Mike Colin is an American Vocalist and Multi-Instrumentalist DJ. Mike has been writing, performing, and producing music since 1989 under the names “Mile High Mike Colin,” “Milky Way Mike Colin,” “Zhitkur Roswell,” “Phantasmorgasm,” “LoTek,” “The Acoustifuxx,” and of course, “Mike Colin,” as well as performing and producing for many other bands in the local Denver scene as simply “Big Mike.”
Mike Colin was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. As a teenager, his first jobs were at Elitch Gardens and Casa Bonita, both Denver landmarks. Later, Mike would be the last engineer at the legendary Time Capsule Studio and perform hundreds of nights at the Lions Lair, 7 South (now the Hi-Dive), and Cricket on the Hill. Mike Colin is a classic and true Mile High Madman.
Mike embarked on his first group of cover recordings (after 30 years of NOT recording covers), resulting in 150+ recordings produced by Anno Domini, Legion, and Temper. All covers that were finished were released on SoundCloud and YouTube, but only the best will be released on Spotify/Apple Music.
Mike Colin continues to live in the Denver area with his wife and four children, two of whom are musicians as well.
Zhitkur Roswell Recordings’ fall release schedule includes 5 albums featuring music artist Mike Colin. These releases will be available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, SoundCloud, and most major release platforms to varying degrees, thanks to DistroKid.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Mike Colin. Here are the excerpts from the interview.
Hi Mike, Great to have you with us today! Please share with our readers about your journey.
Hi, my musical journey started like most people, I think, which is being exposed to music. My grandma and grandpa used to sing at church, and my grandma was also a pianist. My Great-Uncle Mac played bass in those cool old swing bands. My mom was into rock and roll and had a boyfriend named Augy Rocks, who was a singer/songwriter, and they got me into Bowie, Iggy, Lou, and punk. When I was in the hospital for 3 months after getting hit by a car as a teenager, a family friend named Peter Kissell made me cassettes of every Stones album available at the time (1987), and it got me through some hard times. When I was a teenager, hip-hop went national, and that had a huge impact on me. I love beats.
What inspires your music?
My philosophy regarding music is simple—I make music because I want to. It’s about the only thing that makes any sense to me. Some people feel the need to emulate and express themselves through music. I am one of those people. I am inspired by the mere existence of music as well as many artists who I find engaging. I’m not saying that I’m that great or that I lay down anything that someone else couldn’t do as well, but I guarantee that it comes from my heart and soul, even if it’s a cover.
What are the strategies that helped you become successful in your journey?
There are two types of success in a thing like music. The first type of success, in my opinion, is accomplishing becoming a musician, a recording artist, just being able to do it. Making a record that sounds like a real record is a success in and of itself. The second type of success is the approval and appreciation of others, which can only be achieved if you put yourself out there. You may not achieve it to the degree you would like, but when you think about it in this crazy over-stimulated world, it is quite an achievement to connect with anybody. We’re not all gonna be Metallica, ya know? We’re not all gonna be Drake or Nine Inch Nails….that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t exist, and I am grateful for the technology that allows me to be a music artist.
Fantastic! So tell us, how can people find out more about you?
You can visit the website and follow me on Instagram @milehighmikecolin.
Thank you so much, Mike, for giving us your precious time! We wish you all the best for your journey ahead!