Mike Rish Returns From His 7-Week Tour And Talks Balance Croatia, His Label Tornn, and Takes Us Down An Eric Prydz Rabbit Hole

In this episode of the Super Progressive Podcast, hosts SP and David sit down with Melbourne-based DJ and producer Mike Rish fresh off a grueling but rewarding seven-week European tour [1:26]. Mike walks through his journey from playing Nom in Barcelona to the Super Progressive Boat Party at Balance Croatia, Loveland in Amsterdam, and closing out in Manchester with Jamie Stevens [3:48], sharing what it means to go full-time with music and why face-to-face connections in this scene are worth their weight in gold.

The conversation goes deep into Mike's distinctly groove-driven DJ style, a constant, elastic tension that layers tracks and builds dance floors without relying on long breakdowns [12:13], and how years of experience have sharpened his instincts behind the decks [10:04]. He opens up about the influences that shape his sound, from 90s hip-hop vocal samples and Dub Techno to Depeche Mode to Eric Prydz, whose technical mastery and independent spirit Mike credits as a defining inspiration [27:40].

Mike also pulls back the curtain on Tornn Records, his independent label where there are no promo campaigns, no guest lists, and no release schedules forced by outside pressure [42:35]. He explains why the music should speak for itself, why follower counts mean nothing to him when evaluating demos [37:12], and why underground music was never meant to be force-fed to an audience [38:09].

Rounding out the episode, Mike previews an exciting slate of upcoming shows including Sri Lanka, South America, and beyond [53:56], and the gang shares their thoughts on Balance versus ADE and why the progressive scene's tight-knit community -- especially out of Melbourne -- continues to punch far above its weight [49:32].