Real name: Nikolos Machaidze

Effective period / Period of releases: 2004 - 2006

Erast is as an electronic music project of Nika Machaidze, a Georgian musician, producer, composer, and filmmaker. It's named after Erast Fandorin, a main character of a critically acclaimed book series by Boris Akunin.

Machaidze debuted as Erast in 2004, when he released Goodair and Minimissing EPs – second and third releases on a recently established Laboratory Instinct label. A full-length album Cyberpunk followed in 2006. Nika continued his collaboration with Laboratory Instinct label, where in 2009 he released two 2xCD releases under his second artistic name Nikakoi.