Mixmag Asia Radio: Mill.H opts for diverse beats and expressive grooves

One of Hong Kong’s most thoughtful selectors, you’ll find former tattoo-artist Mill.H steering avid ravers at the city’s most esteemed occasions. From clandestine locations to warehouse and spaces like 宀Mihn Club, Mill’s sets have garnered a following for those looking for truly expressive sounds.

For Mill, it’s about merging the mind and music — his sense of smooth, musical delivery and effortless mixing are a strong reflection of his humble character. Along with Finsent C and Marco Yu, Mill is a co-founder of Utopia, an event platform that takes a minimalist and purist approach to its distinguished gatherings held at remote locations around Hong Kong.

For this week’s Mixmag Asia Radio, the Hong Kong underground stalwart has blended a stunning mix that includes Israel Vines, Kalahari Oyster Cult, Ciel, Mort.domed and a heap more. Hit play below and scroll on to find out more about Mill H.

Where are you based and how did you get there?

I’m based out of Hong Kong. My understanding of DJing originated was something I discovered here in my hometown where there were a lot of big parties in the 2000s — I started DJing in 2009 on my birthday!

What’s your favourite thing about the music scene there?

I like how tiny Hong Kong is which allows me to do “party-hopping”, and go to a lot of different clubs in one evening. I can meet several musicians in one night, enabling me to grow as a musician.

In five words, what do your DJ sets sound like?

Energetic, breaks, groovy, jungle, min-tech

And in three words, how would you describe yourself?

Virgo, causality theorist, spaced-out

What recent trends in music have you been paying attention to? Have you caught onto them?

Recently, the trend I have noticed is that the lines between different genres are getting blurry, and music tends to be more diverse, with more sub-genres being born. You can hear in one set there will be a little bit of trance, a little bit of psychedelic, a little bit of 90s rave sounds etc. It’s like fashion that has trends that keep coming back, but each time with a modern twist.

To me, there are more sub-genres to play with and it’s getting more interesting, it just keeps evolving. This is what makes me fall in love with electronic music in the beginning, since I am a vintage lover.

Are there any producers and DJs in Asia that have recently caught your attention?

Not too recent but these are the producers and DJs that I enjoy.

Unjin (Seoul, Korea)

Sunju Hargun (Bangkok, Thailand)

Ryogo Yamamori (Japan)

From pre to post-pandemic, what has changed & what hasn’t changed about your life in the music world?

It is definitely two different situations. Since there were no legal venues that people could go to during the pandemic, local promoters have been holding a lot of secret parties in many unexpected places. The secret venues don’t have commercial restrictions like the legal ones, the music genre that was played there was very free and open while the participants are more focused on the DJ performances, and when I perform in these places, I can do something more underground and more true to myself.

Another change would be more people are now getting into the underground music culture compared to pre-pandemic, which again, gives me more freedom when I perform.

Tell us about the inspiration behind this mix - what drove your thoughts and emotions, and how did you curate your selection?

This time I tried to stay away from the four-to-the-floor approach and work around broken beats that feel more dynamic and energetic to me. When I pick the tracks, I have the impression of Mixmag Asia in my mind.

What equipment did you record this mix on?

Xone 92 mixer + XCDJMKII + Zoom H5 Recorder + THC :)

Where can we hear you playing next?

Guangzhou, Hong Kong’s Oma & Shanghai