Mitxel drops new EP ‘Neomariachi’

Mexican artist Mitxel, now based in France, has been walking a path between tradition and experimentation, bringing together various styles of musical heritage with the sparse textures of electronic minimalism. A singer and composer based in the folk origins of his homeland, he draws from mariachi, cumbia, merengue and trios while finding inspiration in a broad range of figures including Lila Downs, Pedro Infante, Los Panchos, Juan Gabriel, Calle 13, Nicolas Jaar, Daft Punk, El Búho and Mateo Kingman.

Mitxel’s work captures identity in motion, shaped as much by memory as by the future he imagines through sound. His journey has taken him from Mexico City, Cancun, Tulum and the Caribbean to his current home in France, a voyage that’s left an audible imprint on his music.

Trained in both Mexican folk and production, Mitxel has forged a creative output that floats between continents, eras and personal histories. Originally from Mexico City with family background in Hidalgo, his identity has always been entwined with music. The name “Mitxel” itself was chosen to honour this, a nod to indigenous language sounds and a way to reaffirm the importance of identity in every aspect of his art.

Collaboration has also been key to his development, having worked with artists across both Mexico and Europe, where his hybrid style has been welcomed on stages at festivals and cultural events in Mexico, France and Spain. The live context allows his sound to shine in all its contrasts, where traditional acoustic elements can coexist with immersive electronic atmospheres.

That context finds its most distilled expression in his new EP titled Neomariachi; years in the making, the project reflects an emotional journey that’s tied to memory and loss, written as a tribute to his roots and as a way to respect the memory of his mother. “This EP is a conversation between my past and present. It’s about reconnecting with who we are, even when caught between worlds,” he shares.

The EP offers music that’s at once ritualistic and cutting edge, processing grief through the very traditions that raised him while embedding them in the modern soundscapes that now surround him. “Ixmiquilpan” sets the release in motion with soft vocal lines drifting above delicate keys and pattering percussion, flowing into a transportive folktronica scene.

“Visa y Vacío” embodies the tension of his artistic vision, balancing nostalgia with a forward-looking sense of hope. Carried by the grooving pulse of bass and slick punch of the beat, his filtered vocals glide with smooth melodic leads to craft a stunning collision of old and new.

“Rezumba” pairs bright acoustic guitar flutters with snapping percussion capped by expressive vocal performance to form an immersive slice of music that offers something that feels entirely new without severing its ties to the past. Closing track “Fierros viejos (Se compran colchones)” sees Mitxel lean into a spacey alternative pop vibe with sweeping synth tones and silky vocal layers propelled by the groove of shuffling percussion, crafting an epic finale to the EP.

Listen to Neomariachi below