Tuesday 15th, March 2005
M.I.K.E. aka Plastic Boy
Belgian producer Mike Dierickx is a guy with more then ten years of experience in the business. Originally he started at Lightning Records, where produced alot of tunes under even more aliases. His biggest breakthrough was the anthem Push - Universal Nation. More big tracks under the name Push followed resulting in two albums this far. His other successfull alias is Plastic Boy, under which he created a massive row of uplifting trancebombs. The demand of an album by Plastic Boy was so enormous, that the decision to release a Plastic Boy album, was quickly made. So here it is: It's A Plastic World is the title. It is for sale now through the Banshee webshop. Trance.nu asked M.I.K.E. about his feeling about the album, about the future and what to expect more from him. Enjoy the read!
T.nu: Hello M.I.K.E., your second album in just a year time, how does it feel?
Mike: It’s actualy my third one in the last 12 months. Next to under the flag of Push and now Plastic Boy, I also released my Techno imprint album under my Calling The Freak alias. It is available as digital download only by Beatport and Audiojelly. Originally, the Plastic Boy album was not planned, though I’m happy it’s there.
T.nu: Your previous album was a Push one, this a Plastic Boy one. What would you say, are the main differences between the two albums?
Mike: PUSH and PLASTIC BOY...that’s the difference! People know the sound of both my main projects.
Plastic Boy is more emotional progressive trance, while Push is more aimed at anthem trance.
T.nu: How would you describe the Plastic Boy album?
Mike: It’s is pretty much a Best Of album, with some up-to-date tracks like TWIXT 2004 and the new single FROM HERE TO NOWHERE. Like I said before, it was initiatly not planned, but by big demand, me and Banshee decided to go for a double album. So I came up with the idea of “IT’S A PLASTIC WORLD”, with the releases from the past years and some new additions.
T.nu: We heard you changed the tracklist, because of the fans asking for it?
Mike: Yes and no. I think it’s important to see what your fans are thinking, but don’t let them control everything. It’s a balance. I think producers/artist forget sometimes to listen to their fans and see what their demands are.
You refer to the PLASTIC BOY vs ROZALLA track...which yes.., i didn’t like that either..and the fans rather didn’t want to see it on the album between the pure Plastic Boy anthems.
T.nu: Will you continue with both aliases after these albums? Or will you full focus on the M.I.K.E. alias now?
Mike: I’m gonna focus more on M.I.K.E. this year..for a reason. I want to get out of the PUSH focus. M.I.K.E. is more then trance or progressive. It’s something I wanna do for myself. But it doesn’t mean I quit those projects.. The future will tell!
T.nu: What about the M.I.K.E. album, what is the status on that one?
Mike: In a few words. Double artist CD mix compilation before the summer by Armada, and maybe a Best of M.I.K.E. reworks late 2005 mid 2006. More news will be available very soon. It’s planned for after the summer with some special guest apperances. You might be surprised.
T.nu: You also released a digital mixalbum a couple of months ago. How did that go? How were the reactions on a digital only album?
Mike: The reactions were great, the sales were unfortunately poor. Due to some marketing strategy and format testing, like WMA only, the download mixalbum failed to get the mass interested. Something Armada has overlooked, and that’s why they decided to do a new M.I.K.E. compilation before the summer in the CD format and maybe through MP3 download. Ofcourse I’m very pleased and happy with that!
T.nu: Your DJ’ing is also going very well, lately you played on Trance Energy. How did it feel to be back there?
Mike: Holland is our neighbour country and I’m always feeling very welcome. In Holland they really know how to make events work, and they always rock the place. It’s in my top 3 of best places to play in the world! I was asked by Marco V to play in the In Charge area, wich was my privilege. Marco is a very good colleague and a well respected person. If he calls next time, i’m in again.
T.nu: Where can we expect you to perform the coming months?
Mike: The U.S., Spain, Italy ,Finland and some events in Belgium.
T.nu: The new track Massive Motion is in very heavy demand. What remixes or new tracks will there be under the M.I.K.E. alias?
Mike: Like i said before, the M.I.K.E. alias has priority this year...the rest we’ll see. But I have new things coming up on my Club Elite label soon.
T.nu: Your collaboration with Armin was a great techno-inspired tune. Will that project get a next episode?
Mike: The next episode has started already..but is not finished yet ! To be continued...
T.nu: You also side stepped to produce other genres then just dance music. Are you still busy with that? What can we expect on that side?
Mike: That’s a good one! It’s was a big step,and I can say quite succesfull.. We released the Diabokua stuff by Sony records,wich gained good reactions. It’s was a mixture of electro/R&B and pop. The first single ‘I’m on a Mission” was even banned on MTV for explicit video content! So that’s the best exposure you can get!
And a UK band called Liberty X also asked me to do stuff, and they probably gonna cover “I’m on a Mission” for their new album. Now you got breakin’ news here!
T.nu: Any new releases on Scanner Records or Club Elite Records planned?
Mike: New releases are on the way for Club Elite. I signed some new artist and I gave myself a new alias on one of the new upcoming releases. Scanner will be digital only for the moment, I’m not sure were I’m gonna head to in the future. And I might start some new musical imprint soon...
T.nu: Will trance survive?
Mike: I hope so..but not in the format we know it now. I think it sounds repetitive lately.. and it’s time for a new phase in trance music. I think it will head more the tech trance way..wich is a personal taste and that’s what I feel on the dance floors. Melodic and euphoric became a laidback sound, sitting home, with the headphones on top.
The floors need to get burned and you only can do that with a good groove and/or a tasty trance riff!
T.nu: Any words to the fans or anything you would like to add to the interview?
Mike: Heads up people...we will survive! Dance music,in his origin form,is here to stay forever!
T.nu: Thank you for your time and good luck the next months!
Mike: No thanks..my pleasure.
Written by:
afterhourpower
Belgian producer Mike Dierickx is a guy with more then ten years of experience in the business. Originally he started at Lightning Records, where produced alot of tunes under even more aliases. His biggest breakthrough was the anthem Push - Universal Nation. More big tracks under the name Push followed resulting in two albums this far. His other successfull alias is Plastic Boy, under which he created a massive row of uplifting trancebombs. The demand of an album by Plastic Boy was so enormous, that the decision to release a Plastic Boy album, was quickly made. So here it is: It's A Plastic World is the title. It is for sale now through the Banshee webshop. Trance.nu asked M.I.K.E. about his feeling about the album, about the future and what to expect more from him. Enjoy the read!
T.nu: Hello M.I.K.E., your second album in just a year time, how does it feel? Mike: It’s actualy my third one in the last 12 months. Next to under the flag of Push and now Plastic Boy, I also released my Techno imprint album under my Calling The Freak alias. It is available as digital download only by Beatport and Audiojelly. Originally, the Plastic Boy album was not planned, though I’m happy it’s there.
T.nu: Your previous album was a Push one, this a Plastic Boy one. What would you say, are the main differences between the two albums?
Mike: PUSH and PLASTIC BOY...that’s the difference! People know the sound of both my main projects.
Plastic Boy is more emotional progressive trance, while Push is more aimed at anthem trance.
T.nu: How would you describe the Plastic Boy album?
Mike: It’s is pretty much a Best Of album, with some up-to-date tracks like TWIXT 2004 and the new single FROM HERE TO NOWHERE. Like I said before, it was initiatly not planned, but by big demand, me and Banshee decided to go for a double album. So I came up with the idea of “IT’S A PLASTIC WORLD”, with the releases from the past years and some new additions.
T.nu: We heard you changed the tracklist, because of the fans asking for it?
Mike: Yes and no. I think it’s important to see what your fans are thinking, but don’t let them control everything. It’s a balance. I think producers/artist forget sometimes to listen to their fans and see what their demands are.
You refer to the PLASTIC BOY vs ROZALLA track...which yes.., i didn’t like that either..and the fans rather didn’t want to see it on the album between the pure Plastic Boy anthems.
T.nu: Will you continue with both aliases after these albums? Or will you full focus on the M.I.K.E. alias now?
Mike: I’m gonna focus more on M.I.K.E. this year..for a reason. I want to get out of the PUSH focus. M.I.K.E. is more then trance or progressive. It’s something I wanna do for myself. But it doesn’t mean I quit those projects.. The future will tell!
T.nu: What about the M.I.K.E. album, what is the status on that one?
Mike: In a few words. Double artist CD mix compilation before the summer by Armada, and maybe a Best of M.I.K.E. reworks late 2005 mid 2006. More news will be available very soon. It’s planned for after the summer with some special guest apperances. You might be surprised.
T.nu: You also released a digital mixalbum a couple of months ago. How did that go? How were the reactions on a digital only album?
Mike: The reactions were great, the sales were unfortunately poor. Due to some marketing strategy and format testing, like WMA only, the download mixalbum failed to get the mass interested. Something Armada has overlooked, and that’s why they decided to do a new M.I.K.E. compilation before the summer in the CD format and maybe through MP3 download. Ofcourse I’m very pleased and happy with that!
T.nu: Your DJ’ing is also going very well, lately you played on Trance Energy. How did it feel to be back there?
Mike: Holland is our neighbour country and I’m always feeling very welcome. In Holland they really know how to make events work, and they always rock the place. It’s in my top 3 of best places to play in the world! I was asked by Marco V to play in the In Charge area, wich was my privilege. Marco is a very good colleague and a well respected person. If he calls next time, i’m in again.
T.nu: Where can we expect you to perform the coming months?
Mike: The U.S., Spain, Italy ,Finland and some events in Belgium.
T.nu: The new track Massive Motion is in very heavy demand. What remixes or new tracks will there be under the M.I.K.E. alias?
Mike: Like i said before, the M.I.K.E. alias has priority this year...the rest we’ll see. But I have new things coming up on my Club Elite label soon.
T.nu: Your collaboration with Armin was a great techno-inspired tune. Will that project get a next episode?
Mike: The next episode has started already..but is not finished yet ! To be continued...
T.nu: You also side stepped to produce other genres then just dance music. Are you still busy with that? What can we expect on that side?
Mike: That’s a good one! It’s was a big step,and I can say quite succesfull.. We released the Diabokua stuff by Sony records,wich gained good reactions. It’s was a mixture of electro/R&B and pop. The first single ‘I’m on a Mission” was even banned on MTV for explicit video content! So that’s the best exposure you can get!
And a UK band called Liberty X also asked me to do stuff, and they probably gonna cover “I’m on a Mission” for their new album. Now you got breakin’ news here!
T.nu: Any new releases on Scanner Records or Club Elite Records planned?
Mike: New releases are on the way for Club Elite. I signed some new artist and I gave myself a new alias on one of the new upcoming releases. Scanner will be digital only for the moment, I’m not sure were I’m gonna head to in the future. And I might start some new musical imprint soon...
T.nu: Will trance survive?
Mike: I hope so..but not in the format we know it now. I think it sounds repetitive lately.. and it’s time for a new phase in trance music. I think it will head more the tech trance way..wich is a personal taste and that’s what I feel on the dance floors. Melodic and euphoric became a laidback sound, sitting home, with the headphones on top.
The floors need to get burned and you only can do that with a good groove and/or a tasty trance riff!
T.nu: Any words to the fans or anything you would like to add to the interview?
Mike: Heads up people...we will survive! Dance music,in his origin form,is here to stay forever!
T.nu: Thank you for your time and good luck the next months!
Mike: No thanks..my pleasure.
Written by:
afterhourpower
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