Miles Mitchell — better known by his stage name, Mr. Mitch — has dedicated his career to pushing London's grime scene to new frontiers. As a DJ, producer, show organizer and label head, he's championed a weightless, melodic version of the otherwise bass-heavy genre.
But now, above all else, Mr. Mitch is a father, and his latest album, Devout, reflects this. Per a press release from Planet Mu, the record is "about love, loyalty, family and the start and end of relationships, with an overarching theme about becoming a father, all delivered with warmth and emotion." That's a tall order for a genre with roots in the U.K. rave scene, which has historically championed freedom over domestic responsibility. But by imbuing grime with paternal wisdom, Mitchell has transformed its ecstasy into love for a future generation.
His fatherly instinct shines in "Lost Touch," an instrumental track made with London artist Duval Timothy. It builds up like most traditional dance tracks, with ambient jitters amassing to foreshadow a massive drop. Instead of letting it explode into dissonance, however, Mitchell pauses the action, using a string section and an ocean of fuzzy synths to wash away any remaining tension.
With almost none of grime's traditional percussion or bass lines weighing it down, "Lost Touch" floats above the madness of daily life. Its ebb and flow could only come from someone with the strength to take a deep, calm breath in the face of ever-increasing responsibility. While we, as listeners, are lucky to witness this strength, the real benefactor here is Mitchell's family; if Devout is Mitchell's promise to live for them and them only, "Lost Touch" is a testament to the depth of that resolve.
Devout comes out April 21 via Planet Mu.
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