With Help From His Peers, MitiS Finds His Sound on Lost

After a year of solitude, producer MitiS (AKA Joseph Torre) is ready to make his return to Miami. As part of his Lost tour, a celebration of his most recent album of the same name, Torre will hit the decks at Treehouse on Thursday, August 19, flooding fans with the sounds of melodic dance music.

Torre has made a name for himself in the dance-music scene for over a decade, specializing in the style of melodic dance, a piano-driven form of electronic music commonly featuring eccentric melodies and harmonious vocals.

In April, Torre released Lost via melodic dubstep pioneer Seven Lions' Ophelia imprint. The album, his sophomore effort, includes the recent singles “Hurt,” Try,” and “Homesick.”

“The whole creation process [for the album] was actually a natural process,” Torre tells New Times. “A lot of it was done during the pandemic. We were locked in, and all I can really do is work on music and play video games. It feels great to have it out, and it has done really well. Everything about the album was a very natural thing.”

Torre is embarking on a four-month North American tour to showcase the album in its entirety, live and in person. The tour kicks off in Miami Beach before moving on to cities like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Houston.

“Miami is a really big part of EDM. There is a lot of house and club music in the city,” Torre says of the decision to launch the tour in South Florida. “I was like, ‘Let’s hit it off there.’ We know it’s going to be a great time. Miami is awesome.”

Torre has performed in the city before; his most recent appearance was part of the Ophelia Records Showcase during Miami Music Week 2019. He was set to perform again in 2020 alongside Seven Lions, Crystal Skies, Trivecta, and others, but the pandemic put an end to that plan.

“[Seven Lions] rented a place there with a pool, and we all just hung out. We checked out the beach," Torre says of his visit in 2019. “I have such great memories there. Every time we come down there, it’s always a lot of fun.”
As part of Ophelia, Torre counts on acts like Kill the Noise, Trivecta, and Wooli as labelmates. According to Torre, the imprint centers itself on the concept of community, with the acts motivating each other to push musical boundaries. This support structure has been highly influential on the producer’s music-creation process.

“Everyone is such a great producer. Everyone pushes each other in a really healthy way," he says. "You learn so much because everyone has different techniques with writing and production. We bounce off each other and bounce ideas off each other — you get feedback. It’s a healthy community of friends and professionals.”

While making Lost, Torre added the practice of collaboration and criticism into his work.

“With artists like Trivecta, Crystal Skies, and [Seven Lions], we listened to songs throughout the months of making it," Torre explains. "I got feedback on the songs. It’s an awesome experience.”

In addition to wrapping up the album during the lockdown, Torre also hosted livestreams and played video games with viewers as a way to stay active with his fan base.

“In this day and age, it is really easy for artists to shut off and say, ‘Hey, management, run my social media,’" Torre says. "It is important, to a certain extent, to interact with your fans. Without them, we wouldn’t have anything.“

As far as any new music, Torre says he's focused on the current tour and next year's festival season — though that doesn't mean he isn't hard at work.

“I’ll probably start writing another album eventually because I am constantly writing new music."

MitiS. With Crystal Skies. 8 p.m. Thursday, August 19, at Treehouse, 323 23rd St., Miami Beach; 786-318-1908; treehousemiami.com. Tickets cost $10 to $20 via eventbrite.com.