Mike Dierickx
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section needs to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please help improve this article with relevant internal links. (May 2007) |
| Mike Dierickx | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Dirk Dierickx, but changed his name in Mike Dierickx in 2002 |
| Also known as | M.I.K.E, Solar Factor, The Blackmaster, Return Of The Native, Plastic Boy, & Push |
| Born | February 20, 1973 in Antwerp, Belgium |
| Genre(s) | Trance, progressive |
| Occupation(s) | DJ, producer , technical engineer |
| Instrument(s) | Synthesizer, drum machine, equalizer |
| Years active | 1993 till present |
| Label(s) | Club Elite, Maximized Digital, Armada Music |
| Associated acts | Armin Van Buuren |
| Website | www.mike.be |
Mike Dierickx, formerly known as Dirk Dierickx, and most commonly recognized under the aliases M.I.K.E., Push or Plastic Boy, is a Belgian DJ. Best known for the song "Universal Nation", he has also released other singles including "The Legacy" and "Strange World". His style is primarily progressive trance.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Producing and DJing under the name M.I.K.E., he has been releasing records under the guises: Solar Factor, M.I.K.E, The Blackmaster, Return Of The Native, Plastic Boy, Šand, and last but not least, Push. However, there are around 85 different aliases that span through his career, and have accumulated as a result of either collaborations with other artists, or adapting new aliases simply to suit the nature of a particular track--covering the trance, techno and house scenes. As a DJ, Mike's style is very similar to the music he makes--progressive trance with a techy-edge. He is at the forefront of Europe's new sound, regularly topping the dance charts in several leading countries.
The story begins of an 11 year old boy discovering the potential of samplers and keyboards. A boy who preferred knobs and backlight displays instead of child games. At the age of 18, Mike handed his first demo tape to the Antwerp based record company, 'USA Import'. Shortly after, his first record, 'Vision Act' was released on the Atom label in 1992. Mike released a series of successful records before he signed up with Lightning back in 1996.
M.I.K.E's reputation shot through the roof, and although a commercial crossover had never been anticipated, in 1998 'Universal Nation' took the world by storm, winning several dance awards, and undoubtedly being recognized as one of the classic dance-records of the trance era till this day. Poll positions in worldwide dance charts were soon putting the Belgian dance scene firmly on the map. His Push follow-up single 'Strange World' had hundreds of clubs in a frenzy across Europe, in the same vein as 'Universal Nation'. They couldn't get enough of him.
This was followed by yet another blockbuster, 'The Legacy', once again topping all dance charts across Europe and entering the British National charts at #21. Over the years Mike received several music awards including best club singles and best dance-producer, and entered 6 times the national top 40 in the UK.
Mike also teamed up and did remixes for Sinead 'O Connor, Moby, Mauro Piccoto, Bom Funk Mc's, Oliver Lieb, and Ian Van Dahl. This kind of success did not go unnoticed as M.I.K.E. was asked to DJ at some of the best venues in the world; some of these include 'Gatecrasher' and 'Godskitchen' in the UK, 'Fura' and 'Vel Farre' in Japan, 'Dance Valley' and 'Trance Energy' in Holland, 'Spirit' and 'Spundae' in the U.S., from Australia's Sydney and Melbourne to New Zealand and the residency in Armada' s Amnesia club night in Ibiza are a few to mention. Mike still holds residencies in Godskitchen and The Gallery in London.
In 1999 he decided to start-up his own label, and Scanner-Records was born. The music stands for minimal electric dance. Scanner's back-catalogue can be found on www.scanner-records.be, where it's currently postponed as Mike is concentrating on his new label Club Elite. The label will boost tech grooves and the better electro-trance.
[edit] The work
[edit] As Push
- 2000 From Beyond, Album.
- 2002 Strange World, Album.
- 2004 Electric Eclipse, Album.
Main Anthems
- 1998 Universal Nation
- 1999 Cosmonautica
- 1999 Till We Meet Again
- 1999 Universal Nation 99'
- 2000 Electro Fever
- 2000 Strange World (2000 Remake)
- 2000 The Legacy
- 2000 Tranzy State Of Mind
- 2001 The Legacy (2001 Remake)
- 2001 Push vs. Sunscreem - Please Save Me
- 2002 Journey Of Life
- 2002 Strange World (2002 Remake)
- 2002 Universal Nation 2002
- 2003 Universal Nation 2003
- 2003 Push vs. Globe – Tranceformation
- 2004 Blue Midnight (Limited edition)
- 2004 Electric Eclipse
- 2004 R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
- 2006 Strange World 2006 (Club Elite)
- 2008 Universal Voice E.P. (Club Elite)
- 2008 Impact E.P. (Club Elite late 2008)
[edit] As Plastic Boy
- 2005 It's A Plastic World, Album.
Main Anthems
- 1998 Twixt
- 1998 Life Isn't Easy
- 1999 Angel Dust
- 2000 Can You Feel It
- 2001 Silver Bath
- 2003 Live Another Life
- 2004 Twixt 2004
- 2005 From Here to Nowhere
- 2008 Rise Up/A New Life
[edit] As M.I.K.E.
- 2006 The Perfect Blend, Album.
- 2007 Moving On In Life, Album.
Main Anthems
- 1999 Futurism
- 2000 Sunrise At Palamos
- 2002 M.I.K.E. vs. John '00' Fleming - Ice Cream
- 2003 Turn Out The lights
- 2004 Totally Fascinated
- 2004 M.I.K.E. vs. Armin van Buuren - Pound
- 2004 M.I.K.E. vs. Armin van Buuren - Intruder
- 2004 M.I.K.E. vs John '00' Fleming - Dame Blanche
- 2005 Massive Motion
- 2005 Fuego Caliente
- 2006 Voices From The Inside
- 2006 Salvation
- 2006 Strange World 2006
- 2006 M.I.K.E. with Andrew Bennet - Into The Danger
- 2007 Changes 'R Good
- 2008 Nu Senstation
- 2008 M.I.K.E. with Andrew Bennet - A Better World - The Mixes
[edit] As Solar Factor
- 2001 Deep Sonar
- 2002 No Return
- 2002 Urban Shakedown
- 2004 Fashion Slam
- 2005 Global Getaways
- 2005 The Rising Sun
[edit] The Remixes
Main Anthems
- Art Of Trance: Madagascar (Push Remix)
- Cygnus X: The Orange Theme (Push Remix)
- Mauro Picotto: Back To Cali (Push Remix)
- Moby: In This World (Push Vocal Mix)
- Rio Klein: Fearless (Push Remix)
- Sinéad O'Connor: Troy - Phoenix From The Flame (Push Remix)
- Sunscreem: Exodus (Push Remix)
- The Space Brothers: Everywhere I Go (Push Trancendental Remix)
- Yves DeRuyter: Music Non Stop (Push Remix)
- Robert Gitelman: Things 2 Say (M.I.K.E. Remix)
- The Gift: Love Angel (M.I.K.E. Remix)
