It’s nice to have you with us today Mitchel! How are you?
It’s a beautiful sunny day in Amsterdam so I couldn’t be better.
Where are you from originally and where are you living at the moment?
I have a dutch mother and a father from Aruba and I’m based in Amsterdam.
What or who are your earliest musical influences?
Soul was always a big part of what was played in the house. My mother always listened to artists like Michael Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire and Marvin Gaye. So it was a very proud moment in the Kelly house when we managed to get a featuring with Marvin Gaye last year released on Motown. Considering the fact that there’s a crazy amount of Motown records in our house. My brother was even named after Marvin Gaye.
You produce under the name Paris Green, can you explain more about how that came to be?
It simply sounded really cool to me. And I always had this obsession with Paris as I visited it 15 times.
Your debut album Fear is out on Needwant this July and it’s amazing! How long have you been working on it and what else can you tell us about it?
I’m glad you like it! I’ve been working on it for over a year I think. The pandemic made time a bit blurry. It’s a stream of consciousness which a reflected a period of time in my life. There’s a little bit of everything in there. There’s joy, happiness, darkness and Fear. Like in everyone’s life. \
Do you plan to do any more albums in the future?
I’ve noticed it’s my favourite thing to do. I think it’s the most beautiful way of documenting your life. Making an album every year as a creative expression where you are in your life at that period of time. I think that’s so cool about record stores. Being part of this ecosystem and being able to look at your life and see the result.
I also think music you produce, deserves to be heard. Throw it in the ether. Some songs make sense on an album, not as a single. Personally, I can’t focus on singles all the time. So it’s a format that works for me.
You have had big support from the likes of Kölsch and Damian Lazarus. How has this helped your career?
A lot. To go from producing music on your laptop to having established artists like Kölsch and Damian Lazarus playing your music, who are on top of their game means a lot.
What is your studio set up and do you tend to stick to the same processes?
My studio is located in the Volkshotel in Amsterdam. I just chase ideas. I always produce in the morning. I try to go in there with a clear head and usually the first thing I make is a keeper.
Like David Lynch would say: “ideas are like fish. If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you’ve got to go deeper”
Can you tell us something interesting about yourself that our readers won’t know about you?
I fought a boxing match and lost my contact lens during it.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music?
I have an obsession with Mixed Martial Arts. I’m a huge Conor McGregor fan. I train like 5-6 days a week. I have no ambition to pursue anything in this realm. But I really love the sport.
Finally, do you have any gigs or releases you can tell us about coming up?
My ADE liveshow with band during ADE.
