MARKUS SCHULZ
Evolution Into the Future
Photos: Edward Aninaru
When you’ve spent over three decades shaping dancefloors and soundwaves, you earn the right to slow down. But Markus Schulz has no intention of doing so. If anything, he’s shifting gears—deeper, darker, and more emotionally resonant than ever.
From the explosive tension of “Enter the Portal” to the gritty hypnosis of his new techno-forward single “Get You Higher” with Pavlo Vicci, Schulz continues to evolve while staying true to what he calls the “theater of the mind.” In 2025, he’s not just playing peak-time; he’s architecting full-spectrum journeys—from progressive storytelling to cinematic after-hours sonics.
This year marks a bold new chapter. Schulz has taken the helm as the lead curator of In Search of Sunrise, preparing to guide the iconic compilation series into a fourth era with a trilogy of discs shaped by his own productions. His Global DJ Broadcast celebrates 20 years on air, bridging generations of listeners through themed episodes, live recordings, and sonic experiments that preview the future of dance music.
But beneath the milestones, it’s the personal mission that drives him: to connect through music. Whether mentoring the next wave via Coldharbour Recordings, crafting immersive albums, or honoring long-standing friendships with vocalists like HALIENE and Sarah de Warren, Schulz is more than a headliner—he’s a lifeline for the emotionally invested.
In this exclusive interview, we dive deep into the mindset, music, and meaning behind one of trance and techno’s most enduring figures.
Three decades deep, still headlining. What keeps you inspired to explore new sonic frontiers while holding onto the melodic DNA that defines you?
My belief through all of this is what my purpose of being put in this world was to inspire people through music. Despite having a storied career, I still feel I have a lot to contribute and accomplish; through forward-thinking cinematic soundscapes.
I’m still completely captivated by what I call the “theater of the mind.” Every day in the studio, I chase that elusive tone - that goosebump frequency - that resonates deep within. But now, I’m even more fascinated with merging emotional depth with immersive environments. If your soul is encoded into the music, people will feel it - whether it’s trance, techno, or something that defies both.
From “The Rabbit Hole Circus” to marathon sets in Montreal and Amsterdam - what’s the secret sauce behind your legendary open-to-close journeys?
The open to close solo sets are actually a throwback to my days as a resident DJ. I’d be playing for around six or seven hours every Friday and Saturday night, and it gave me invaluable experience in how to read an audience, program a night musically through its different iterations, make mistakes and learn from them.
For a normal night, the ideal way to program would be to book three DJs - the opener, the headliner and the after hours DJ. But when you have that open to close responsiblity, you play all three roles in one night.
These experiences are invaluable for any DJ. It’s an open canvas, blending past and future. My vision for them now is opening with progressive storytelling, diving into euphoric peaks, and closing with darker, hypnotic textures that reflect where my sound is heading.
“Enter the Portal” feels like a time warp in motion. Can you take us behind the energy and idea that shaped this peak-time instrumental?
Enter the Portal was a pivot track for me - a bridge between the fire of Ram Attack and the deeper emotional storytelling I want to explore moving forward.
I’d made Ram Attack for EDC in Las Vegas, and I still love its raw energy; but I’ve become obsessed with the aspect of tension and release - the kind of pressure that simultaneously moves the body and the mind. Enter the Portal faciliated that by leaning on the emotion of classic trance, but powered by the modern day drive of peak hour techno.
Your new single “Get You Higher” with Pavlo Vicci hits harder and deeper- is this a hint that the techno spirit of Dakota is bleeding into your main sound?
Yes, this one was a demonstration of propulsion over peaks. Pavlo’s hugely talented and is someone we are all excited about watching his development in the coming years. He had this hypnotic Get You Higher vocal, and I added it on top of a gritty techno bassline to give it that powerful drive.
It’s a track that’s less about stopping to put
“The open to close solo sets are an open canvas, blending past and future.”
You’ve worked with vocalists like Sarah de Warren and HALIENE on tracks that feel emotional and cinematic. How do you know when a vocal fits the vision?
One of the important approaches to working with vocalists is that I feel you need to get to know them on a personal level - what’s going well in your life, what are your struggles or worries, how are you seeing the world through your eyes, do you have any dreams?
I’ve been fortunate to get to know Sarah and Kelly (HALIENE) and become close friends with them; Emma Hewitt and more recently Linney as well. I think having that approach of being able to feel at a deeper level what each other wants with a track is borne out with what you hear through the speakers.
Your “X series” collaborations have featured giants like Oakenfold, BT, and Ferry Corsten. Can you tease us with what’s coming next?
The nice thing with the X series is that there isn’t a defined schedule or structure to them. A lot of them have sprung from improvisation - whether it’s meeting a fellow DJ while at a festival and striking up a conversation about collaborating in the studio.
Despite being in the scene for a while, I still feel I learn and am inspired by people I work withyou list BT, Paul Oakenfold and Ferry Corsten -
these guys are responsible for some of the greatest melodies we have heard in any genre of music.
And then on the other side, you’re helping new talents develop through these collaborations as well. One of the things I’m hoping for with X in the future is to involve more than one collaborative artist - finding guys from different genres and bending them into this futuristic hybrid.
You’ve always had a global perspective— whether it’s touring, radio, or scouting new talent. Which scenes or cities are inspiring you most right now?
I have to give a nod to Brazil here, because one of your own in Victor Ruiz has been among my biggest inspirations lately. I love everything he’s putting out, and he has quite a diverse range across his signature techno vision. He is someone I would love to collaborate with in the future. There’s also ANNA, who has released some excellent material in the past few years.
I think Italy is going through a golden period for dance music right now, with outstanding producers like Anyma and Meduza, along with upcoming talents like Mattia Saviolo.
And the UK continues to evolve from generation to generation. You’ve got incredible talents like CamelPhat and Massano, and Coldharbour’s own Daxson is someone I’m massively proud of
what he’s achieving right now.
2025 is off to a flying start, but what’s still on your vision board? Any dream projects, new aliases, or surprise evolutions we should be watching out for?
I had a writing camp last November in Los Angeles just before playing at Dreamstate, where I was sketching out ideas with vocalists on songs with a new artist album in mind. One of those was working with Sarah de Warren again, so there will be a new single from us coming later this year.
But the main focus between now and the summer will be on In Search of Sunrise 21, and that will include crafting original productions to shape all three discs. I’m excited to dive into these projects that will show another musical evolution in my career.
Connect with Markus Schulz: www.markusschulz.com www.markusschulzpodcast.com www.instagram.com/markusschulz www.facebook.com/markusschulz www.x.com/markusschulz
“Se a sua alma estiver codificada na música, as pessoas vão sentir — seja trance, techno ou algo que transcenda os dois.”
dharbour Night em clubes e festivais. Nem sempre é fácil, porque muitos desses produtores surgem com uma faixa brilhante, mas ainda não têm experiência em se apresentar ao vivo para um público.
Trazer esses artistas como parte do coletivo Coldharbour Night lhes dá a chance de adquirir essa vivência essencial. Musicalmente, vejo o próximo capítulo da Coldharbour como uma plataforma voltada para a música de pista com carga emocional — não apenas trance ou techno, mas aquele ponto de equilíbrio perfeito entre os dois.
Você trabalhou com vocalistas como Sarah de Warren e HALIENE em faixas com uma carga emocional e cinematográfica. Como você sabe quando um vocal realmente se encaixa na sua visão?
Um dos aspectos mais importantes ao trabalhar com vocalistas é conhecer a pessoa em um nível pessoal — o que está dando certo na vida dela, quais são suas preocupações ou dificuldades, como ela enxerga o mundo pelos próprios olhos, quais são seus sonhos.
Tive a sorte de conhecer a Sarah e a Kelly (HALIENE) e de me tornar amigo próximo das duas; o mesmo com a Emma Hewitt e, mais recentemente, com a Linney. Acredito que essa abordagem — de realmente sentir, em um nível mais profundo, o que cada um quer expressar com a faixa — é o que transparece quando a música chega aos ouvidos de quem escuta.
Suas colaborações da “X series” já contaram com gigantes como Oakenfold, BT e Ferry Corsten. Alguma pista do que vem por aí?
O mais interessante da X series é que ela não tem um cronograma ou estrutura definidos. Muitas dessas colaborações surgem de forma espontânea — como encontrar outro DJ em um festival, bater um papo e dali nascer a ideia de trabalhar juntos no estúdio.
Mesmo estando há bastante tempo na cena, ainda sinto que aprendo e me inspiro com as pessoas com quem colaboro — nomes como BT, Paul Oakenfold e Ferry Corsten — caras que criaram algumas das melodias mais marcantes que já ouvimos em qualquer gênero musical.
E por outro lado, também há a oportunidade de ajudar novos talentos a se desenvolverem por meio dessas colaborações. Uma das coisas que espero para o futuro da X series é envolver mais de um artista colaborador — juntar artistas de gêneros diferentes e fundi-los nesse híbrido futurista.
Você sempre teve uma visão global — seja em turnês, no rádio ou na descoberta de novos talentos. Quais cenas ou cidades mais têm te inspirado no momento?
Preciso fazer uma menção ao Brasil aqui, porque um dos seus — o Victor Ruiz — tem sido uma das minhas maiores inspirações ultimamente. Eu adoro tudo o que ele vem lançando, e ele apresenta uma gama bastante diversa dentro da sua visão única de techno. É alguém com quem eu adoraria colaborar no futuro. Também tem a ANNA, que vem lançando materiais excelentes nos últimos anos.
Acho que a Itália está passando por um momento de ouro na música eletrônica, com produtores incríveis como Anyma e Meduza, além
de novos talentos promissores como Mattia Saviolo.
E o Reino Unido continua evoluindo de geração em geração. Tem nomes impressionantes como CamelPhat e Massano, e o Daxson — da própria Coldharbour — é alguém de quem tenho imenso orgulho pelo que ele vem conquistando.
2025 já começou com tudo, mas o que ainda está no seu quadro de visão? Algum projeto dos sonhos, novo alias ou evolução surpresa que deveríamos ficar de olho?
Em novembro passado, participei de um acampamento de composição em Los Angeles, pouco antes de me apresentar no Dreamstate, onde comecei a rascunhar ideias com vocalistas para um novo álbum. Uma dessas colaborações foi com a Sarah de Warren novamente, então teremos um novo single juntos ainda este ano.
Mas o foco principal entre agora e o verão será o In Search of Sunrise 21, que vai incluir produções originais minhas para moldar os três discos. Estou empolgado para mergulhar nesses projetos que vão representar mais uma evolução musical na minha carreira.
Connect with Markus Schulz: www.markusschulz.com www.markusschulzpodcast.com www.instagram.com/markusschulz www.facebook.com/markusschulz www.x.com/markusschulz
“O próximo In Search of Sunrise foi concebido como um portal — onde texturas tribais, cinematográficas e hipnóticas convergem em uma jornada emocional e cheia de significado.”