What are the superlatives that people use when they talk about the music and sets of American producer and DJ Mike Hiratzka? “Amazing.” “Fantastic.” “Cracking.” You get the idea.
As a stalwart of the underground for over two decades, his music has been supported by some of the most legendary DJs in the world: John Digweed, Sasha, Hernan Cattaneo, Nick Warren, Lee Burridge, Paul Oakenfold, the list goes on and on. Mike’s tracks have been featured on the venerable BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, mix compilations and countless radio shows. His productions and remixes have appeared on labels like Nettwerk, Ultra Music, Lost Language, and Alternative Route Recordings. Never one to be pigeonholed as a producer, he has released all manner of music from club jams to downtempo gems and ambient explorations. “The reason I love electronic music is because everything is possible, there are no limits. You can create whatever sounds you hear in your head, from the nastiest analog synth sounds to the most breathtaking ambiences.” Mike has DJ’ed around the globe in North and South America, UK, and Asia, playing alongside industry giants like Richie Hawtin, BT, Darren Emerson, Ferry Corsten, and Steve Lawler at such iconic clubs as Space Miami, Circus (LA), Groovejet (Miami) and 1015 Folsom (SF). Mike says “I like to take the crowd on a journey, but never lose the focus of rocking the dance floor from start to finish. I want my sets to flow with driving rhythms, movement and melody; psychedelic, synthetic soundscapes to tease your brain and dazzle your ears.”
A chance opportunity in 2010 took Mike away from producing music full time for a decade while he was touring as a music programmer with such luminaries as Justin Timberlake, Jay Z, Rihanna, Hugh Jackman, Charlie Puth, and Evanescence. This time provided continual inspiration from the unique, global exposure to modern music; experiencing it through the eyes, ears and voices of millions of audience members, and acquiring a deeper understanding of music’s universal appeal that transcends traditional cultural borders. During this time Mike released the occasional remix, including the seminal progressive house tracks by Blue Amazon, “Four Seasons” and “And Then The Rain Falls.”
Mike released his debut solo album nish in 2021 on his new imprint Nish Recordings; an expansive, ethereal record filled with shimmering guitars, deep bass grooves, emotive vocals, and intricate sound design. He followed that up with his Score EP and in 2022 the dream with me EP, which featured more cinematic vibes, driving beats and pulsing analog synths. An album entitled rare and unreleased is planned for 2023, featuring some of Mike’s earlier club music and remixes.
After a couple of highly regarded guest DJ mixes in early 2022, Mike was given the opportunity to launch his own monthly mix show for Saturo Sounds. Mike’s show Put The Needle On The Record airs every fourth Friday of the month at 4 PM US EST | 9 PM UK on www.saturosounds.com. Frisky Radio also took notice, and asked Mike to submit a mix for their esteemed Artist Of The Week show on May 24, 2022. This mix was so well received that Frisky asked Mike to have his own two hour mix show on www.frisky.fm – nish.101 airs at 7 PM EST monthly on every second Tuesday and was the #1 show on the Frisky Top 100 chart on November 13, 2022 after climbing from #4 in August, #3 in September, and #2 in October.
What’s next for Mike Hiratzka? Stay tuned. The best is yet to come.
