How did the collaboration on the ‘Mirage’ EP come about, and what was the initial spark that inspired you to work together?
Huminal – we saw each other quite frequently at events (one edition of ADE I think we bumped into each other about 6 different times haha) so we got to hang a few times and connected. I really loved his track Embrace which led me to check with Mitch if he’d open for a potential collab. I felt our sounds could complement each other quite nicely.
Mitch de Klein – We bumped into each other a lot on events and in clubs and we shared the same passion for music. At some point we were like: Hey! Let’s schedule a session together. And from my perspective it was very chill working with Huminal in the studio. We shared the same vision on what we wanted to create and the main theme of the track was written quite quickly during our first session.
‘Night Owl’ is your solo track on the EP, with atmospheric, late-night vibes. What inspired the mood and progression of this piece?
Mitch de Klein – It was made during Covid, so it has been around for some time now, but I remember sitting in the studio at night, experimenting with the Moog Sub37 and I’m a sucker for the long lead sounds you can make with it. I used it also in other tracks. I wanted to make it emotional, but also add a sense of hope for the future. And I think that turned out pretty well.
Your productions are known for blending organic textures with melodic rhythms. How did you bring that signature sound into this EP?
Huminal – With this collaboration I actually took a slightly different approach. I didn’t really use organic textures this time, but instead focused more on the emotional and uplifting side of the melodies and rhythms. It felt less about bringing in my usual organic layers, and more about capturing that shared energy in a straightforward, powerful way.
The title track, ‘Mirage’, blends deep grooves with playful melodies. How did you approach balancing your individual styles in this track?
Huminal – It all came together quite naturally. We explored a few melodic ideas, but once the chord progression was in place, the rest flowed quickly. Our styles blended organically through a process of embracing some ideas and letting go of others. From the very beginning, the only clear intention we shared was to create something for the dancefloor, something we could both play at peak time during the festival season.
Mitch de Klein – As said earlier, we share the same passion for music and in particular melodies and rhythm, so the creation of the track was pretty organic in my opinion. We didn’t have to argue a lot about certain choices or anything and we were both really free to try and experiment with certain things to move forward with the track.
This marks your debut on Purified Records. How did signing with the label influence your creative approach for this release?
Mitch de Klein – I’m happy to make my debut on Purified, as it’s a label I follow for quite some time and I like a lot of their releases. Musically speaking the tracks were already finished of course, but it sparked some creativity on the marketing side of things. Working together with another artist on a release brings new ideas to the table, where I learned from as well. For example, especially for this release we brainstormed on what we could do to create content. In the end we rented a boat, invited 20 fans and sailed through the Dutch landscape while filming the whole set. Those moments are golden for me.
After a summer of festival performances, did your live experiences influence the energy or structure of this EP?
Huminal – In most cases, I rely quite heavily on the crowd’s response to adjust a track, but with Mirage that wasn’t really the case. Apart from some minor tweaks, the overall arrangement has stayed almost the same since the very beginning. From the start, we wanted to create something groovy and powerful for the dancefloor, and having that clear intention really helped us shape the track properly right away.
Mitch de Klein – Personally, being able to play your music live is always a great moment to see and hear what it is doing. A lot of times you analyze it and bring the feedback of the live moment back to the studio. For this track we didn’t have to adjust a lot though, only some minor details. I think that’s the advantage of working together with someone else, that you’re maybe a bit more critical on the structure and energy in the track.
You’ve received support from tastemakers like Lane 8 and Nora En Pure. How do you balance staying true to your sound while appealing to an international audience?
Huminal – Nowadays I always try to have a clear theme / main hook in most of my tracks. I think that is quite essential for the sound I position myself in. At the same time, the theme has to resonate with me on a deeper level. I produce a lot of music, and I often listen back to my new sketches while traveling or taking a walk away from the studio. If a sketch keeps resonating with me and still excites me after a few listens, that’s when I know it’s something worth finishing.
Electronic music allows for both introspection and euphoria, which is evident in this EP. How do you aim for that emotional balance when producing tracks? (Both answer)
Huminal – When I’m producing, I often naturally gravitate towards something emotional yet uplifting. It’s not really a conscious intention, it just happens. Since Mitch and I share a very similar vision and taste in dance music, the collaboration came together very organically
Mitch de Klein – For me, emotion in music is super important, so whenever I’m in the studio I automatically lean towards the more emotional vibes, which feels very comfortable for me to produce in. I’m also someone who listens to his heart, so if I really feel a track does something to me, than 9 out of 10 times it ends up being finished and eventually released.
Your work has drawn support from big names like Joris Voorn and RÜFÜS DU SOL. How has that feedback shaped your musical direction leading up to this EP?
Mitch de Klein – An important thing I have learned from Joris Voorn is the importance of keeping the energy high during DJ-sets. And this resonates to creating tracks in the studio. Now I try to arrange my tracks in such a way that the energy is always there, and when it does drop, a special moment have to be created. It’s also something I look for in other peoples music when I decide what to play and what not to play.
When working together, how do you divide creative roles are there moments of full collaboration, or do you work independently and merge ideas later?
Huminal – We had two studio sessions together in Mitch’s studio, where we produced around 90% of the track. The final 10% (mainly fine-tuning details) was done by Mitch, based on our shared feedback and a few suggestions from the label.
Mitch de Klein – This track was made by being in the studio together, both feeling comfortable to share ideas and experiment. As said before, for me it felt very organic. Only the mixing stage was done solo, as that is a lot of details to work on, and for me that’s always better to do on my own in full focus.
If you had to describe the ‘Mirage’ EP in three words, what would they be – and why?
Huminal – Bouncy, epic, and unexpected. Bouncy because of the driving groove and powerful kick that instantly makes you want to move. Epic thanks to the chord progression, which feels big and uplifting. And unexpected because of the unusual snare build-up in the break (in the extended version).
Mitch de Klein – Rhythmic, Euphoric, Unnatural. Rhythmic and Euphoric because of how the track is build and what feeling it gives me. Unnatural because there is a quite unusual build up towards the drop. And the drop is also a bit different than the other tracks out there.
Looking ahead, do you see this collaboration as a one-time project, or could there be future joint releases on the horizon?
Huminal – I loved working with Mitch so would definitely be open to working together on new music in the future.
Mitch de Klein – There could definitely be joint releases in the future!
