One of the scene's best producers and remixers answers no less then 30 Q&A's for i:Vibes, read on...

Hi Mike, thanks for answering 30 q’s for us, let’s get down to business.


1. Could you tell us a bit more about yourself for our readers, who are you, what do you do apart from producing/remixing/DJ'ing, hobbies, pets, girlfriends, passions and so on.

My name is M.I.K.E., fully occupied producer since 1993, and produced around 160 vinyls, and did around 60 remixes so far.
Hobbies are snowboarding, jetskiing, and making music! I was engaged two years ago, but it didn’t work out, so I’m free again ladies ;-)


2. When did you realise that you wanted to be a producer? Was it when hearing a certain track, or was it due to the fact that you had an idol, someone you looked up to?

When I was 9 years old, I remember I saw Depeche Mode on tv and I was wondering what all this tweaking on all that strange equipment was about?
Years later I discovered that they were called synths and samplers… I try them out and at the age of 29 now, I still go to shops to play with these toys.
Bands that inspired me were my all time favorites “Depeche Mode”. Bands like “Soft Cell”, “Kraftwerk” and “Human League” took my attention also.


3. What do you prefer doing? Producing or DJ'ing and why?

I prefer producing, I translate my daily living into my music… When I have a sad day, it will become more melodic sounded… When I have a bad day, I could be techno edged… And at the end, it’s always a good day when I’m leaving the studio.


4. Why were you attracted to trance? And not to house? (asked by Ami).

I started to make trance since the mid 90’s when Tiësto also started to play this music. Trance became an alternative to the due so popular hardcore sound and old retro “Human Resource” beats. Trance was there and was not that popular. It actually started here in Belgium years ago, but later, dance magazines and jocks around the world claimed it started in the UK… I will call it ‘UNIVERSAL’.


5. What made you come up with your alter ego Push?

It’s just a name like another. It could be ‘Pull’ or ‘Orange’… but Push sounded so universal (again)… Look around you: everywhere you see ‘p

6. Did you expect that 'Universal Nation' would become one of the most recognized tracks in the trance scene, almost every DJ played it, and it was remixed by a number of famous DJ's/Producers like Ferry Corsten, Oliver Lieb (LSG).

Never realised that it was that big, it’s already claimed as alltime favorite by Oakenfold and Tiësto.
Gonna work on a 2002 version…no more I can say.


7. You are considered to be amongst the best of what Belgium has to offer as a producing nation, together with Airwave (Laurent Veronnez aka L-Vee) and all that on the same label: Bonzai. So it is natural that everyone feels that Bonzai equals quality. Do you feel the same about this all?

Of course, we got our own sound and that makes it so typical. When people buy a Bonzai record, they know what they can expect… QUALITY.


8. When you are DJ'ing in Gatecrasher, and you drop your most famous tune 'Universal Nation', and you see all those people dancing to it, what feelings does that bring to you? Do you feel powerful then, cause you have the capability of ending that dancing, by playing something completely different.

Sometimes it’s strange… It’s a ‘Strange World’ anyway.
When you got a bad set, what can happen to everyone, and at the end you drop a tune that people will always love and recognise… they will say ‘WOW, M.I.K.E. was wicked’. So yes, playing one of my tunes or other classics can make a difference.


9. If you were offered the chance of remixing a Delerium track, which one would you choose and in what style would you remix it?

Don’t know, the originals of Delerium are the ones I like the most.


10. You recently remixed the famous Sinéad O'Connor song 'Troy (Phoenix From The Flame)', how did you start with it? Did you meet Sinéad at all?

Not yet, but I know when I see her in the near future, there’s a possibility to work together on something else.
That’s what the future will bring.


11. Where do you get all the inspiration to produce/remix all those tracks you ever did? (asked by skysurfer)

I just go in the studio, and try to do what people expect me to do: give them a trip of energy and emotionally waves to surf on ;-)
Most of my inspiration I take of something I did recently or planning to do. I never know how it will start and will end. I also got my bad days, so not everything I did in the pas was as good like my other stuff.


12. How do you decide which alias you're going to release a tune on? Do you set out to say 'this is the new Push tune' or do you wait until you've finished before assigning push or M.I.K.E, or any other alias? (asked by ferrycorstenfan)

After all these years of producing I created an identity to all my projects. My label ‘Scanner’ is techno oriented, while ‘Push’, ‘Yves Deruyter’ or ‘Plastic Boy’ is trance-progrezz minded. Every project got it’s own sound feeling and profile.


13. What do you consider to be your best production up to date, a production of which you are really proud? And remix?

Best remix?……Tricky
Best track?……..Let the clubbers decide that.

14. Is there anyone in the world who you'd like to work with? A producer, musician, vocalist? Doesn't have to be trance.

Depeche Mode!!!!!


15. What's your opinion on the whole mp3 debat?

We will open a forum about that very soon. Mp3 he… I know it will kill the music industry if people won’t stop sharing and selling other peoples work.


16. Do they think that producing/playing for a North American audience would be a different experience compared to playing in front of a European one?

I don’t thinks so. The likes of Tiësto, ‘00’ Fleming, and others are playing on a regular basis in the Northern, but they’re not so familiar with the wide range of the sound we have here.
I played once in New York, and can remember when I started to play some electro people were confused.


17. Are there any plans for a second Push album, or maybe a Plastic Boy album?

Second Push album is planned for begin 2003, and the release of a ‘Best Of M.I.K.E.’ album is set in the near future.


18. How much input do you have in decisions like remixes, what will on an album, alias choise and so on? (asked by Ami)

Normally I got a fully ‘carte blanche’, but it sometimes happened that artists their companies wanted me to add some extra voices and riffs. So yes, it happened to me, and if I can, and I like, I change it, and if they don’t like it, don’t ask for a M.I.K.E. remix then!!!


19. How much preparation do you need to make a track? How long is the longest that it took you to make a track?

Depends from day to day. It tooke me a Wednesday afternoon to create ‘Universal Nation’.


20. What do you appreciate the most about your music? In an earlier interview with Pulser (Andy Perring) he said "I usually have a hard time appreciating my own remixes/singles because I know them too well. It's only when I hear another DJ play one of them and see a crowd's reaction that I get enthusiastic." Do you feel the same way? Or do you see it differently? (again asked by Ami)

I prefer that others play my music instead of myself. I do play my tunes, but not many, I leave it up to others. But if people come to the club to see me, they expect me to play my music, I owe it to them.


21. What collaboration has been the best?

All people I worked with!


22. What's your opinion on the view that most people call Holland thé trance nation, cause of it's DJ's (Armin Van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Sander Kleinenberg, DJ Tiësto, and many others). Do you think that there is maybe another country who deserves it more?

Trance is there for everyone, comes from every heart, mind and soul across the world.


23. It is often said by fans that the golden age of trance was '99 in particular, you still think there is yet to be an epic golden age of trance to emerge, and any ideas on how/what it may be yet! (Ami)

'99 was indeed, but we didn’t reach our main goal yet, believe me.


24. Perfecting/experimenting/producing/mixing how much of a balance is there between each of them, is there anything you like in particular from them, and which one do you feel is more important, ie like experimenting to stay fresh? (Ami)


25. What are your other passions, apart music?

Going jetskiing, sporting generally, movies, hanging around with my best friends!
I train like almost everyday, “a good mind in a good body” I always say.


26. What's your most priced position? Not cause it's value, but because it's rare? Some record? A special remix that only you have?

All my old records I start to collect from ‘Depeche Mode’, ‘Fad Gadget’, ‘Front 242’. All my records are my most priced possessions.

27. What was the funniest thing that happened to you when you were DJ'ing somewhere?

While I got a live gig, back in ’97, the table were we put the synth on dropped on the ground in the middle of the live gig, while music was continuing, people helped us carry our stuff back on the table, and the show went on :-( - Embarassing.


28. Are you afraid of something?

War!!!
And that something might happen with my brother’s kids, they’re my gods!!!


29. You got a question (or more) for our readers? They can answer it on the comments page then.

If you share or download a track on the web, and you like it, are you gonna buy the CD or vinyl then??


30. Is there anything else you would like to share with us? Can be ANYTHING, something we need to know or do?

Believing in what’s coming, because we didn’t reach our main goal yet!!
PEACE!!





Thanks go to Mike for answering all these questions, and you heard the man, buy the records or CD’s to support the artist, not all of them make tons of money.

Answer the question he asked YOU.

Go here for the M.I.K.E. profile.

The M.I.K.E. site.

Go here for the Bonzai site.