Mike Dierickx (born Dirk Dierickx on 20 February 1973), and most commonly recognized under the aliases Push or M.I.K.E. Push, is a BelgianDJ and Producer. Best known for the song "Universal Nation", he has also released other club singles including "The Legacy" and "Strange World".[1][2] His style is primarily trance and darker [retro] techno.
Biography
Producing and DJing under the name M.I.K.E. Push, he has been releasing records under the guises: Solar Factor, M.I.K.E, The Blackmaster, Return of the Native, Plastic Boy and Push. In total, he has used over 85 different aliases throughout his career. As a DJ, Mike's style is similar to the music he produces, mostly progressive trance.
As an 11-year-old boy, he discovered the potential of samplers and keyboards, with his interest in electronic music developed further over the next years.
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 through the Atom label in 1992. Mike released a series of records before he signed up with Lightning Records (Bonzai) in 1996.[3]
Push became well-known and in 1998, Universal Nation won several dance awards, including a platinum award for selling over 25.000 vinyl units & Spotify streaming award, and is recognized as one of the classic dance-records of the trance era.[4][5] His Push follow-up single "Strange World" was also a hit and played throughout hundreds of clubs all across Europe.[3] This was followed by another release, "The Legacy", once again topping most dance charts across Europe and entering the British National charts at #22.[6] Over the years, Mike received several music awards including best club singles and best dance-producer, France Media award, and entered the national Top 40 in the UK six times.[6]
^VUONCINO, CHRIS (8 September 2022). "In memoriam: DJ and producer Marino Stephano passed away 23 years ago". We Rave You. Archived from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2023. M.I.K.E. Push would go on to release the single Till We Meet Again in dedication to his friend, Marino Stephano and as a touching tribute to a life gone too soon.
