American born Niles Hollowell-Dhar, who goes by the moniker KSHMR has globally established himself as DJ, record producer, and a visionary musician. Primarily known for taking the genre of electronic dance music (EDM) to an unprecedented level, KSHMR’s music is embellished with energetic and melodic tunes, often merging with the savoury elements of Indian culture and shades of classical music into his tracks. Having delivered hits like hits like ‘Secrets’ ‘Jammu’ and ‘Burn’, KSHMR has pushed the envelope once again with a collaborative Hip-Hop album Karam. The musical virtuoso has worked with Desi Hip Hop artists like MC Stan and Seedhe Maut on songs like Haathi Varthi and Bhussi and is all set to unveil more tracks in the coming months. KSHMR sat with News18 Showsha and exclusively told us about dabbling in the Hip-Hop genre, equations with MC Stan and Seedhe Maut, his album Karam and more.
Here are the excerpts:
First MC Stan and now Bhussi with Seedhe Maut. What was the journey and story behind this song? And how did this collaboration shape up for you?
I went out to Mumbai and i was recording with a different artists everyday because a fire was ignited in me, a fire about the hip hop scene happening in India, so I made a list of the guys I respected and admired the most, Stan was of course on that list, Seedhe Maut was on the list, both were incredible sessions where the songs came together very effortlessly, but they were very different sessions. The Seedhe Maut guys packed so much lyricism, it was important to me that i gave them a beat that had enough space for them to show off their incredible lyricism. For each song, I told the artist about the story of KARAM, which follows a young boy who forms a gang and rises to power and for each song Id like the artist to put themselves in the perspective of the main character at different points in his journey. The Seedhe Maut guys were very open minded about this and they told a detailed, incredible story about going into a store, robbing it, it just almost reminds of Slick rick and the amazing story telling of the early days of hip hop in America.
What was the process behind creating Haath Varthi with MC Stan? How did you design the track and what was your approach? How much did you and MC Stan have to brainstorm to make it sound catchy yet fresh and new?
So, the beat was something that I prepared in advance and it was on a short list that I was going to show Stan. I was definitely inspired by Mirchi , I wanted to add that same funk dance feel that Phenom did such a great job on producing Mirchi and eventually I asked him to help me with the track. This was the one that caught MC Stan’s attention. It had a lot of energy and Stan, on his phone, already had lyrics prepared that was perfect. They matched with the beat and Stan just did his thing. I almost didn’t have to help him at all, he heard the beat, he knew he liked it and everything else came so effortlessly. If you’re asking about the catchiness, I can only really speak for the beat. It was really Stan that brought that super fun chorus to the table and I think we were a perfect pair.
As someone who is majorly identified for his EDM licks, how did you come up with the idea of creating the Hip-Hop album Karam? And how much time went into conceptualizing it, selecting and convincing the artists you want to collaborate with and finally putting this baby on the road?
A lot of people may not be aware but I actually started making music with Hip Hop music. When I was a kid my walls were covered with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Tupac, and I even myself was a rapper. It was only later, with the success of songs, like a G6, that I transitioned into producing more pop music and from there EDM music. But this is really full circle for me, to make a hip hop album and one that’s using Indian artists, is something that I could never imagine. I, of course grew up as a child going to visit my grandparents in India and even then I was a lover of Hip Hop but if you told that there would be a huge hip hop scene in India, I never would have believed you. When I saw the movie Gully boy and realized that the scene was really blossoming, I knew I had to be apart of it, I spoke to my friends in India, who knew more about the scene and educated me on the different artists and I fell in love with artist after artist and I made a wishlist of those I wished to collar with and luckily I was able to get most of them on the album. The pre production process involved me creating about 60 beats that I went out to India with, which was multiple beats for each artist that I was working with, to ensure that if they didn’t like one I would have another one ready to go and we can land on the perfect vibe for the artist that would get them excited.
In the coming tracks, what kind of tracks and collaborations one can expect? And how will this album alleviate the Hip-Hop scene in India?
There are so many different singers and rappers on the album. We’ve got Yashraj, Seedhe Maut, MC Stan and the rest I don’t want to give away too soon. But I can say, in the hip hop scene in India, as someone from the outside coming in, im trying to just be as respectful as possible. I’m not going to say that this is going to be the greatest album of all time but I think the hip hop scene in India is already doing very well and I think my innovation that im bringing to the table is just to get a lot of different artists who wouldn’t normally be on the same project together, that’s my aspiration.
So what are your expectations from this album? And what have you learned during the course of creating this album in the context of your music, your individuality and other aspects?
My expectation from this album is that people will really enjoy it and be able to hear the story that is encased in the album Karam and see their favorite artist tell that story from the perspective from important moments in the story and get something new out of the artist that they love, because they’ve been forced to look at the song from a new perspective, from the perspective of a character who is the center point of the album KARAM and its story.
Your music incorporates elements from various genres. How do you approach blending these different styles to create your signature sound?
At this point, i’m not stuck to any genre, for KSHMR music you’re always going to hear inspiration from India, film, cinematic elements, I enjoy so many different kinds of music, so to keep it fun for me i’m going to incorporate all these different genres, but at the end of the day i’m going to do it only in a way that i can because i dont know any other way to be.
Could you walk us through your creative process? How do you typically start a new track, and what tools or techniques do you use to bring your ideas to life?
Typically i want to hear an instrument or melody that really inspires me and transports me to a certain emotion or a certain place and thats where the story starts to visualize in my head and I can see the story of the song and from there everything becomes easy.
Many of your tracks have gained immense popularity and received millions of views and streams. How does it feel to have such a massive global fanbase, and what do you think has contributed to your success?
You know, success feels great, having a big song feels great, but it can also be a good feeling that you confuse with other good feelings and the most important good feeling when you’re making music is that simple good feeling you got when you first heard a song that you loved. But when that good feeling is still there, you’re still searching for it but now you’re getting good feelings from streams and good feelings from money. It can be hard for your brain to tell the difference and really the only thing you should be chasing is the good feeling a song gives you, without knowing who the artist is or how many streams it has, just that pure good feeling that a song can make you feel. Thats the one you need to be focused on and as new good feelings come in from streams and from the money of success you have to separate those and that can be very difficult, to isolate the pure good feeling from a great song or a great melody and just focus on that one, thats the most important thing.
Collaboration is an important aspect of the music industry. Who are some of your favorite artists that you’ve worked with, and what do you enjoy most about collaborating with others?
Some of my favorite artists that i have collaborated with in the past- Tiesto, he was a big believer in me when I was first getting started in dance music. Enrique Iglesias and Robin Thicke were both so fun to work with when I was doing pop music. And now in the hip hop scene, of all the big names I’ve worked with, who are all incredible artist, its some of the not as quite as big guys who are very fresh and who I really enjoyed working with, like, Seedhe Maut, Yashraj and Youngsta.
Your live performances are known for their high energy and engaging visuals. How do you prepare for your live shows, and what do you hope your audience takes away from the experience?
Story is such a big part of all of my creative work. You see it in the album KARAM, which is a story of a young boy forming a gang, and all of the artists are putting themselves in his perspective at different moments of the story. Also my live performances, I tell a story which is shown through animations, and i’ve done that from the very beginning. So in the beginning of my show you get Act 1, then about 15-20 mins into the show you get Act 2 and later Act 3 and at the end Act 4, which is the climax intertwined with one of my songs, which creates this just big gravitational explosion at the end of the show when the story climax is matched with one of the climax’s of one of my high energy songs. So, story is very important to me, and the visuals are very imp to bring you that story and to bring the story to life. i work with a team of animators on those and my best friend anthony has been making my visuals and editing them since the very beginning.
As an artist, how do you stay motivated and continue to evolve your sound? Are there any specific goals or aspirations you have for your music career in the future?
Im just really inspired to make and finish this album KARAM and put it out and then go and tour the album in India as people get familiar with the songs and to play shows where the artists come to join me on the stage, i think that would be awesome. Then, to go back to dance music and once again reinvent myself as the KSHMR making dance music with a new darker heavier song that ive recently become enamored with.
Your label, Dharma Worldwide, has been instrumental in showcasing emerging talent in the EDM scene. What criteria do you look for when signing new artists, and what advice do you have for aspiring musicians looking to break into the industry?
The criteria i’m looking at for signing new artists is someone that tells a story, that is of course produce at a high level but making interesting decisions, when someone makes an unexpected decision in their music, what they’re really doing is giving you insight in their personal taste, they’re putting aside for a moment what everyone else is doing and they’re taking a risk. They’re saying, not everyone likes this but i like this, maybe when you were growing up you were inspired by certain things and are incorporating that in your music. and thats what really excites me about a new artist and a new song. The advice i would give to aspiring musicians is to do just that. To think about whats going on in dance music, because you do have to be aware of the trends, of the level of production thats happening and what people are reacting to. but then you combine it with something unexpected that is from your own personal taste that is maybe not shared with a lot of people. But if you love it trust in your heart that other people will love it too.
Apart from music production and DJing, you also have a strong presence on social media, where you engage with your fans. How important do you think it is for artists to connect with their audience through social platforms, and how do you balance it with your creative process?
So luckily, i have a team that helps me out with social media. It’s not my favorite thing to do, i’m more interested in producing music and focusing on that, but i understand that its an important part and you have to absolutely engage with fans. So, i take some time aside, i go through things that we can use for content and make decisions with my team. But when you’re first getting started that something that is definitely important and using social media as place to give the visuals and artwork that compliments your music is going to bring people into your world, The song is just the beginning, when you think about your favorite artist its really not just the song its the picture you get in your head, you think about them and what they represent to you and that makes the song so much more powerful and live in your heart forever. so when you are using social media think about it as a way to give the art, the work that you want people to associate with the song, that makes the music way more powerful.
Finally, what message or advice would you like to share with aspiring producers and DJs who look up to you and aspire to have a successful career in the music industry?
if you’re a dj, fine be a dj, but know that producing is where its at, when you dj what you really want to do is get on stage and perform your own songs. If you’re just getting started go to dharamworldwide.com where you can tutorials from me, sample packs, templates, all of these are the tools i think are most imp for you to learn to get on your feet. they cover everything from the very basics to more advanced techniques and i think you’ll really get a great headstart there.
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