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On one side, botanicus manifests the music of the natural world, where rich harmonics, soothing melodies, and boundless progressions propel you through nature and consciousness. On the other, botanicus expresses the groove of city life, where funky hooks, syncopated rhythms, and catchy cadences invoke hypnotic movements and elevated perception. In his work, botanicus combines both sides of this dichotomy to appetize the body and mind, evoke strong emotions, and provide mindful enjoyment.

botanicus has opened for Yotto, Ilan Bluestone, MitiS, T/LEC, and Charbonneau, among many others. He has held residencies at Ginger Hop, SoundwaveRadio, and RISE Minneapolis. botanicus resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he is the CEO of Solar Powered Studios and a resident DJ for Dance Church Minneapolis.

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Nick Perko (a.k.a. botanicus) began his musical journey at the age of 8 when he was invited to play drums at a neighbor's home. The very first beat ignited a love for drums and percussion that soon morphed into an obsession for composing music. Nick wrote his first songs for violin while in Suzuki class in 3rd grade and soon composed his first electronic pieces. By 6th grade, Nick knew that percussion was his calling. By progressing through formal percussion training, playing in marching band and winter drumline, Nick applied his classical learnings to his own music to write over 50 songs by the end of high school.

With a solid foundation in music theory and mallet percussion performance, Nick started playing gigs and continued writing music while attending college at the University of Minnesota for bio-products engineering. A love for the environment blossomed alongside his music production, thus inspiring the birth of his moniker, botanicus, and quest to manifest the music of the natural world. After working in biofuel production for a few years, Nick decided to follow his deep musical passions while elevating environmental causes. This transition was welcomed by record label signings on Phunk Junk, Downright Dirty, Tibetania/M-Sol, and Delve Deeper, as well as incredible residencies at Dance Church Minneapolis, Ginger Hop, and Soundwaveradio.

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Hungry for more, Nick extended his knowledge, experience, and credentials by completing the Sound Design and Mixing & Mastering programs at Slam Academy in Minneapolis. In 2019, he founded Solar Powered Studios - a full service audio production studio powered by solar panels - to provide clients with unmatched customer service and pristine audio production free of fossil-fuel emissions. View the studio's offerings at solarpoweredstudios.com