MITCH EI TALKS BETTER THAN THIS

Interviewed by Culture Coast Talks editor Daniel John. Interview transcripts might have been edited for length and clarity.

What is 'Better Than This' about. When did you write this song?

I wrote 'Better Than This' at a time when I had an endless hunger to make it big. It was so obvious about me, people could just see it on my face. I knew I was destined for more than where I came from and the reality I had known. I grew up in a very small town in southern Israel, in the periphery a place without many major success stories to hold onto so I had the passion to discover that life is much larger than what I grew up experiencing. I dared to dream big. I was a student in an advanced production course by Session 42 where I had just met Netanel Amor and Guy Shalmai, my musical partners to this day, and we had an immediate and unusual artistic connection. We started working on this song together as a class-session. We spent long nights in the studio with Netanel recording additional instruments while I recorded more harmonies, and Guy, the Gaucho, adding layers of sound and effects, the song became a real artistic adventure that pushed and sometimes broke the boundaries of the genre, pop mixed with electronic, trance, and even some trap beats in the last chorus of the song for the discerning listeners, I felt it wasn't just a song for me, it was a statement, it was the moment I stopped apologizing for who I am and started to soar. This was my origin story that transformed Michal Elad into Mitch El. I want anyone who hears this song to feel driven to devour life! No excuses, no apologies! Break the barriers, and fly! Dream big, and go for it. That's exactly how I felt when I wrote this song. With self-confidence, fearless energy, with the world at the palm of my hand.

How early in life had you already realized that you had this love for music and storytelling?

My intimate relationship with music began in my childhood. My dad sang lullabies to me by famous Israeli singers and poets. Every night I waited impatiently in bed for my dad to come sing to me, and he sang very complex songs that as a child I didn't understand a word of, but I knew them all by heart and sang along with him. On other nights, he would tell me an ongoing story about a character he invented named Hershale, my father had a wonderful imagination which helped develop mine as well. As I grew up, my connection to music strengthened through my older brother, an excellent guitarist, who would pick up the guitar every evening, and I would sing with him. The Beatles, Dylan, Queen, ABBA, The Carpenters and many other great artists. In high school, I joined a choir and studied classical voice development for six years. I sang opera and studied classical music. We also learned music theory and harmonies, so you could say music has been an inseparable part of my life.

This song alone takes us through different paces musically. What musical foundation would you say you stand on, inspiration-wise?

This song really crosses some genres, which was its purpose. I wanted to make a new statement, be different and create something suited for 2025. We don't have to be bound to fixed templates of "I do just pop music" or "I only do electronic music". The music that inspires me is the fuel for my own music, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to incorporate all these influences into my sound. I believe an artist is a collective of the art and music they've absorbed throughout their life. Every piece of the pie is another artist they've come to appreciate. A little from this, a little from that creates the unique sound that defines an artist. Yes, it's built upon existing elements, but the combination makes something new and exciting! The music I grew up with gave me a strong foundation, at home we listened to many old Hebrew songs and had all The Beatles albums. This taught me a lot about writing lyrics and composing. Being in a choir for many years taught me the importance of harmonies, and I really love bringing rich vocal sounds to my productions. The music that blew me away as I got older added a different edge, the unique musical trend that Billie Eilish pioneered in the indie pop world fascinated me. The rich use of high-range vocals, the warmth from the bass lines and low frequencies, created an uncompromised intimacy alongside catchy tunes. Further in my journey I met a Chilean guy who introduced me to the world of jazz and bossa nova in particular, and I fell in love. I dove deep into the worlds of jazz and RnB with singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Julie London, Amy Winehouse, and Jorja Smith. They were all such virtuoso singers in their respective genres and truly inspired me. On the other side of this song is trance. Electronic music has always been part of my DNA. As a teenager, I loved going to outdoor parties and festivals, and to this day it remains an inseparable part of the music scene in Israel, from desert festivals to main stages in city centers. Electronic music puts me in a sort of physical meditation where I can completely surrender my body to the music, disconnect my thoughts, and feel free. These days I love Noga Erez's music, and she's a huge inspiration both musically and in terms of work ethic. She's an example of an artist from Israel who has achieved global success with her music.

Often in life, the most magical possibilities will be unlocked through meaningful connections with others. Would you say the same apply in the studio, as creativity unfolds. What does creating with people like Guy Shalmay and Netanel Amor mean for your artistic process?

Wow, that's a really good question, it's interesting that you asked that because, up until this song, my creative process was just me alone in my studio. I wrote, composed, and produced all my first songs from my upcoming album 'My Imaginary World' by myself in my home-studio. I had become accustomed to a very personal, intimate process where I controlled every aspect of my sound. Suddenly, I needed to work with other people in the room. I needed to share my thoughts and give them space to share theirs, it required me to learn how to release control, and I have to admit that was really difficult for me. Working with Netanel and Gaucho was a process of liberation and trust. Now suddenly it wasn't just my thoughts, each of them brought their own rich and interesting world into this, Gaucho with his sensitive attention to detail and ability to feel every sound and frequency, and Netanel with his impressive playing abilities and natural flow in writing. Our co-creation was an adventure that was always moving forward while keeping an eye for the smallest details. We created a space where everything was allowed, writing a silly sentence, trying something that "isn't supposed to work", or exploring a less expected route. And that's exactly where the magic happened. I feel like writing this song specifically made me grow as an artist because working with others makes you look both inside yourself and outward, listen not only to what you want but also to what the song needs. And beyond the music, we became very close friends. The three musketeers, because when you write songs together, there are no secrets. These are people who know everything about you.

What can it look like when it's just you in your own creative headspace?

I feel that artists have the privilege to write their life story, to process their emotions on a page and revive memories through sounds, sometimes I open up my old diaries when I work on a session by myself. I go back in time, meet myself in a different timeline, and look with a new perspective on situations I experienced. It's a truly healing process. There's also magic in creating by yourself, no judgment, no boundaries, no need to explain yourself or be understood. I just let myself try, make errors, erase, get excited about something that doesn't really "work," and investigate a new sound or a line that popped into my head from a dream or an awkward note I wrote to myself earlier. You can give life to your darkest secrets

Does the sharing of your music help you see that others are thinking and feeling the same things, that the audience becomes a mirror showing you you are not alone at all?

Wow yes, absolutely! I felt that most powerfully with my debut single 'SuperNova', a feeling I had never experienced before it. I took my deepest pain, after the loss of my friend Peppe, and transformed it into a complete composition and creation. I didn't know what to expect, but what I received back from the world was powerful, so much pain but also so much love. That's one of the greatest gifts music gives us, knowing we are not alone in the world, there are other people who feel exactly as we do. It's a connection that transcends languages and cultures, it is a universal emotion that connects us on a deeper level as humans. It reminds me that we're all navigating life with similar questions, similar pains and similar desires, to feel that we belong

‘Where Did I Go?’ from the end of last year marked the start of the journey toward your upcoming debut EP, of which ‘Better Than This’ is the second single. What story will all of the songs reveal?

'Where Did I Go?' was my first single from my debut EP 'My Imaginary World'. It was important for me to begin my journey with a song that asks questions but doesn't provide answers, because that's exactly how my journey started, with a lot of confusion and self-searching. I discovered that the world I grew up in, the small place, the "obvious," the normal, is not the only reality. There's a fascinating whole world inside of me in which I can travel, create, feel, and excite. My inner world, "my imaginary world", is the place where everything is possible. I came from a desert of nothingness and emptiness, a world without success stories, and I realized that the boundaries that exist aren't really mine. They're just the walls behind the place I came from. I wanted to break through that wall with my motto, "The sky is not the limit, it's just the starting point". As long as I stay true to myself, listen to my inner voice, and believe in my path, I know I'll break through the wall and rise to the top. My EP is my story. The journey from a normal childhood in a quiet, empty place to a bountiful world of adventure, challenges, and strengths that I discovered through unusual experiences. I discovered that the world works on love, and if you accept and love yourself, the world will love you back. Every song I wrote and created is another "station" on the journey to becoming Mitch El. From the quietest and most intimate experiences with my father singing to me as a child in 'Music Box' to the total and uncompromising devotion to creation that drove me to near madness in 'Where Did I Go?' to the heartbreaks and longings of the past in 'Nostalgia'. And then came 'Better Than This', a song that reminds me, and anyone listening to it, that the world we know is not the only story we have. We have the power to break the mold, to challenge the boundaries dictated to us, and choose a different path. Every song I release exposes another layer, and I feel that the story of the EP reveals itself more as I continue to write, record and share it.

It is like getting closer to a mirror and seeing yourself more clearly than ever with each release, until someday the full story reveals itself, to me and to the world.

Where are you with it now?

I am in the final stages of mixing and mastering my EP.

What do you hope others will find in your story?

I hope my music will help people wherever they are, push their personal boundaries and believe that everything is possible, dreams can become reality. The sky is not the limit, it's the start of your journey.