From the heart of Germany to the sands of Cairo and melodies of India, Slow Nomaden—aka Tobias Kroschel—crafts a globally resonant sound that blends electronic production with organic instrumentation.
Photo credit: Jan Lamprecht
As the mind behind Nu Boheme Recordings, and a firm believer in a healthy, sustainable lifestyle within the music industry, Tobias has carved out a niche that balances cultural storytelling, musical depth, and personal wellness.
In this interview, he opens up about his latest releases, the philosophy behind his new mixes, his creative workflow, and how staying grounded physically and mentally fuels his artistic vision.
EG: Hi, Tobias! Welcome back to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. It’s been a long time. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Slow Nomaden: Hi, thanx I’m happy to chat again! It’s been a busy time with lots of new music since the last interview.
EG: First of all, thank you for your contribution to our EG Podcast. Tell fans of the series…what can they expect to find on this mix? Is there a concept running throughout? How do you usually approach these kinds of mixes?
Slow Nomaden: I’m glad to join the amazing list of artists who have contributed to the EG Podcast series. For this mix, I decided to choose some more uptempo tracks around 120 Bpm with influences of the Middle East and India. I’m a big fan of the music from these regions and wanted to showcase some of my favorite tracks at the moment that fit with the vibe of my latest releases, ‘Son’ and ‘Spectra’, as well.
EG: Last time we spoke, you were deep into the release of ‘Boho’, which, on a personal level, served you as a way of “travelling without moving”, due to the times we were living in. How has life changed for you since then?
Slow Nomaden: Yes, the release of ‘Boho’ was a big step for me, and I’m happy how well the album has been received since. Luckily, times have changed for the positive in terms of travelling for me, so I try to travel as much as possible whenever I find time. Travelling is a big influence on my music. I feel that when I’m travelling, I can see the world with the eyes of a child again. Everything seems so new and interesting, and inspiring. These are the moments from which I draw when I’m back in the studio.
EG: By the way, congratulations on the recent drop of Xande’s remix of your collaboration with Ablozé, ‘Spectra’, which is available via your own Nu Boheme Recordings. What has the initial reception been like so far? What made you consider Xande as the perfect name for this particular remix?
Slow Nomaden: Thanks so much! I’m really happy with the reception for ‘Spectra’ and the three remixes we have released so far. Like you said, ‘Spectra’ is a collaboration with Ablozé, a very talented artist based in Cairo. Together, we decided to have some remixes to give the original some different twists. Xande (IT) is a Milanese music producer that we both admire because of his signature sound that blends deep electronic and organic elements. The remix gives the original a totally different chill vibe with laid-back piano chords and a deep bass line. Besides this one, we also released two amazing remixes by Ben Junction from Norway, who gave the track a more dark and mysterious sound, and Sebastian Hal from Israel, who created a more Progressive Oriental House tune.
“Sometimes seems like today it is more important to be a good influencer than to be a good musician”
EG: Speaking of Nu Boheme Recordings, what can we expect from the label in the coming months?
Slow Nomaden: The next release on Nu Boheme is my new single ‘Tumbi’ that is also premiered on EG’s Soundcloud on May 9th. It is an energetic organic house tune that fuses oriental instruments with electronic beats. This one is characterized by the distinctive sound of the Tumbi with its famous Punjabi vibe. Mixed with organic percussion grooves, pulsating arpeggios and a deep bass line this track will surely make you wanna dance! I also received some great Demos for the label by other artists in the last months but unfortunately I didn’t find the time to work on these releases so far as I’m too busy with my own projects. I hope to sign a few gems by other artists in the coming year when I find a bit more time to work on the label again.
EG: Since we’re on the release front, anything in the works in your studio that we should keep an eye out for?
Slow Nomaden: Indeed, as I’m working a lot in the studio there’s a lot of new material coming out soon. In June I will release a new downtempo track called ‘Acropolis’ on my label that has been inspired by a trip to Greece. I started this track with a little riff played on my acoustic guitar and the final result came out pretty cool I think. After this a new collaboration track with Think City from Nepal will be released called ‘Malabar’ that has a very positive and happy vibe. I also recently finished a new afro house track that will possibly be released in July.
EG: Now, stepping outside of the studio for a bit…we know that you exercise a very healthy lifestyle, away from any sort of drugs, and practice sports regularly. Was this a conscious decision? Did you ever get lost in the haze of the industry? What is the best recommendation you can give another artist in that sense?
Slow Nomaden: Sure, to exercise a healthy lifestyle was a conscious decision for me and I’m feeling much better since I do so. I’ve made some really bad experiences through my unhealthy lifestyle in the past, especially when I was touring as a DJ a lot. I drank far too much alcohol while performing and had too less sleep on the weekends, so I always needed a few days to recover afterwards. I also often felt exhausted, stressed or overwhelmed by a lot of things. Nowadays I am much more productive in my creative workflow and feel more in balance with myself. I’m not dogmatic in my principles though but I recommend young artists to never underestimate the use of drugs and lack of sleep for your body and mind. This lifestyle can really cause a lot of damage and cost you a lot of energy to achieve beautiful things in your creative career. I know a lot of successful DJ’s and music producers that live a healthy lifestyle as well, so the cliche of the past that you need to use drugs to be creative is really outdated in my opinion.
EG: What’s your relationship with social media like? Do you think people are now demanding more “substance” from their artists when compared to 2 or 3 years ago?
Slow Nomaden: I’m not a big fan of social media, especially of the influence it has on the music industry. As a music lover and artist I’m really tired of all the video clips with DJ’s pressing buttons or raising hands while standing in amazing places. There’s not a lot of “substance” in it in my opinion. I am still more interested in the music itself and I’m sure good music will always find its way to the listener. Of course I see that social media is an easy way for upcoming DJ’s and artists to reach a big audience in a really short time. But I don’t like the development that it has on the scene. A lot of music and a lot of artists sound so similar and superficial. I miss the creativeness and originality. For me it sometimes seems like today it is more important to be a good influencer than to be a good musician. This shouldn’t be the case in my opinion.
“Good music will always find its way to the listener”
EG: Looking forward, what can we expect from Slow Nomaden? Where can your fans catch you next? What are your next scheduled shows?
Slow Nomaden: I’m planning to start a new daytime event series in my hometown this year for people that like to dance in a healthy way in the afternoon and evening. But I can’t tell when we have the first edition yet.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Tobias! We wish you all the best in the future. Take care!
Slow Nomaden: Thanx for having me! Best wishes!
Slow Nomaden’s ‘Spectra (Xande (IT) Remix)’ is out now on Nu Boheme Recordings. Stream and download here.
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