Local Rockstars: Mike Ravelli about his Italian roots and his new clubnight

Mar 15, 2012 | by Sharron van den Berg | Event, Music

About the author

Hi, I'm Sharron (26). Characterized as curious, easily bored and afraid to miss out. So always looking for a new adventure.

Whether you went out last weekend to check out an uber-geeky beat magician or a depressingly awesome indie rock band, we all know there’s always some serious musical talents rocking around the Dam. You might not recognize them all yet, but don’t worry, you will soon. In this series of interviews we talk to remarkable artists about their music and their inspirations.

Mike Ravelli already loved techno when he was just a little kid. He and his cassettes where big homies. So when Mike recieved a real Jeff Mills EP, you can imagine what happend… It wasn’t long after that when Mike had his first gig in Club Stalker in his home town Haarlem. His gigs where notices by the GZG colletive and after that things started happening fast with Mike. This friday Mike has a gig in Studio 80, in a night he co-hosts, with British DJ A Guy Called Gerald from the UK. Enough reason to meet up with this young blond music spinning god.

Hi Mike, Let’s start with the question that has been burning on my lips since I heard I was going to interview you: How can you be so blond headed, and called Ravelli? Is that an artist name, or do you secretly dye your hair?
Well, I wish I could tell you a really cool story about it. It’s definitely my own hair colour. It’s an Italian name, but there’s not much Italian left after more than 10 generations. It is just Mike Ravelli from Haarlem.

Ok, back to serious business now! You’ve been hanging around in Amsterdam as a DJ for quite some time now. How do you manage to stay popular?
It sounds a bit cliché, but I really believe doing the things that I really like will keep making me a good DJ. It’s like this: when your heart is in the music, you can carry this forward to the crowd. It will feel more real, which then it is easier for the crowd to pick up. So I just follow my own taste and heart. I create my own style, and I will stand strong for it. Otherwise there is no soul in your music.

You played at very varied parties, from GZG to Apenkooi, and from the Oerol Festival to Mysteryand. How do you adjust your music to that. Or is it always the same Mike Ravelli when it comes down to your musicstyle?
I think it has to do witch de different energy levels at a party. People who go to Apenkooi are going there because of the party. They want to have fun and go crazy. The people wich are going to GZG are there most likely there for the music. You can tell them a slower story trough your music, they are more open to that. At Apenkooi it’s always expeditious. The beach by Woodstock is also different than a Bunker for example. The music has to be pushed through the location or the party.

We all heard about your back to back sets with Miss Melera, but we want some explanation. Why did you chose her as an artist to cooperate with?
Me and Miss Melera are both very busy with our own career. Sometimes we take a little journey together. We are two very different DJs but when you put us together some sort of challenge between us arises. We lift each other up during a set and I think that’s a very fun experience. It was actually the idea of our homebase Club Stalker to put us together. It was a big hit from the beginning, so we will continue as long as it stays fun for us to do.

I started producing, so I hope this summer I will be spinning some homemade hits!

This Friday you are hosting your own night in the studio 80: Lokomotiv. First of all, well done choosing the studio 80. It’s my favourite place to go out! You asked A Guy Called Gerard to headline. Tell me something more about that!
I’m actually really proud of this night in the studio 80. I also like the club very much. It has a good vibe, good sound, good people working there… It is my first own club night in Amsterdam. And as I already said, I am very proud of it. We had a lot of luck that A Guy Called Gerald could headline, as he is well known by a friend of mine. That’s the reason we could ask him for our first edition of this night. I’m really looking forward to it!

What is it with him that you like so much?
Well A Guy Called Gerald has been around for a long time. He set the basis for a lot of techno music the way it is know now. When I just started as a DJ I played his hit Voodoo Ray a lot. I didn’t even know who he was then! I’m excited to have him in the Studio 80 this Friday.

What else can we expect from you this summer? Do you look forward to the outdoor festivals or do you prefer the long dark indoor nights?
I’m really looking forward to this summer and all its festivals. I will be hosting my own stage at 18hrs festival this summer. I also will have a few resident nights at Woodstock and I can’t really give away all the other festivals yet. But it is going to be a busy summer. A newsflash here is that I started producing, so I hope this summer I will be spinning some homemade hits!