Coflo

By: Dream Chimney

The following interview was conducted on September 22, 2025

Coflo London label Freerange Records, is about to release the latest EP from Coflo, the Bay Area producer, DJ, and dancer whose unique blend of deep, percussive house and Afro-rooted rhythms has earned him a growing cult following. With an uncompromising approach to groove, sonic texture, and the dancefloor, Coflo crafts tracks that move bodies and challenge conventions. A lifelong house dancer and a student of Afro-Brazilian art-form Capoeira, his productions bring a deeply human feel to electronic music—always raw, always rhythmically charged, and always dance-focused. On the week of the release of ‘Who The Frequency’, we have the pleasure of talking to this intriguing artist.

It's great to talk to you Coflo. How are you doing today, where are you at?

I'm pretty good, a bit tired today but counting my blessings as always. Right now I'm working out of my temporary studio about 20 minutes south of my actual space in Fremont, California. I'm building a new studio over the next 6-8 months, so I'm excited to move back once it’s done — construction has just begun!

You have a very unique flavor to your music. Where does the impulse to create the music come from in you?

Really cool that you hear "unique flavor.” I tend to see what I do more as an educational reflection of all the music I study and admire. I don’t really hear my music as unique, but I hope I’m shaping a style, a technique, and an intention that one day gets me there.

My impulse to create comes from a way of life. I’m a dancer, raised in the Bay Area’s club, rave, and house music scenes. I still study and practice dance art forms — mostly to house music. I can’t really consume music without attaching a movement visual to it in my mind. No matter the tempo or style, there’s always movement. Participating in American house music culture is just what I know. What people hear in my music is simply my communal upbringing.

What roles do art, relationships, and the current state of the world play for you in the ideas process?

My lived experience always shows up in my art, whether I want it to or not. But ideas themselves feel separate from my state of mind. An idea is usually something I can see in my head, latch onto, and build a project around.

Art and relationships often fuel those ideas. For example, for almost a decade I’ve made an annual trip to Detroit to soak up a type of musical freedom I haven’t felt anywhere else. That energy fuels me for months after I get home. Same with relationships — a record label reaching out, or a friend thinking I’m the right artist for a project. Sometimes the idea is reactionary, born from the opportunity or collaboration itself.

As for the state of the world… I try not to let it dictate my art. There are truths and lies out there, but I create from my own perspective. The “state of the world” isn’t really what sparks my ideas.

For you to get started, does there need to be concrete ideas for you to make a track?

Nope, never. A lot of what inspires me comes from found sounds or happy accidents. I like building skills and workflows that can pull me in endless directions. My aim is to always be prolific. You can’t make something brilliant — on purpose or by accident — if you’re not making things to begin with. I’d rather find a way to create than wait on ideas to fuel me.

What is the balance between planning and improvisation for you?

It depends on my workload. With remix work, there’s often a framework already in place. If a label or artist needs a certain vibe, I can’t just deliver a 12-minute arrangement with a three-minute beatless intro. Sometimes the plan is set by the project.

But I’m an improvisationally motivated artist at heart. The jazz influence is strong. If it doesn’t feel good, the plan doesn’t matter — I’ll flow where the dance takes me.

Is there a preparation phase for your process?

Sometimes. If I’m chasing a mood or a vibe inspired by another song, I might put together a sonic, rhythmic, or compositional palette first. That’s preparation in a sense. But it usually shifts quickly into improvisation once the music starts. My prep phase is really just “try some shit and see what the vibe is.”

For your latest release, what did you start with? Were there conceptual considerations?

Yeah, I started with the idea of making a full project that might land on a friend’s label. I wanted something simple in composition and arrangement but sonically rich, with grooves that really lock in. The concept was to build grooves on my TR-8S (which I don’t even own anymore) and write songs over them so the groove itself became the attraction.

Once completed it was evident that the project wouldn’t fit my friend’s label in the end, luckily, Jimpster taste is wide and quality, and he was into it! (still really proud of that) — it landed perfectly on Freerange. I couldn’t be more thankful. Freerange has such an open-minded fanbase and has been one of my favorite labels since the early 2000s. I know I’m in good company there.

Tell us a bit about the way Who The Frequency developed and gradually took its final form.

The title tune itself started with a groove on the TR-8S. Then I comped chords on my Korg Prologue. The swing and syncopation inspired a vocal idea, which is where my alter ego Rawb Boss stepped in. He found the vocal pocket that cemented the mood — turning the groove into a true dancer’s tune. Groove and sonics rule the speakers, but mood and pocket inspire the movement.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later?

It depends on the tune. Sometimes evaluation happens that same night — I’m just dialing in the sonics. Other times, I can feel the spirit but the mood needs more development.

One constant though: I test everything on the dance floor. That’s very different from most house artists. I literally perform the track in a set or I actually create some movement at a dance sessions — mine (private) or community sessions. If it doesn’t move my feet, it’s not getting released.

How much tweaking do you allow until you're satisfied with a track?

As much as needed. I’m not a perfectionist, but I am a serious student. The more I learn, the more I apply. Of course, it’s all within reason — I’ve put out a lot of music.

Studying dance and Capoeira taught me something important: you have to live the art, not just practice it. My mestre, Acordeon, says, “when the art becomes exclusively enclosed within a studio or framework, you loose aspects of the art. The art needs to expand past one environment, it needs to exist with the people…. not just teaching and learning but instead live the art. It’s just theory if you never live the art.” (I’m paraphrasing)

I can’t endlessly tweak — that’s just one environment. Music has to be done to live and expand to the people. I live this art, truly.

After finishing a track and putting it out there, can you relate to the sense of emptiness some artists feel?

At one point in my life, definitely. More so because my music was never heard by anyone else (slept on). The only opinion or joy my music ever took on was my own. That’s rough, especially with communal music like house/dance.

These days, I’m fine when projects get slept on. My intention is there, and the universe understands that. Also, like my dad would say, “there is an ass for every seat”; meaning someone’s gonna sit in that chair if its open….someone is gonna dig my song, somewhere..somehow haha.

What I make is just a small but important piece of something bigger I was raised in. Some artists are blessed with popularity but cursed that everything they do is scrutinized or hyped. I hope to be respected as a great artist one day, but I don’t crave the constant comparison game.

Do you find that feedback of others is important to you?

Of course. Feedback is incredibly helpful — if you’ve got the right dose of ego control.

Your art is still your art. Feedback doesn’t mean you abandon your vision. But sometimes someone else’s perspective opens a new way to see your work. There have been times where feedback changed a track completely, and other times when ignoring it was the best call.

Making music is about learning people as much as learning sounds. You’re trying to emotionally affect others. Feedback helps sharpen that connection — if you’re open to it.

What was most important for you to convey through this EP? Do you feel you achieved it?

I wanted to create something simple in its parts, rich in sonics, and with intentional nods to my international dance artist community.

I think I achieved it. Even though that wasn’t the original genesis of the project, the final package delivered exactly what I wanted across all the tracks — not just one favorite cut.

Where should we make sure we visit in your hometown?

Right now, check out the weekly Days Like This gathering at the pagoda at Lake Merritt on Friday evenings.

Other staples:

• Elements with Nina Sol and Bay Area legend Patrick Wilson — monthly in Oakland.

• IFoundLuv hosted by Jayvi Velasco and the AfterAfterHours crew — also monthly in Oakland.

Mighty Real and other events from my big bro David Harness around the Bay.

• My monthly shindig Space Riderz with The Three CEES (Coflo, Cali, Cecil) in Oakland.

In summer and fall especially, there’s a lot going on. We’ve got great venues throughout the SF Bay Area, but I’d say chase the people, not the rooms. Hit me up on IG — I’m always happy to point folks toward live shows, vinyl bars, or dance sessions. Dancers already know I’ll have you covered.

Who do you think is currently changing the world for the better?

The young people inspired to make music and carry on the legacy of their sonic heroes. The ones focused on art and community. Our differences make us rich — that’s why the art is so dope.

The people changing the world are the ones creating vibes with universal intention. I feel you, and I’m with you.


NEW RELEASE

Check out the latest release from Coflo.

KEEP READING

We have tons more interviews on Dream Chimney.

Read More