* En anglais uniquement
Niles Hollowell-Dhar, known by his stage name
KSHMR, produces big room electro-house that is heavily influenced by his Indian heritage. The California-based producer first found success as part of the pop-rap duo
the Cataracs, who produced hits for
Far East Movement,
Dev,
Snoop Dogg, and
New Boyz during the early 2010s. Freeing himself from the expectations of the pop world, he anonymously debuted his EDM alias
KSHMR in 2014, publicly confirming his identity the following year. He has released dozens of singles, including collaborations with
Tiësto,
Hardwell, and
R3hab, in addition to EPs such as 2015's Paradesi, 2016's interlude-heavy The Lion Across the Field, 2017's
Materia, and 2021's full-length Harmonica Andromeda.
Hollowell-Dhar, the son of an Indian father and an American mother, was born in Berkeley, California, in 1988. He attended Berkeley High School, where he met aspiring rapper
David Benjamin Singer-Vine.
Hollowell-Dhar wrote a diss track against
Singer-Vine, but they ended up becoming close friends, and they formed
the Cataracs in 2003. Starting with 2006's Technohop, Vol. 1, they released a few digital albums and EPs, as well as the 2007 single "Blueberry Afghani," a collaboration with hyphy group
the Pack (featuring a young
Lil B). After moving to Los Angeles, they began collaborating with singer
Dev.
The Cataracs signed to Universal Records in 2010, and they wrote and produced
Far East Movement's chart-topping hit "Like a G6," which sampled "Booty Bounce," a song they produced for
Dev.
The Cataracs' other productions included
Snoop Dogg's single "Wet,"
New Boyz's hit "Backseat," and the entirety of
Dev's 2011 full-length
The Night the Sun Came Up.
The Cataracs'
Gordo Taqueria EP was released in 2012, featuring "All You," a collaboration with
Wacka Flocka Flame and
Kaskade.
Singer-Vine decided to leave
the Cataracs in 2012, and
Hollowell-Dhar continued using the name. He teamed up with
Martin Solveig and
Kyle on the 2013 single "Hey Now," which charted in several countries. He also produced songs for
Selena Gomez,
Sean Paul, and
Robin Thicke. He decided to end
the Cataracs in 2014, and began anonymously producing EDM under the name
KSHMR. Debuting in February with the single "Megalodon,"
KSHMR released a steady stream of tracks that hit the charts of dance music retailer Beatport. Following collaborations with
Firebeatz and
DallasK, "Karate" (with
R3hab) charted in Belgium and France.
KSHMR revealed his identity at the Ultra Music Festival in 2015, where he was introduced by
Tiësto. The two collaborated on the single "Secrets" (with
Vassy), which was the biggest
KSHMR single yet. He released the Paradesi EP, which was strongly based on Indian culture, as were additional singles like "Jammu" and "Bazaar." By the end of the year, he had charted at number 23 on DJ Mag's annual Top 100 DJs poll.
An EP titled The Lion Across the Field was released in May 2016, and
KSHMR performed at the main stage of the Tomorrowland music festival shortly after. His singles during the year included "Invisible Children" (with
Tigerlily), "Voices" (with
Will Sparks), and "Extreme" (with
Bassjackers). He then moved up to number 12 on the annual DJ Mag poll, a position he held the following year.
KSHMR's 2017 performance at the Ultra Music Festival, with
Timmy Trumpet, was his first to be performed entirely with live musicians. A further
Tiësto collaboration, "Harder," appeared that year, and subsequent 2017 singles included "The Serpent" (with
Snails) and "Underwater," which featured Bollywood singer
Sonu Nigam. He also ventured into psy-trance with the single "Shiva," a collaboration with
Marnik and
the Golden Army. In 2018,
KSHMR teamed up with singer
Sidnie Tipton for the acoustic pop-oriented single "House of Cards." "Doonka," a free track featuring
Mr.Black, was influenced by trap. This was followed by "Carry Me Home," a progressive house track featuring vocalist
Jake Reese. 2021 saw the release of his first full-length effort, Harmonica Andromeda, which took inspiration from countries and cultures worldwide. ~ Paul Simpson