Latest news with #KSHMR
India Today
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Exclusive: KSHMR 'not into K-pop' despite his samples being used by idols
American songwriter, DJ, music producer, and musician KSHMR has made his way into the K-pop scene, but not in the traditional way. His music samples have been widely used in several K-pop songs, like Seventeen's 'Super', MAMAMOO Hwasa's 'Maria', BLACKPINK Lisa's 'Money', and Chung Ha's 'Stay Tonight'. However, KSHMR shared that he is 'not into K-pop' in an exclusive interview with India Today who follow K-pop and KSHMR closely would know how popular his samples are in the K-pop scene. In fact, many felt that he should become K-pop producer. So, has he considered collaboration? "So, I'm not personally into K-pop. I only know the really big groups like Blackpink," he told India Today Digital."And it just so happened to be that a lot of these K-pop producers are interested in Indian and Middle Eastern instruments and incorporating those into their songs, and I provide a lot of those kinds of instruments in my sound packs. "So without even trying, I've become a part of a lot of big K-pop songs because they're using melodies that I wrote, instruments that I recorded, which is really awesome," he added. He also added, "I would love to be involved in all different kinds of music, but there's just not enough time in the day. And that's where making some samples is, is really fun. Because now, in some small way, I've collaborated with thousands, even millions, of people. So I'm really proud that they've taken my sounds and used them for their songs. But I can't say it was intentional or even that I'm very involved in the K-pop scene."advertisementWhen we asked him what element of his music he thinks appeals to K-pop groups, he shared, "Not only have the K-pop producers and other producers from Eastern Asia used my samples in their songs, but a lot of times at my shows, I'll see a lot of Chinese people, Korean people, Japanese people and I play a lot of shows in those countries as well. I think there's something about Indian culture and the world instruments that I use in my music that resonated with them."He also added, "Maybe it's the adjacency of these countries also being in Asia. I'm not quite sure, but I'm really happy about it, and it's really heartwarming to see the sounds, the culture, the emotion that means so much to me resonate with people from those countries also."Niles Hollowell-Dhar aka KSHMR is an acclaimed musician who has performed live at many music festivals like Coachella, Tomorrowland, EDC, Ultra and Sunburn. He was a part of Sunburn Goa in 2024.
India Today
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Exclusive: Music artist KSHMR explains how he makes money from royalty-free music
American songwriter, DJ, music producer, and musician KSHMR has carved a niche for himself with his music samples, which are used all across the globe. In fact, several K-pop fans would be aware that his samples are used widely by groups like SEVENTEEN and BLACKPINK. Oftentimes, these samples are royalty-free. So, how does KSHMR make money out of it? In an exclusive interview with India Today Digital, he explained what royalty-free actually just means that when you publish a song, you don't have to keep paying me if the song becomes a big success. You don't owe me any of that money. All samples that people download and purchase are royalty-free; just about all of them," KSHMR told us in an exclusive added, "Where I make my money with samples is when people buy them from me. Now, people buy them for very cheap. I guess, you just spend the equivalent of a few cents of a dollar every time you buy my sample on Splice, for example." "So I'm not looking to get rich off of them, but the money does add up, so it still is good money, even though I'm not participating in the income of a great big hit. The little bits add up as more and more producers use my samples, and it also gives me a great sense of pride that I'm making some impact on the new wave of producers who are creating the music that influences the world," KSHMR his roots in India, KSHMR also makes an effort to integrate it into his creations. "I've integrated my Indian roots in a lot of ways, from the instruments and scales in my songs to the artists that I've collaborated with, to the dancers and musicians that join me on stage." He added, "If your passions and your inspirations are multifaceted, meaning they're not limited to one region or one genre, I think that's a really big asset as you're creating. You can draw from so many different types of inspiration and make really interesting hybrids. And of course, you know, my family being where they're from. I was hugely inspired by Indian music, and I think that creating hybrids of Indian music and dance music and hip-hop music just allows me to keep going and not hit a wall by the limits of only drawing from Western inspiration and Western tools. You know, like synthesisers and guitars and all that stuff is great, but the options become limitless. The potential becomes limitless when you start combining that with instruments from around the world. And for me, specifically India."KSHMR has often performed in India, including last year's Sunburn Festival.
Local Sweden
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Local Sweden
What does Sweden's bizarre Eurovision hit have in common with India?
Finland-Swedish comedy trio Kaj in the end finished fourth in the Eurovision Song Contest, but not before their sauna-themed song Bara Bada Bastu had become a viral hit all over Europe. Did you know it has an unusual Indian connection? Advertisement In the end, Austrian JJ's opera-techno fusion took the top spot, despite Bara Bada Bastu the clear bookmakers' favourite to win the contest on Sunday. Indian readers who watched Eurovision this year may have noticed that the accordion loop at the start of the entry sounded remarkably like the chorus to Indian DJ Devinder Sunny's Enough is Enough. "Both songs are in roughly the same tempo and tone, and they're very similar," Jan-Olof Gullö, professor in music and media production at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, told TV4 news. The similar sound isn't due to plagiarism. Rather Kristofer Strandberg, one of the songwriters behind Kaj's sauna hit, said they had legally downloaded the loop ‒ originally a saxophone loop ‒ from audio library Splice, a subscription service which allows users to download millions of sound files royalty-free. According to Splice, the package which included the loop used in Bara Bada Bastu is one of the website's most downloaded packages. The band then got an accordion player to record the loop, which Eurovision officials confirmed was perfectly allowed. The loop was originally created by Niles Hollowell-Dhar, or KSHMR, a US-born DJ whose father emigrated from India. His name is a reference to Jammu and Kashmir, the area his father's family comes from. Advertisement SVT contacted KSHMR to ask him about the loop. "I just make a little piece of magic, and I let the world do what it wants with it," he said. "When people are critical, 'oh, you're just using loops' ‒ but it's really what you do with it. You see there are a couple other songs who have used the same sound and they didn't get nearly as big as this one." He told SVT that the song was "very Swedish", laughing when they told him what it was about. "OK, it's about going to the sauna? That's what I was thinking when I made the melody," he joked. There are at least two more songs using the same loop as KAJ and Devinder Sunny ‒ Zapłakane Matki by Polish rapper Yung Adisz and Straume by Latvian pop duo MUSIQQ.
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
King on collab with Alan Walker: It's fantastic to find a brother in an artiste; would love to work with him again
After musicians Nick Jonas, KSHMR and Jason Derulo, musician King recently collaborated with Alan Walker on a single. Talking about the experience of working with the Norwegian DJ on Story of a Bird, and his love for international collabs, King says, 'The best part about collaborating with international artistes is that we get to explore different sonic worlds. When the collaborator comes from a space outside of India, their ears are used to very different kind of musicality and the fun is to find my space for Indian melodies in these international sounding soundscapes.' Though King didn't get to spend a lot of time with Alan Walker this time around and they were only busy working on the track, King already has his plans for the future sorted: 'It's fantastic to find a brother in an artiste who is inspiring. Next time he is in India, I will make sure we hang out more. I might take him around Delhi. I told Alan something not a lot of people know. I have always been a fan and I had worked on a Faded refix back in 2018 that I have not been able to play to him yet.' Already hopeful for another collab with the world-leading DJ, King says working with him was a treat: 'This was one of the fastest projects I worked on. Alan's team was super hardworking, round the clock. It took me a day to come up with the writing.' Earlier, King has collaborated with many international artistes including Nick Jonas, Jason Derulo, Gucci Mane and KSHMR, among others. He has also worked with Indian musicians Diljit Dosanjh and Yo Yo Honey Singh. Some of his most popular songs include Maan Meri Jaan, Tu Aake Dekh Le, Legends, Bumpa and Tu Jaane Na Piya, among others.
The Citizen
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
WATCH: ULTRA South Africa celebrates 10 years of dance music
ULTRA South Africa is Africa's largest electronic music festival and is part of the ULTRA Worldwide family. The main stage at ULTRA South Africa which took place at Nasrec Expo Centre. 10 May 2025. Picture: Supplied ULTRA South Africa marked a decade of dance with two monumental shows this weekend, kicking off in Cape Town on Friday, May 9, before heading to Johannesburg for a grand finale on Saturday, May 10. Together, they formed a euphoric celebration of music, energy, and unity — and a fitting tribute to 10 years of ULTRA magic in South Africa. Both cities turned up in full force, with fans packing out the venues from early afternoon to the final beat at 2 a.m. As expected, ULTRA South Africa's 10th anniversary was nothing short of spectacular, with an electrifying line-up of international headliners who delivered unforgettable performances across both cities. The main stage at ULTRA South Africa, which took place at Nasrec Expo Centre. 10 May 2025. Picture: Supplied Martin Garrix closed the night incredibly, delivering a career-spanning set. The highlight: a jaw-dropping surprise appearance by American indie pop star Lauv and South Africa's own Lloyiso, who joined Garrix as surprise guests. Iconic trance legend Armin van Buuren kept the energy soaring with a flawless mix of massive hits and fresh new tracks, bringing South African fans an experience they won't soon forget. Making his South African debut, ISOxo brought his high-energy sound and genre-bending style to local fans, cementing his place as one of the most exciting new names in electronic music and KSHMR thrilled fans by putting his own dynamic spin on local favourites like 'Sister Bethina', 'Jerusalema', 'I Fink You Freeky' and even 'Nkalakatha', creating an incredible cultural crossover moment on the main stage. Armin Van Buuren playing on the main stage at ULTRA South Africa, which took place at Nasrec Expo Centre. 10 May 2025. Picture: Supplied The ever-evolving RESISTANCE stage offered deeper, darker energy, delivering a pulsating soundtrack to ULTRA South Africa's more underground electronic fans. This year's line-up was a masterclass in melodic Techno, Progressive House, and Afro-house. International heavyweights like Mind Against and Massano captivated the crowd with their intricate performances, while South African titans like Shimza and Culoe De Song delivered transcendent sets that fused Afro-tech and Afro-house elements with a deep, spiritual resonance — a beautiful reminder of the country's influence on the global dance scene. Cape Town's show at The Ostrich kicked off the weekend, set against the picturesque Western Cape views. From Dean Fuel B2B Kyle Cassim to Gil Glaze, Niskerone, and a powerful opener by MIA, the day was packed with South African talent at its finest. KSHMR playing on the main stage at ULTRA South Africa, which took place at Nasrec Expo Centre. 10 May 2025. Picture: Supplied Johannesburg's ULTRA South Africa experience at the Expo Centre Nasrec was the larger of the two, featuring additional stages: The Groove Room and Clubhouse. Legends such as Kabza De Small, DBN Gogo, DJ Maphorisa, and Da Capo took the celebration to new heights. Celebrating and paying homage to South African electronic music and Amapiano, The Groove Room was an exciting addition to the ULTRA South Africa offering. Sets by Oscar Mbo, Dlala Thukzin, 2woBunnies, and Mörda drew massive crowds and proved to be an exciting new chapter for Ultranauts. Meanwhile, Clubhouse returned and kept things vibing with incredible sets from Kasango, Shamiso, and who all delivered unforgettable moments. Across both cities, the weekend was a powerful reminder of why ULTRA South Africa has become a cornerstone of the country's music culture, bringing fans together to celebrate the sounds that move us. ALSO WATCH: Tanker crash on N1 South causes major traffic delays in Roodepoort
