Mastering character and depth as a modern hip hop and alternative rock artist, Austria’s KOLORPHOBIA brings a clear sense of recognisable identity and meaning to the indie scene. His singles and videos alike fuse professionalism and passion to a captivating level, and the songwriting is superb alongside that.
We caught an interview with KOLORPHOBIA, to find out more about his journey, his creative process, and his plans for the future. Here’s how it went.
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KOLORPHOBIA – great music, songwriting and storytelling, thanks for the interview! To introduce things, where are you based, and what does the name KOLORPHOBIA represent?
First of all, thanks for having me. I’m a small independent artist from Austria. Regarding my name, I started with very experimental music and artwork and I wanted to release every pic and video in black & white. Unfortunately I could not stick to that idea as I got more mainstream 🙂
You blend rap and rock amidst a clear artistic identity that captivates. What inspires your creative direction as an artist?
I was guitarist in a hardcore band for almost ten years, so heavy guitars and vocals were always a part of my life. Also I grew up with rap and hip hop, so as indie artist I could finally do and combine whatever I wanted to. I still listen to Hardcore bands like Stick to your guns and Rap Icons like Mobb deep the same way.
Tell me about the song ‘Nxwxo’ – a gritty and cinematic rap track with a captivating story, flow, and production – how did this one come about?
Mostly I wrote this song in the hope I could maybe wake some people up to use their brains and to not believe in mass media. We all know how we are getting controlled and it is sad to see that the majority of humans are eating every nonsense. It is also about the biggest genocide in modern times but I didn’t want to go to deep into that, because it could trigger some people in a way I don’t want to.
You’ve also released high-quality visual stories for your music. ‘MIRRORZ’ is powerful, melodic and moving – what was the process for writing the song and making the video, and what do you hope people take away from this ?
Thank you. The song itself is about a condition called “Depersonalization”, which is the feeling of beeing outside your body, like somebody is controlling you, clouds in your head an just numb. Simply like a NPC. As i have to condition myself, i just want to show support for people with the same problem J the video is less about the condition, we just wanted to give it a cinematic touch.
Is live performance a big part of your plans as you continue to build, and if so, what will that look like?
Not really yet. I still have a full time job which is really demanding, but music and creativity are surely my passion and if i get the chance to grow and get more attention for our work i consider it definately as possible. I had the luck to play live shows with my ex-band from London to Moscow and Europe in general. If i would do it again, the visual show would be always be adjusted to the music and emotion. Live music should not be only for the ears 😉
Is being vulnerable and honest with your audience an important aspect of your creative process?
Yeah definately. I write about experiences of mine, expose my feelings. As an artist it is very important to be authentic and honest with your listeners in my opinion.
What’s your biggest ambition as 2026 swings into view?
Well just keep on doing what I’m doing 🙂
Is there anything else we should know?
I guess this was already a good insight of what I’m doing and who i am in general. Thank you for the interview 🙏
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Find KOLORPHOBIA on Instagram & Facebook.
