KSHMR Hints at Retirement Amid Career Reflections

After Years of Releases, Live Shows, and Creative Projects, This Is What KSHMR’s Career Has Really Looked Like For the first time in his career, KSHMR has spoken directly to fans about where he is creatively and why his output has slowed, openly addressing pressure, uncertainty, and the weight that comes with maintaining a long-running career in dance music. Those comments have naturally raised questions about longevity and even retirement, not because of rumours or speculation, but because they came from him. This moment didn’t arrive out of nowhere. It follows more than a decade of work that spans early production success with The Cataracs, high-profile collaborations, globally recognised live shows, and long-term projects like Sounds of KSHMR and the Dharma label. Having followed KSHMR’s journey closely over the years, from attending his live sets as a fan to later working within the industry, this felt like the right time to look back at the full scope of his career and understand what’s led to this point. What KSHMR Has Said About His Career and the Possibility of Retirement When KSHMR decided to speak openly about where he stands with music, it wasn’t framed as an announcement or a turning point, but as an honest explanation of a long process that has been unfolding quietly. He acknowledged that this is not something he usually does, which made the tone of his message stand out immediately. Instead of pointing to a single reason, he spoke about how his relationship with dance music has changed over time, describing a growing distance from the excitement he once felt so naturally. Watching other artists perform, attending shows, and being surrounded by new releases no longer triggers the same reaction, a feeling he admitted has become “harder and harder” to reach. That sense of disconnect, paired with the pressure of an industry that expects constant output, has left him unsure of what kind of music he can make that feels right for both himself and the people who have followed him for years. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ᏦᏚᎻᎷᎡ (@kshmr) That uncertainty becomes clearer when he talks about the responsibility attached to projects like Sounds of KSHMR, which has grown into far more than a creative side project. What started as a tool for producers has become a commitment to an entire community, something he feels he has to finish properly before even thinking about what comes next. He was open about how mentally consuming that has been, describing moments where he feels “borderline depressed” because his hands feel tied every time he sits down to make music. At the same time, he didn’t shy away from saying that this situation is “not fair to fans,” recognising the gap between expectations and reality. Instead of framing retirement as a decision already made, he spoke about wanting to give himself time once this chapter is complete, to see if the spark fully returns. If it does, he wants to commit completely. If it doesn’t, he reflected that the journey itself has already meant something, which is why the idea of retirement has entered the conversation at all. Looking Back at KSHMR’s Career in Dance Music To understand why KSHMR has spoken so openly about his future, it helps to look at the length of his career, not only the present moment. Long before cinematic festival sets and large-scale productions, he was already established as a songwriter and producer through his work with The Cataracs in the early 2010s. His move into a solo electronic project in the mid-2010s then brought releases, collaborations, and live shows that quickly placed him on major festival stages worldwide, alongside projects that extended well beyond music alone. Early Career: The Cataracs Before KSHMR The Cataracs and mainstream breakthrough (2008–2014) Before becoming KSHMR, he was one half of The Cataracs, a Los Angeles–based duo active throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s. The project reached global recognition in 2010 with Like a G6 alongside Far East Movement, a track that topped charts in multiple countries and became one of the most recognisable pop records of that period. During this time, KSHMR worked primarily as a songwriter and producer, building commercial success before ever stepping onto EDM festival stages. Songwriting credits and studio experience before EDM Following Like a G6, The Cataracs continued releasing and writing music with artists including DEV and Icona Pop, contributing to tracks such as Bass Down Low and All Night. This phase of KSHMR’s career was focused on writing, production, and studio work opposed to live performance. By the time The Cataracs project ended in 2014, he had already spent years working on internationally released records, providing a foundation that later carried into his transition into electronic dance music as a solo artist. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Raving Reviews (@ravingreviews_) The Emergence of KSHMR as a Solo Artist The Ultra Music Fes