Cosmin TRG

Romanian-born and now residing in Berlin, Cosmin TRG—otherwise known as Cosmin Nicolae—first gained attention when his track appeared on the inaugural release from the then-new dubstep imprint Hessle Audio in 2007. Early listening habits shaped by Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, and Italo Disco gave way to broader interests after he encountered Orbital’s Snivilisation on cassette and later experienced an installation that incorporated sounds from Basic Channel and Jeff Mills. Because the local Romanian scene centered almost entirely on Euro-Trance, Nicolae began creating his own tracks and, by 2006, felt ready to send a demo to David Kennedy, who records as Ramadanman. Kennedy, together with Ben UFO and Pangaea, responded by founding Hessle Audio, choosing TRG’s “Put You Down” as its debut release. Throughout 2007 and 2008, further 12-inch singles appeared on Tempa, NakedLunch, and Hotflush, while his style—initially rooted in U.K. garage-inflected dubstep—gradually absorbed elements of house and techno.

In 2010 the project was rebranded Cosmin TRG, a shift accompanied by a corresponding evolution in sound. The single “Tower Block,” issued that year on Hemlock Recordings, emphasized a strict 4/4 techno framework while retaining traces of earlier dub textures. Relocating to Berlin the same year, Nicolae aligned himself with Modeselektor’s 50 Weapons label and, in 2011, delivered his first full-length effort, Simulat. Its blend of glacial techno, dub, and house resonated within the city’s club environment, increasing demand for both his studio work and DJ sets. Two years afterward came the follow-up album Gordian, which advanced further into techno territory and drew additional impetus from classic imprints such as Warp Records.