Have you ever had the desire to meditate in the woods while vibing out to some great House tunes? If not, you will after becoming acquainted with zen master Mike Metro. The Australian DJ and producer lives "out of his humble cottage nestled in the mountains," creating some incredible melodic bass driven house that can calm your spirit, drive you to dance, or both. Either way you will come away feeling good about things. Of course to every Yin, there is a Yang and he's not afraid to take it to the dark side every now and again. A healthy balance is something Mike Metro has plenty of in his new earthy lifestyle and approach to music. So bust out the yoga pants and foam mat because Mike Metro is here to restore harmony to your life and his.
Mike Metro was born and raised in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. Until recently, he lived with his dad, grandfather, grandmother, and 2 older sisters. Of his family members, his grandmother made a huge impression on him growing up, playing Elvis, The Beatles, Roy Orbison, and other Pop music from the 50s and 60s. Around eight years old, his step dad introduced him to Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and U2, which sparked his interest in learning to play the guitar. At 13 he was wise enough to realize that of his lessons helped him with the more technical aspects of playing guitar, not necessarily writing or creating new music. His teacher threw in the hat after about a year, but Mike kept going by learning his favorite Jimi Hendrix solos by ear. Then the benefits of having older siblings kicked in. His older sister started going to clubs and lent him her copy of Ministry of Sound's The 2007 Annual ("In my opinion, still the best MOS compilation ever released.") which was mixed by John Course and Mark Dynamix.
"My favourite tracks on the CD were 'Put Your Hands Up For Detroit' by Fedde Le Grand, 'Deep Throat' by Claude Von Stroke, 'All This Love' by The Similou and 'In White Rooms' by Booka Shade."
It wasn't long before he had his hands on an old pair of Pioneer CDJ-100s and a DJM-600 mixer, courtesy of his dad's friends' sound and lighting company. Papa Metro saw the fun Mike was having mixing between the two decks of The 2007 Annual so he bought the set up for his birthday. A year later, he ventured into Ableton and "went through the slow and painful process of teaching myself via YouTube tutorials." Not long after he started to practice (two weeks), he was booked for his first gig--a kickboxing event at the Palace Theatre, again courtesy of his dad's friends' sound and lighting company. His reluctant "yes" almost ended his career before it even began:
"My dad's friend was responsible for playing the music as the fighters walked into the ring, as well as in between rounds and in between fights. He threw me straight in the deep end and asked me to DJ for the whole event. I had no headphones, only 4 CDs and the sound technician was yelling at me all night because I had no clue what I was doing. I was absolutely terrified as it was so unorganised, and the experience nearly turned me off DJing forever."
Fortunately for fans of good house music, Mike eventually got back on the horse and resumed DJing and creating music. He formed the label Say Wat with a friend but quickly realized that he could accomplish much more if he joined forces with Tom Piper and Daniel Farley of Bakehaus. So in August of 2014, Medium Rare Recordings was born.
His production has only improved from the early days of YouTube lessons. At 24, Mike may not label his type of House music with a brand name, but he has specific characteristics that separate him from the pack. Although his bass is heavy and his drops are mean, the tracks somehow lift you up with their melodic elements and overall feeling of enjoyment.
"My first musical love is the blues. I'm always thinking of ways to incorporate certain live elements or organic sounding samples in my productions, as it can tend to sound a little cold and stale if everything is 100% electronic."
While being on the outskirts of the urban population may not directly affect the samples he uses or the flow of the song, he does admit it helps with avoiding any popular trends. That way, he's able to focus on what feels "authentic" to him.
Another lifestyle choice that has helped him keep his head clear is doing a 180 with his nightlife. From 18, he fell into a vicious cycle of "playing at the same clubs every weekend, getting blind drunk, and generally living a very unhealthy lifestyle." Then about a year ago he decided to go completely "...Sober. changed my diet to 100% plant-based and took up cycling and running." By removing the alcohol and everything that comes along with that, he's filled that time more with outdoor activities. And that ironically has increased his productivity "as I've now got the mental clarity and motivation to focus on writing music and not get caught up with the other bullshit that is often associated with DJing and the nightclub industry." Just take a look at his Instagram and you'll feel like you're scrolling through a How To Guide to a better, healthier you.
Although he may not have the celebrated reputation of some veterans in the game, Mike does have plenty of good advice for those just entering the industry.
"The most important lesson I've learnt is not to look down on anyone, but also not to look up to anyone. Looking down on someone is obviously detrimental as it encourages egotism and gives you a false sense of self-importance, and looking up to someone isn't helpful either as you put them on a pedestal and exaggerate their positive attributes which can lead to self-esteem and confidence issues. It's important to learn that although everyone has different abilities and tendencies, we're all human beings and nobody is worthy of exceptional praise (and they definitely don't deserve unfair criticism). If someone has taken the time to reach out to you and express interest in what you're doing, give them your undivided attention in the present moment and speak to them on their level."
We can drink our fruit smoothies to that, Mike Metro.
Last Call
1. What is your favorite movie of all time?Cowspiracy
2. As a young DJ, who was the one DJ you looked up to?T-Rek
3. As a DJ, what's your biggest pet peeve?People using Snapchat, Facebook or any other form of social media while they're at a gig.
4. What is your current set up at home?I haven't had any DJing equipment at home since I started playing in clubs regularly. Mixing and beatmatching isn't something that really needs ongoing practice... once you grasp the concept it's like riding a bike - you can't forget it. My production set up is super simple: a 27" iMac, a Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 audio interface, a set of 8-inch KRK Rokit monitors, a midi keyboard and a handful of plugins. If I want to record guitar I'll use my Shure SM-57 microphone and for vocals I use a Blue Bluebird.
5. What's your favorite record of all time?The Doors - The End
Keep up with Mike Metro on his Facebook, Instagram, website, and Twitter. And don't forget to check out his page in our record pool for more great original tracks and remixes.
Bryan Hahn feels five years younger already after writing about Mike Metro's come up. He's on Twitter: @notupstate.