BIO & PICS
Brian Nikhil Mitra
30 March 1988 – 19 November 2018
Brian Nikhil Mitra was a music producer and founder of Fremantle Recording Studios. He started producing techno music at the age of twelve, started touring at the age of fourteen and was in several indie-pop bands in his short life of thirty years.
It was an unexpected end to a beautiful life that has so deeply touched so many. Brian’s openness and unique spirit formed close friendships that lived up to the meaning of his surname “Mitra” which means friend. Brian was always honest, kind and gentle.
He was born in Singapore and was the first child to doting parents Cecilia and Jake. He had two loving sisters Nicole and Mona. Brian was a happy healthy child who began music lessons at the age of four in the highly competitive Singaporean education system.
In Perth, he spent a happy childhood growing up with his family and friends. He studied together with his sisters at Kardinya Primary. He was selected for the Talented and Gifted program of the school. Brian began to show his true talent which was music, at the age of twelve when he began collaborating music with family and friends.
Brian matriculated from Aquinas College. During his time at Aquinas, he further developed his interest in music and took up the bass guitar as his preferred instrument. He was also involved in audio engineering at the school. Whilst completing TEE subjects and organised extra curricular activities Brian also played bass guitar in the South Street Band during high school. In 2008 he achieved the Award of Excellence by the The Royal Australian Chemical Institute in a state-wide competition.
After graduation, Brian studied and obtained a Diploma in Audio Engineering at School of Audio Engineering. After a short stint of work, he established Fremantle Recording Studios in 2010.
During his career as a producer, he has worked with many notable Australian artists at his studio. Brian was a member of several bands. In 2012 as a member of Sugarpuss, he was the composer of the winning WAMI Song of the Year for the category of ‘Love’. In 2015 he was a member of Girl York and later conceptualised Double Rainbow, where he produced and wrote an eclectic range of songs.
In 2016, he was interviewed by the highly regarded publication, Australian Guitar magazine. In the last year of his life he developed a DJ career as Khamelion, joined a new band Skyuka and had created a number of techno DJ tracks which was to be released in Germany in 2019.
Upon news of his death, numerous heartfelt tributes about him have been posted by colleagues and friends in the music industry. Local Perth radio station RTR FM announced and paid tribute to Brian as a musician who will be sorely missed in the Perth music community. Brian will be remembered as the honest, loving and caring person that he was. He was a friend and mentor to many.
