22 hours ago

Mitch de Klein: "The passion always finds a way"

Mitch de Klein is a Dutch techno producer and DJ who began his career in electronic music at a young age. He has released tracks on Spectrum, Armada, Steyoyoke, WEITER, Nova Collective, and Filth On Acid. His EP "Mankind" received praise from Joris Voorn, and his single "Embrace" is expected to be even more successful. Known for his versatility, Mitch blends his own productions seamlessly into dynamic DJ sets.

With your recent remix of "World Of Reflections" for Aalson, what emotions or atmospheres did you aim to convey, and how did you approach the creative process for this remix?

Well, the original track is already so full of emotions, that I honestly didn’t have to add a lot on that end. The only thing that made it slightly a bit more emotional and atmospheric in my opinion is the Prophet synth that plays the chords. It has the same vibe as the one I used in "Embrace". I wanted to create a version that I would be able to play out during my peak time sets, so I added a bit more energy in the track to meet my DJ-set standards.

You began producing music at a young age, spending countless hours in the studio as a self-taught artist. What challenges did you face as you transitioned from an independent producer to an established name in the international techno scene?

A lot of trial and error basically. But one thing I learnt is that if you really want to learn something and you have a passion for it, you’ll find ways to get it done. But if I had to give some advice to 20-year old Mitch, I would advise him to go to a producer school, not only because of the faster way of learning, but also because of the networking opportunities and talking and hanging with like minded people.

Your music has been released on prestigious labels like Spectrum, Armada, and Filth On Acid. Is there a specific track that you feel best represents your current style?

Good question. I always try to produce tracks that I’m able to play in my sets and ‘Embrace’ is a track that I can play both in more warm-up sets as in peak time sets as it’s different and strong enough to play at multiple time slots.

You’ve received support from prominent artists such as Joris Voorn, who called your EP "Mankind" a highlight of his 2022 sets. What does this kind of recognition mean to you?

It’s always good to hear such positive words from someone in the scene who is well respected by so many other great artists. It shows that I’m on the right path and is a good boost in confidence and gives a lot of motivation to keep going.

Your sets reflect a broad perspective on techno. What do you aim to convey during a live set, and how do you balance improvisation with structure in your performances?

I like to keep energy in my sets, so an important aspect in my mixing is timing. I always pay close attention to what happens in tracks and what’s the best moment to switch tracks, instead of looping outro’s and mixing them with intro’s for a minute and than unloop for example. I’m also quite picky when it comes to track selection in my Rekordbox. I have a couple of playlists that have a lot of tracks in them, so while playing I can get a sense of the atmosphere and the vibe and adjust to that on the spot, which also keeps it interesting and challenging for me.