Cover Story
Through the Portal: Markus Schulz and the Sonic Evolution Shaping the Future of Dance Music
A journey through the frequencies, friendships, and future visions of one of dance music’s most trusted names
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.
The Cover Story: Markus Schulz
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 facilitated that by leaning on the emotion of classic trance, but powered by the modern day drive of peak hour techno.
“If your soul is encoded into the music, people will feel it—whether it’s trance, techno, or something that defies both.”
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 your hands in the air and more about body hypnosis - letting groove and bassline carry the emotional weight.
Let’s talk “In Search of Sunrise.” As the new curator of this iconic series, how do you plan to leave your imprint while respecting its rich legacy?
It’s a huge honor to be associated with such an important piece in the history of our scene, and it’s not one I take for granted. We are moving into a fourth era of In Search of Sunrise - you had Tiesto at the outset, continued by Richard Durand, and then the multiple DJ approach from edition 14 to 20; of which I was proudly part of those.
Now in this fourth era, I’m going to be curating all three discs for the first time, and I feel it will allow me to demonstrate the full palette of my sound.
I feel it is my duty to carry In Search of Sunrise into a future era. This next edition is designed to be a portal - where tribal, cinematic, and hypnotic textures converge with a meaningful, emotional journey.
Global DJ Broadcast is now in its 20th year. In a world of fleeting attention spans, what’s the formula for keeping a weekly radio show this relevant?
My belief is that radio is one of the greatest gifts we have on earth. You can be broadcasting to an audience of millions, but at the same time, there is a bond of one to one communication.
I had a lonely childhood, because I’d be moving to various spots around Germany as a child; and it meant that I couldn’t really establish any lasting friendships. But there was one that lasted forever - the radio - the friend who is always there no matter what time of day or night.
It’s because of this that Global DJ Broadcast remains so important to me, because it can inspire those listening, make people forget about their troubles, and be that friend who is always there.
There are three particular strands to Global DJ Broadcast now - the regular studio editions, where you are breaking new music and gauging which songs resonate with the listeners - the monthly World Tour episodes, featuring live recordings of my sets at various clubs and festivals around the world - and the seven special collector’s edition shows which are based on a particular style and theme.
Now more than ever, the show is a testing ground for my sonic experiments. It’s where I preview future-facing music and showcase artists I believe are reshaping the dance music industry.
“The open to close solo sets are an open canvas, blending past and future.”
“Afterdark 2024” had a hypnotic grip. Do you approach these deeper, moodier mixes differently than your high-octane club sets?
With all of the themed shows, you tend to prepare for them all-year round. I have specific folders set up on my computer, and after mixing the regular studio shows and seeing how songs have connected with the listeners, I’ll copy certain tracks to those individual folders and let them accumulate over a 12 month period.
Even within Afterdark, because it’s four hours long every year, I try to program it like you’re transitioning from the signature peak hour techno tunes into more dubbier, twisted, almost meditative textures. The bpm gradually goes down and the mood becomes darker and darker. There is an extra importance attached to tracking songs that simmer, rather than being explosive with energy.
Afterdark is a reflection of my evolution — and where techno and trance intersect.
Coldharbour just hit its 500th release - what does that milestone mean to you personally, and what can we expect next from the label?
I’m really proud of Coldharbour, because it goes far beyond just being a record label on its own. I’ve always strived to envision Coldharbour as a family - you don’t just sign a track, you develop a relationship with the producer and guide them based on my experiences of being in the club. You’re continually searching for that next talent out there to take under your wing, and that’s something we have done from the outset and continue to do today.
The next dimension has been to develop these producers into gaining experience as DJs through our Coldharbour Night club and festival events. It isn’t always easy because a lot of these producers break through with a magnificent track, but they don’t have the experience of DJing in front of live audiences.
Bringing them in as part of a collective Coldharbour Night allows them the chance to gain that needed experience. Musically, I see Coldharbour’s next chapter as a platform for emotionally driven club music - not just trance or techno, but that sweet spot in between.
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.
“Radio was my first true friend—and Global DJ Broadcast still carries that spirit today.”
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 with - you 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.
Photos: Edward Aninaru
