new artists can find their footing. What began as a simple SoundCloud archive in 2017 has evolved into what he calls a “triforce” - a three-dimensional creative entity that represents the work of Nevik and his friends/ collaborators.

Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder)

Like the sacred geometry it references, this triforce draws power from its three distinct points: an extensive musical archive spread across nine interconnected SoundCloud pages, a collection of visualizer art pieces created since 2018, and perhaps most significantly, a series of boundary-pushing live shows that bring together DJs, producers, and hip-hop artists in unconventional spaces.

His artistic metamorphosis mirrors the complexity of Missingno itself. From those early dubstep experiments in his teenage bedroom, Nevik’s sound has grown, his rap persona Luqa emerged like a shadow taking form, allowing him to bridge the ethereal world of electronic production with the raw immediacy of hip-hop. “I have created lore behind all of my art,” he explains, his voice carrying the enthusiasm of a dungeon master. “There’s definitely some background lore behind all the names.” Last summer’s tunnel show exemplified this boundary-pushing approach. The concrete chamber became an impromptu venue, with Obelix’s visuals transforming the tunnel’s ceiling into a canvas of light, while a diverse lineup of artists blended dance music and hip-hop in the underground sanctuary.

From the euphoric trance of M3ry Kat3 Ashl3y’s innovative DJ sets to experimental sound artist RSGF’s textural soundscapes (“It feels like you’re on drugs when you’re listening to some of his music... it’s not even like a song, it’s just like textures”), the show demonstrated Missingno’s commitment to platforming new artists who are creating music that deserves to be discovered.

Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder)

The night reached its apex during Nevik’s own performance as Luqa, where tracks like “Riverstep 2k18 FUTURE BASED” and “Shadow of Intent (2k21)” found new life in the space, with Nevik himself delivering what he considers his strongest rap performance to date.

The success of the tunnel show led to even more adventurous venues, including a memorable performance staged from the back of a U-Haul truck beneath a bridge. These DIY spaces aren’t just about necessity in a city with limited venues - they’re about creating unique experiences that bring art to unexpected places. “How I even got people to come to my shows and build a community was by booking as many like-minded individuals that I felt deserved a booking,” Nevik explains. “They brought their friends, everyone connects, and we made our own community of listeners.”

Behind these shows lies a carefully cultivated community, one that bridges digital and physical realms. The Missingno group chat, with more thana hundred members, has become a digital gathering space where artists connect, share work, and plan collaborations.

Nevik understands the importance of manifesting these connections in the real world. “Doing the archives and the videos were great and all for making art,” he reflects, “but it was like making me feel like I was just escaping or something. Too much escapism. That’s where reality really set in. I could also create actual live shows where I could test my live rap through Luqa to a live audience and my DJ sets... like magic.”

Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder)

Missingno has evolved into a crucial node in Calgary’s interconnected underground network. Nevik regularly books and collaborates with Timeless Tomorrow, a collective consisting of Nick Wise, Nick Royal, and Chloe Stankowski, whose artistic vision spans from experimental sound design to avant-garde performance art. These cross-pollinations extend to Disturbia, the brain- child of Conjure, who books shows at Loophole that showcases new sounds in noise, gabber, and hardcore. Each connection strengthens the scene’s fabric, creating a resilient artistic ecosystem where experimental ideas can flourish.

Looking ahead to 2024, these connections continue to deepen. Nevik and Chloe Stankowski are planning a series of collaborative art mixers, envisioning quarterly events that will blur the lines between visual art, ambient sound, and performance. “It’s going to be bazaar-style,” Nevik explains, describing a vision where painters and producers, vendors and vocalists can gather under one creative banner.

But Nevik’s curatorial approach extends beyond just booking events. He’s created an ecosystem where emerging artists can grow, experiment, and find their audience. While his SoundCloud archives reserve the scene’s evolution through demos and experiments, the live shows transform these virtual connections into a tangible community. Nevik’s approach to documentation itself becomes an art form. His visualizer series, with over fifty custom visualizers created

for songs by both himself and fellow artists, transforms music into immersive multimedia experiences. These pieces, like the shows themselves, blur the lines between different art forms of artistic expression. Looking ahead, Nevik continues to push boundaries while fostering community. His film project, Battle Blade, a feature-length labor of love featuring performances from local artists, demonstrates his commitment to cross-disciplinary creativity and crafting lore around his projects. “Battle Blade is the key to understanding my lore,” he explains. Meanwhile, new Missingno shows are in development.

In a music landscape often dominated by traditional venues and rigid genre boundaries, Nevik and the Missingno community represent something more fluid and organic. From tunnel raves to U-Haul concerts, from distorted rap to experimental electronics, they’re proving that with enough creativity and community spirit, any space can become a venue for artistic expression, and any sound can find its home.