elektro exclusive interview Coldharbour Recordings stars Grube, Hovesepian, Mr. Pit, and KhoMha

Since it’s founding in 2005 by dance music legend Markus Schulz, Coldharbour Recordings has continued build on a solid foundation of musical talent. Embodying Schulz’s slightly darker, evocative style of trance and progressive, the Armada sub-label now plays home to a dazzling array of promising up-and-comers and established artists alike. We sat down with four of Coldharbour’s brightest stars, Grube, Hovesepian, Mr. Pit, and KhoMha, during Miami Music Week to hear their thoughts on performing, producing, and the current state of the music scene.

How would you assess the music scene right now?

Grube: I think music goes in cycles right now. This last year it’s been pop-infused with electronic music. Now, I think, we’re going to see a resurgence of underground guys.

How’s the trance following?

Hovesepian: Its picking up again! There are a lot more shows…hell, there are shows almost every month. Before, it was like every three or four months.

KhoMha: The good thing is, its not only in Miami—it’s also in cities like Los Angeles and New York. It seems to be growing in America in general, and that’s a great thing.

How do you guys adapt your sound to the changing times?

Mr. Pit: It’s always a struggle. You have to keep up with other producers as well as with your fans; you have to constantly improve yourself and your sound while staying true to it as well.

How do you introduce new sounds to your audiences?

Hovesepian: I think a lot of our sound infuses a lot of new and different genres. Even for the beginners or the new fans that come to the clubs, they get to experience the new stuff and the old stuff as well. The Coldharbour sound comes through in all of our production.

Any favorite venues here in Miami?

Hovesepian: Space, still.
KhoMha: It’s legendary; the vibe there is amazing.

Who here is more of a DJ and who’s more of a producer?

Hovesepian: I think we’re all producers first.
Mr. Pit: We became good DJs after we became good at production.
Hovesepian: Nowadays, though, I’d say it’s 50/50. There are a lot of producers who get popular making music in their bedrooms and then all of a sudden they get thrown into the mix and they have to learn how to DJ, and there’s the other side as well, where they have to learn how to produce after they’ve mastered DJing.

There’s a ton of new music circulating right now, since it’s become so easy to distribute. How do you guys go through it all before you select your favorites for any given performance?

Grube: We get like a thousand promos, so its all about spending time and finding the right tracks that maintain your sound and style, and just playing those gems that nobody else is playing. The idea is to be different, so you constantly have to keep combing through.

What were the parties and clubs that particularly shaped you as artists?

Grube: For me, I’d say it was Avalon and Vanguard in LA. I was going and experiencing different venues and genres, like experiencing Nick Warren or Dave Seaman, or Eric Morillo, who would play an extended ten hour set. There are a lot of memories and different vibes that shape you into the artist you are.
Hovesepian: I grew up in the D.C. area so I was always going to Nations back in the day where Tiesto was playing. Then Fur came aboard and I had a residency there…a lot of the northern Virginia clubs up there kind of built my sound.
KhoMha: For me, the club scene right now is still growing. I came from Columbia, and there the electronic music is still catching on. Reggaeton, salsa, those are bigger in terms of popularity. I think the biggest countries in South America are Argentina and Brazil…they have the biggest club scenes there. And I have to say that the energy in Buenos Aires is absolutely amazing…that’s probably the biggest club scene right now in South America.

This year’s IMS centers around the sustainability of EDM after the “gold-rush,” so to speak. Where do you think its all going?

Grube: I think we’re going to see the underground catch on again, people wanting to attach themselves to a genre and get away from the commercial stuff.
Hovesepian: There will always be a counterculture, and there’s always going to be a mainstream culture, but you need both. Both of the sounds kind of work together really well. Right now we have extremes, because DJs are becoming like pop stars. We’re just curious as to what that underground will be in a couple years. Its good to have both though.

New or emerging, what are your favorite artists of all time?

KhoMha: I still think Daft Punk…they are my biggest idols, they’re just so unique. Right now, though, I think Mat Zo is improving so much. He’s really going deeper into the music; I think he’s on fire.
Grube: I like what Calvin Harris is doing now, he has the right formula down.
Hovesepian: We have a little bit more of a progressive style, like Grube said; Calvin Harris has really influenced us.

Any projects in the mix?

Hovesepian: We just finished a track with a vocalist out of Amsterdam called Vice. The track is called “Memory Lane.” That’ll be out in a month and a half, and then we just finished another with Tiffany Johnston, who we worked with on “Venom.” This one’s a bit more of a progressive 127-style track. And then we have a bigger stadium style track, that’s going to be on Coldharbour, and lastly a follow-up to “City of Angels,” with Elevation.