Nick Zanca (b. 1992) is a Los Angeles–based record producer, songwriter, cultural worker and writer whose practice encompasses songcraft, synthesis, sound collage, electroacoustic improvisation and longform music criticism. He maintains that the album remains the most essential artistic medium and approaches production as both a creative pursuit and an act of cultural preservation. His projects move easily between experimental sound and pop structure.
Zanca has held conversations with leading figures in contemporary music, including Todd Rundgren, Daniel Lanois, Jim O’Rourke, Meshell Ndegeocello, Philip Selway (Radiohead), Adrian Younge, Bill Orcutt, Jeff Parker, Taja Cheek (L’Rain), and Jane Siberry. His production credits include multi-platinum recording artist PARTYNEXTDOOR, guitarist and songwriter Wendy Eisenberg, experimental sound artist Lucy Liyou, composer–producer Mari Rubio (More Eaze) and experimental filmmaker Carl Elsaesser. His work has been featured in Pitchfork, The Wire, NPR, Vogue, Vice, The FADER, The Quietus, and Tiny Mixtapes, with sessions recorded at Abbey Road (London), La Frette (Paris) and Figure 8 (Brooklyn).
In the 2010s, under the production alias Mister Lies, Zanca released three full-length albums and numerous shortform releases, establishing himself as a distinctive voice in the independent electronic and experimental music scenes. He later served as an editor at Reverb, commissioning and developing longform features that helped shape the publication into a respected platform for musicians, producers, and gear enthusiasts. His editorial work there includes essays on Kate Bush’s relationship with the Fairlight CMI, the late works of Talk Talk, the electronic landscapes of Mort Garson and the minimalist compositions of Eliane Radigue. He has also contributed to Discogs and Tone Glow, and worked as a music supervisor for retail and hospitality spaces, creating curated sonic environments.
As a performer, Zanca has appeared at Rewire Festival in The Hague, Café OTO in London, The Silent Barn in Brooklyn and Constellation in Chicago. He is currently associate producer of Critical Listening, a podcast examining music technology, labor and the culture industry, hosted by writer and journalist Liz Pelly and composer–educator Max Alper. Across all his work in the studio, on the page and in conversation, he is known for translating complex artistic and cultural ideas into precise, resonant results, making him a trusted collaborator for artists, studios, and cultural institutions internationally.