About Mohit.
I’m Mohit Arora, and for as long as I can remember, music has been the thing that makes life make sense. It’s the hum in the background of my thoughts, the rhythm that shapes how I move through the world, the language I speak when words fail me. It’s how I’ve learned to understand joy, heartbreak, and all the messy in-betweens. I’ve worn many hats in the music industry—audio engineer, A&R, marketer, label manager, radio host, DJ, record store buyer—but none of those titles really explain what music means to me. Music isn’t just something I worked on; it’s something I live with. It’s how I make sense of myself and the world around me. It’s who I am.
When I stepped away from the industry full-time, it wasn’t because I fell out of love with music. Quite the opposite—I left because I love it. There’s a strange thing that happens when you work in music too long: you stop being a fan. You start to hear songs as products, artists as brands, and albums as campaigns to be packaged, marketed and sold. But that’s not why I stepped away—I’ll save that story for another day. Stepping away also meant I needed to reawaken my fandom and find my way back to being a listener first.
So I unlearned everything that the industry added to cloud my love for music—the ego, the cynicism, the noise—and found my way back to what mattered: the thrill of discovery, the joy of hearing a perfect song for the first time, and the quiet comfort of knowing that there’s always a song for every moment. It’s a record store in a city I’ve never been to before. It’s a late-night playlist that feels like a heartbeat outside my own—steady, reassuring, and alive when everything else feels uncertain. It’s an old song that reminds me who I used to be and a new one that shows me who I might become.
Random Facts:
Toronto is home (via Montreal).
My dog runs my neighbourhood like a 75-pound mayor, and I’m just his unpaid intern.
I have The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air running on what’s essentially a 24/7 schedule.
Crate digging isn’t just a buzzword for me—I travel the world hunting for records. Sometimes with friends, though even the nerdiest producers and DJs tap out long before I’m done.
About The Mixtape.
The Mixtape is the latest iteration of my blogging journey that began in 1996. The big idea is that this space is where I delve into topics that I care about: music, culture, identity, with an openness and vulnerability that adds depth to our shared experiences.
Since Substack has sections, I’m using these similarly to how I’d use secondary Tumblr accounts in the past. The main section which provides the majority of the content for this site is Diggin’ in My Crates.
About Diggin’ in My Crates.
Diggin’ in My Crates is my love letter to music that lingers—the songs that get caught in your chest and refuse to let go. It’s about the search, the find, and the feeling of bliss you have when you close your eyes and just listen.
Why Subscribe?
This blog is where I write, reflect, and share what feels important—whether it’s music, culture, or the moments in between. Subscribing means you’ll get every post delivered straight to your inbox, a simple way to stay connected without missing a beat.
Support My Work.
I keep this blog free because it’s meant to be open to everyone. If something here has resonated with you or added a little meaning to your day, consider supporting my work. Your support helps keep this space alive and growing.
