Coldharbour Recordings · Artist Interview

Nemke: From Montenegro to Coldharbour

The Serbian producer behind ‘Earthquake’ talks beginnings, big support, and what comes next.

Not every artist arrives with a backstory that surprises you. Nemke does. Growing up in Pljevlja, Montenegro, far from the festival circuits and studio hubs of Western Europe, Nemanja built his sound quietly, patiently, and entirely on his own terms. It took ten years of making music before a single track broke through. Then ‘Stampedo’ happened, and suddenly Tiesto, Markus Schulz, and Paul van Dyk were playing it in their sets. Shortly after, Markus personally reached out about ‘Earthquake,’ and Nemke made his Coldharbour debut. We sat down with him to find out how he got here.

Where did you grow up, and what was the music scene like there when you were coming up?

I grew up in Pljevlja, Montenegro. I’d say Pop/Folk music was the most popular here, but I was never much invested in it.

“Nemke” – where does that come from? Is there a story behind the name?

Nemke is just a nickname for my first name Nemanja, which is very common in my country.

When did music first grab you – was there a specific moment or was it something that crept up gradually?

I listen to a lot of different music but I do remember when trance music got my attention. It was a song, BT ft. JES – Every Other Way (Armin van Buuren Remix). I was curious about that sound and wanted to learn more about it. That’s when I discovered the trance scene. I started listening to radio shows like A State of Trance, Global DJ Broadcast and others, but it was only years later that I started thinking about producing. Shout out to Miroslav Beska (Myk Bee) who helped me a lot in the beginning when I knew nothing about production, and I was just a stranger to him at the time.

Who were the DJs and producers you were obsessed with early on?

In the early days I liked the most the sound of Gaia project by Armin and Benno, and Andrew Rayel’s mix with classical music. I wanted to make something like that.

How would you describe the Nemke sound to someone who has never heard your music?

Melodic, emotional and raw.

Do you produce with a specific dancefloor in mind, or does the track tell you where it belongs?

I always start with an idea in my head first, specifically some melody. And then if I like it enough and it makes sense, I’ll write it down in the project and start shaping it how I imagine it.

Before Coldharbour, your music was being picked up by some of the biggest names in trance. How did that first major support feel when you saw it?

It was totally unexpected because the support came in months later after the initial release, speaking about my track ‘Stampedo.’ I’ve been making music for 10 years and this is the first time that I’ve seen my music being played at festivals and clubs. I love seeing people dancing to it and the reactions have been amazing, so I’m very grateful for that.

“Earthquake” is your first release on Coldharbour – what did it mean to you when it was accepted to the label?

I felt appreciated, that Markus personally reached out and showed support and interest in my music.

Walk us through the production of “Earthquake” – where did it start and how did it evolve into what it became?

I had this intro melody in my head for a couple of years already, which I think is the most unique part about it, but I just couldn’t write the main melody that I was happy with. Only after ‘Stampedo’ blew up, I sat down and thought, let me try to write something for it in that style. And the main theme was born. So in a way, this time my own music was the inspiration for it.

Dream collaboration – who and why?

Dream collaboration today would be anybody who I could learn from and improve my own skills, and develop a good relationship with. But if I had to name names, it would be nice to have the opportunity to work with JES some day.

Is “Earthquake” the opening statement of something bigger – more Coldharbour releases in the pipeline?

I hope so, some ideas are taking shape, so we’ll see what comes out next.

What do you want people to feel when they hear “Earthquake” for the first time?

I hope that they feel surprised, this is not a typical trance track. And I hope they feel some positive emotion through it.

Stream ‘Earthquake’ on Coldharbour Recordings – coldharbourrecordings.com