Coss & Zettka: Building a Soundtrack for an Imaginary Movie with 'Pink Elephant'

Coss and Zettka are two Berlin-based artists whose creative partnership has grown over years of sharing the same studio space, developing a shorthand that runs through everything from their own labels to their work with the Betonstrand collective. Their new EP, Pink Elephant, pairs hypnotic warmth with the driving energy of late nights, brought to life with vocals from Yasha and a remix from longtime collaborator Peter Schumann.

In this interview, they talk about blending Turkish melodic influences without forcing them, why running labels gave Coss a clearer view of his own music, and the moment in the studio when a track simply tells them it is done.

Coss and Zettka, you have now built a real body of work together. How did your creative partnership first start, and what keeps it going?

It definitely didn’t happen overnight. We’ve been studio partners for years now. When you spend that much time sharing a studio space, you naturally develop the same musical language. A lot of ideas actually start outside the studio itself, over coffee in the shared kitchen, where we catch up, exchange thoughts, and inspire each other.

What keeps us going? Probably the fact that we can still surprise each other. There are zero ego trips here. The studio is just a safe space for us to experiment and mess around.

Zettka, your sound is described as having a Turkish-inspired melodic touch. How does that cultural background find its way into electronic music naturally without feeling forced?

It’s not like I sit down and plan out, “Alright, today I’m making a track with a Turkish vibe.” Those melodies and scales are just part of my DNA. It’s the music I grew up on. It just flows out organically.

The trick is to not just slap those elements on top like some “exotic spice,” but to actually blend them right into the bassline and the synths. It’s more about a feeling of longing and warmth that runs through the whole thing.

Coss, you run Metanoia, Mimoton, and Betonstrand. How does running labels shape the way you think about your own releases?

It gives me this sort of macro view. As a producer, it’s super easy to get lost in the weeds, but running a label forces you to see the bigger picture. How does the music breathe? Does it make sense in the current scene?

At the same time, the independence of having my own labels gives me total freedom. I don’t have to chase any trends. If Zettka and I are feeling something, we put it out exactly the way it is.

“Neon Eyes” and “Pink Elephant” feel like two very different moods on the same EP. Was that contrast intentional from the start?

Absolutely. An EP should be a story with different chapters, not just a loop on repeat for 40 minutes. “Neon Eyes” is more of that driving, late-night trip, while “Pink Elephant” has this almost surreal, hypnotic warmth to it.

We love contrasts. Even in the club, the vibe is always shifting from ecstatic to super deep.

Yasha brought a new dimension to “Pink Elephant.” How did that collaboration come about, and what did he add that you couldn’t have done alone?

That was pure organic vibes. Yasha is a good friend of Zafer. When we were working on the track, the atmosphere was already there, but it was missing that one human element to ground everything.

Yasha felt the vibe instantly and brought in that magical, signature touch. He gave the track a soul that we just couldn’t have captured using only machines.

Betonstrand connects you both as a collective. How important is that sense of community to the music you make individually and together?

Betonstrand is our creative anchor and our playground. Music might be born in the studio, but it really comes alive through the people who share it. Knowing you’ve got a crew in your corner that shares the exact same spirit gives you an insane amount of freedom.

It takes off the pressure of constantly having to prove yourself in this industry shark tank. We’re doing this primarily for ourselves and our people.

Berlin is everywhere in your story. How do you stay inspired by the city without becoming a cliché of it?

By not trying to recreate the “typical Berlin sound.” Berlin doesn’t inspire us through one specific genre, but through the freedom and the space it still opens up for you. The city just lets you do your thing.

We spend just as much time absorbing the energy of the streets as we do locking ourselves in the studio to block it all out and create our own world.

Coss, you are known as a prolific live act. How does performing live influence what you create in the studio?

When you’re playing live, you see and feel the crowd’s immediate reaction. You notice right away if a break is too long or if a kick drum is totally taking over the room.

I take that physical experience right back into the studio with me. It keeps me from overthinking the production and helps me always keep the dancefloor’s energy in the back of my mind.

When you work together in the studio, how do you actually divide the work? Is there a clear split, or does it happen organically?

After all these years as studio partners, there are no rigid rules anymore. Sometimes one of us has a solid melodic idea ready to go, and other times we start completely from scratch with a groove.

We’re constantly tossing ideas back and forth. It’s honestly like having a blind understanding when you’re jamming. Everyone just instinctively knows when to step back and when to take the lead.

What does your production process look like for a track like “Pink Elephant”? Where did it start, and how did it evolve?

“Pink Elephant” came together while we were working on our second EP for Bar 25. We locked ourselves in specifically to write new material, and this groove came together pretty fast and immediately caught a special energy.

Instead of starting with a fixed concept, we just let that feeling guide us and built the track around it step by step. Every session brought new layers, sounds, and details, which gave the piece more and more depth and atmosphere. The turning point was definitely when Yasha came in. His vocals gave the track that final missing dimension and naturally turned it into the song it is today.

The EP includes a Peter Schumann remix. What made his interpretation of “Pink Elephant” feel right for the release?

Peter is a longtime day-one and a great friend. Coss links up with him regularly for studio sessions anyway, so that creative back-and-forth has been going on for a while.

We knew right away that Peter wouldn’t just flip the track into a basic club edit, but would give it his own deep character. He kept the essence of the original while completely translating it into his signature sonic universe. That exact balance, respecting the original material while putting his own stamp on it, is what made his remix the perfect fit for the EP.

Zettka, you are described as having a cinematic sensibility. Are there films, directors, or visual references that influence the way you think about sound?

Definitely. Since I also work as a film composer, I automatically approach music with visuals running through my head. I’m huge into Ludwig Göransson. The way he blends unique samples with an unconventional, modern production is insane.

For me, it’s all about textures, space, and creating those moody, atmospheric vibes. I always try to build tracks like a soundtrack for a movie that only exists inside the listener’s head.

How do you know when a track is finished? Is it a feeling, a moment, or do you have to force yourselves to stop?

It’s a mix of both, honestly. You eventually hit a point where any extra change isn’t making the track better, just different.

Since there are two of us, we’re pretty good at keeping each other in check. When we’re listening back in the studio and both start dancing or just nodding along and the technical brain shuts off, that’s when the track is done.

What artists or records have shaped each of you the most?

Coss: For me, it was the early minimal and deep house eras, but also acts that completely smash genre boundaries. Basically anything with a deep, hypnotic pull that completely sucks you in.

Zettka: For me, it’s a wild mix of traditional Anatolian music, hip-hop, and the darker, atmospheric corners of electronic music.

What is next for both of you after this release?

First off, we want to properly celebrate the release and get the music out to where it belongs, on club sound systems and open-air floors. And since we’re basically living in the studio anyway, the next tracks are already stacking up. The journey keeps rolling right along.