I'm a human and I design music. 
I also mix and master music for other humans.

Mgmt & Inquiries: management@djshadow.com

Violin/Viola/Arranger/Producer. Pronouns: they/them. Instrumental pop with a violin lead in-studio. One-person orchestra live looper.

Minneapolis-based electronic music composer, Moilanen, creates captivating narratives through his jam-influenced studio compositions. Driven by a passion to bring rich, warm, and hypnotic deepness to the dancefloor, Moilanen's DJ sets are often built entirely of original tracks, some of which have been in development for years, months, weeks, or at times, the night before. Listeners can expect techy pocket grooves, soaring melodic synths, cascading arpeggios, tone-junky guitars and vintage keyboard progressions layered with mesmerizing washed-out swirls.


Moilanen's musical journey began in his youth taking weekly piano lessons under the strict guidance of Mrs. Peterson. Although he was far from a prodigy, his diligent after school practice with the family's nanny, Ethel, would solidify foundational skills that would ultimately become invaluable later in life. In the mid-1990s, Moilanen found his true creative outlet when he picked up a guitar, a decision that led to his departure from the Hopkins High School band and the beginning of his own unique sound.


Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Moilanen honed his skills by writing songs and performing with various bands across the Midwest. As his musical influences evolved, he embraced the merging of jam bands with electronic dance beats, leading him to experiment with DJing in 2006. The challenge of walking the tightrope beatmatching vibey tracks while simultaneously digging through crates of deep spacey House records searching for the next perfect track to bring in, was new, fun and exciting.  He was instantly hooked. With this new-found dedication to electronic music, Moilanen began hosting and playing at all-night house parties, which fostered a nurturing and educational environment from the Minneapolis House and Techno scene. 


Yielding roots as a songwriter and musician, Moilanen quickly advanced beyond his days as just a bedroom DJ.  One particularly special Saturday night in 2007, unannounced to him, Moilanen was handed the opening slot to play “Dig Deep,” the marquee Minneapolis House music event hosted at historic First Avenue.  That night, he hopped out of the taxi with his wax and CDs, walked up the steps into the vaunted club, and was greeted with a club-load of enthusiastic support.  The Minneapolis House Heads were in on the surprise for days and Mike had just found out.  While being thrown straight into the fire, Moilanen rose up to the challenge and his debut club set went off flawlessly. The uncontainable positive energy of that unforgettable DJ set, eternally solidified an unbreakable connection to House music and the blissful gathering of the dance music community.  Within days after his premier club gig, Moilanen landed a full time DJ residency at 414 Soundbar which ultimately lasted over a hundred consecutive Saturday nights.  


Moilanen's talent for blending live guitar with DJ sets eventually led to exciting collaborations with other musicians and bands, such as The Histronic. Over the following years, Moilanen gigged out heavily at bars, clubs, warehouses, festival campouts, and after parties. 


Performing live as a DJ/musician was rewarding but there was something nagging at him in the background. To continue on his creative musical path as an artist, involved the missing component of dedicating himself in the studio, creating his own original music. In 2008, Moilanen began producing at home in the studio. Once again, just like picking up a guitar for the first time in his youth and later the chapter-turning joy of mixing records in 2006, he was instantly hooked. Creating original beats in the studio became an immediate, undeniable passion that continues to this day. In the fall of 2011, that creative passion came to fruition, leading to the signing of his first three electronic compositions on Onethirty Recordings, further solidifying his place in the electronic music community.  


Moilanen’s persistent beat making at home, further culminated in the release of his debut EP, "Dream Sequence.” This album released on Onethirty Recordings, contained a close-to-heart remix from one of his Finnish deep house heroes, Sasse. The evolution from a DJ/musician to  a confidently motivated producer, propelled Moilanen to post major studio contributions on two of The Histronic’s self-released albums.


As the main focus of creating original studio material continued, the art of performing, DJing and connecting with his audience never stopped. From the early DJ days back in 2007 to present day, a massive catalog of Moilanen DJ mixes were recorded and posted on Soundcloud for public streaming and download. This collection of full length recordings includes the Brighton Beat series, which itself holds over 25 DJ mixes ready for stream and download.


Despite facing setbacks, such as the discouraging theft and unauthorized release of his track "New Eve" in 2014, Moilanen remained determined to share his music with the world. In 2019, a pair of funky tech singles co-produced with long time studio enthusiast Broadway Jones, were released on the Truzique imprint.  While hiding out in the studio, often collaborating with fellow musicians, the production of original material continued, accumulating an impressive catalog of unreleased material.  In the 15 years of Moilanen’s studio production career, 2008-2023, nearly a thousand original productions have been created. As of April 2023, only 17 of them have been formally released to the public. 


In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Moilanen took the opportunity to organize and curate his extensive body of work, selecting 30 standout tracks for mastering and eventual release as a triple LP titled "Sunrise Addict." This collection, released in May 2023, showcases Moilanen's diverse range of genre spanning musical talents and serves as a testament to his creative resilience and dedication to his craft.  


As Moilanen's career continues to evolve, he remains steadfast in his pursuit of artistic growth and innovation. With the support and encouragement of those close to him, Moilanen is poised to make an indelible mark on the electronic music scene for years to come.

Get Moilanen Tracks: https://www.beatport.com/artist/moilanen/169080
https://www.traxsource.com/artist/45293/moilanen
Download Free Tracks: https://histronic.bandcamp.com/
Booking: mikemoilanen@gmail.com

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music your strict aunt didn't tell you not to listen to...

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