KSHMR

Niles Hollowell-Dhar, performing under the moniker KSHMR, crafts expansive electro-house productions steeped in his Indian roots. The producer from California first rose to prominence in the early 2010s through the pop-rap duo the Cataracs, generating tracks for Far East Movement, Dev, Snoop Dogg, and New Boyz. Shedding pop constraints, he launched the EDM project KSHMR anonymously in 2014 before disclosing his identity publicly the next year. Over the following period he issued numerous singles, among them joint efforts with Tiësto, Hardwell, and R3hab, alongside the EPs Paradesi in 2015, the interlude-focused The Lion Across the Field in 2016, Materia in 2017, and the 2021 album-length Harmonica Andromeda.

Born in Berkeley, California, in 1988 to an Indian father and an American mother, Hollowell-Dhar graduated from Berkeley High School, where he encountered rapper David Benjamin Singer-Vine. After penning a diss track aimed at Singer-Vine, the two forged a lasting friendship that led them to establish the Cataracs in 2003. Their initial output included the 2006 digital release Technohop, Vol. 1, followed by additional EPs and the 2007 single “Blueberry Afghani,” a collaboration with hyphy act the Pack that featured a young Lil B. After relocating to Los Angeles they began working with singer Dev. The Cataracs secured a Universal Records deal in 2010 and supplied the chart-topping Far East Movement single “Like a G6,” which incorporated their earlier Dev production “Booty Bounce.” Further Cataracs credits encompassed Snoop Dogg’s “Wet,” New Boyz’s “Backseat,” and the full 2011 Dev album The Night the Sun Came Up. Their 2012 Gordo Taqueria EP contained the track “All You,” recorded with Waka Flocka Flame and Kaskade.

Following Singer-Vine’s departure from the Cataracs in 2012, Hollowell-Dhar maintained the name alone. He partnered with Martin Solveig and Kyle on the 2013 single “Hey Now,” which registered across multiple international charts, and contributed productions for Selena Gomez, Sean Paul, and Robin Thicke. He formally retired the Cataracs in 2014 and shifted to anonymous EDM work as KSHMR. The project opened in February with “Megalodon,” after which a succession of tracks entered the Beatport dance charts. Subsequent collaborations with Firebeatz and DallasK preceded the single “Karate” with R3hab, which appeared on Belgian and French listings. KSHMR disclosed his identity during a 2015 Ultra Music Festival set introduced by Tiësto; their joint single “Secrets” featuring Vassy became his most successful release to date. The Paradesi EP, together with later singles such as “Jammu” and “Bazaar,” foregrounded Indian cultural elements. By year’s end he placed at number 23 on DJ Mag’s annual Top 100 DJs poll.

The EP The Lion Across the Field arrived in May 2016, shortly before KSHMR’s main-stage appearance at the Tomorrowland festival. That year’s singles comprised “Invisible Children” with Tigerlily, “Voices” with Will Sparks, and “Extreme” with Bassjackers. He advanced to number 12 on the subsequent DJ Mag poll and maintained that ranking the following year. His 2017 Ultra Music Festival performance alongside Timmy Trumpet marked the first set performed entirely with live musicians. Another Tiësto collaboration, “Harder,” surfaced that year, while additional 2017 releases included “The Serpent” with Snails and “Underwater” featuring Bollywood vocalist Sonu Nigam. He explored psy-trance on the single “Shiva,” recorded with Marnik and the Golden Army. In 2018 KSHMR joined singer Sidnie Tipton for the acoustic-pop single “House of Cards,” issued the free trap-influenced track “Doonka” with Mr. Black, and released the progressive-house cut “Carry Me Home” featuring vocalist Jake Reese. His debut full-length album, Harmonica Andromeda, appeared in 2021 and drew thematic material from global countries and cultures.