The Romanian-born, Berlin-based Cosmin TRG -- aka Cosmin Nicolae -- came to prominence with the first release for the fledgling dubstep label Hessle Audio in 2007. As Nicolae's production continued, his U.K. garage-influenced dubstep sound shifted to include inspiration from house and techno. With the release of 2010's Tower Block, Nicolae's sound focused more on the 4/4 approach of techno but still kept the dub influences from his earlier work. A move to Berlin saw him join Modeselektor's 50 Weapons label, and in 2011 Nicolae released his debut album, Simulat. The album's mix of icy techno, dub, and house fit perfectly into the Berlin techno scene and saw Nicolae's DJing and production skills become sought after. Two years later he released his follow-up, 2013's Gordian. ~ Rich Wilson