Before Oval brought the artful use of CD-skipping to the attention of a larger audience, Nicolas Collins was using CD (and CD player) manipulation, as well as a variety of electronics, in his compositions. After studying with Alvin Lucier, the New York native went on to work with John Cage, Christian Marclay, David Tudor, Peter Cusack, and Guy Klucevsek, among others. He was among the first to use computers in performance, and is responsible for installations and shows all over the West and in Japan. Collins has lived and worked in Amsterdam (as an art director for STEIM), Berlin (on a DAAD residency), and Chicago. He has recordings available on Trace Elements and New Tone.