Album Review: M.I.K.E. - World Citizen

Become a World Citizen with M.I.K.E.

Belgian trance DJ Mike Dierckx aka M.I.K.E. has released World Citizen, his second artist album after "Moving On In Life" in 2007.

This massive 23 track album is a collision of two worlds, the old and the new trance sound. It opens with "World Citizen," combining melodic synths and progressive bassline and from it begins the journey through haunting melodies and killer bassline.

M.I.K.E. mixes melodic rhythms while percussions are pushed into high gear in the tracks "We Are!," "Any Direction," and "Galactic Hero."  He gives us a dosage of slower beats in "Loverdose" and "Overseas" with Revero. But don't let it fool you as these tracks are packed with high drum kicks and melodic synthesized strings that would surely make head bobbed. And to make you dance, M.I.K.E. added some big room sounds. Tracks like "Melodramma" with Matteo Marini, "Under The Bridge" , "Thursdays" and "Natural Source" will make you move your body in the dance floor with it's massive basslines, haunting sirens and killer drops.

M.I.K.E. also collaborated with one of the biggest trance and progressive producers in the scene. He worked with Aerofoil on the track "No Escape"  featuring proggy-tech sounds with scratching synths and siren with continuous drum kicks. While "Elements Of Nature" features Rank 1's spellbinding melodies mixed in with killer bassline synth. One of the best tracks in the album and surely be one of the best tracks of the year. And these two tracks are a sure hit on the dancefloor.

"World Citizen" contains reboots of his classic tracks under his Plastic Boy and Push alias. Inpetto reboots "Universal Nation," adding some rocking elements with high emphasis on drum kicks and massive basslines while Allure's reboot of "The Legacy" and Sonny Wharton's take on "Till We Meet Again" features a more housey flair with big room overtones that are a familiar SHM element. This element is also abundant in the Paul Thomas' reboot of "Twixt" while Roger Shah slight tweak the track "Silver Bath" slowing it a bit while increasing the pitch adding a little balearic feel to it.

The album ends with three remixes. Maor Levi added a more electro-house flair to "Més Que Un Club" while Revero emphasis revolving basslines and electronic synthesizers in the tracks "Any Direction" and "Come Together"

World Citizen got no vocal tracks but is filled thundering basslines, melodic synths and massive drops. M.I.K.E. has surely combined the best of two worlds, adding elements of his Push and Plastic Boy sounds to the new trance style. It's only February but this might be the best Trance Album of 2013.

10/10

Tracklist:
01. M.I.K.E. - World Citizen (Album Mix)
02. M.I.K.E. ft. Matteo Marini - Melodramma (Album Mix)
03. M.I.K.E. - We Are!
04. M.I.K.E. - Loverdose (Album Mix)
05. M.I.K.E. - Under The Bridge (Album Mix)
06. M.I.K.E. ft. Revero - Overseas (Album Mix)
07. M.I.K.E. - Any Direction (Album Mix)
08. M.I.K.E. - Galactic Halo (Album Mix)
09. M.I.K.E. vs. Aerofoil - No Escape (Album Mix)
10. M.I.K.E. - Canvas (Album Mix)
11. M.I.K.E. - Thursdays (Album Mix)
12. M.I.K.E. - Natural Source (Album Mix)
13. M.I.K.E. - Touching Your Senses
14. Rank 1 vs. M.I.K.E. - Elements Of Nature
15. Push - Universal Nation (Inpetto Remix)
16. Push - Universal Nation (Orjan Nilsen Remix)
17. Push - The Legacy (Allure Remix)
18. Push - Till We Meet Again (Sonny Wharton Remix)
19. M.I.K.E. Presents Plastic Boy - Twixt (Paul Thomas Remix)
20. M.I.K.E. Presents Plastic Boy - Silver Bath (Roger Shah Remix)
21. M.I.K.E. - Mes Que Un Club (Maor Levi Mix)
22. M.I.K.E. - Any Direction (M.I.K.E. vs Revero Club Edit)
23. M.I.K.E. ft. Michael Myers - Come Together (Revero Remix)

Out now on High Contrast Recordings / Be Yourself Music

Audio Jelly - http://www.audiojelly.com/releases/world-citizen/33682
Beatport - http://www.beatport.com/release/world-citizen/1043702
Dance Tunes - http://www.dance-tunes.com/#home/album/423908/world-citizen
Deezer - http://www.deezer.com/en/album/6339861
Digital Music - http://digitalmusic.info/mp3_all.html?album=351126#product_details
DJ Download - http://www.djdownload.com/mp3-detail/Mike/World+Citizen/High+Contrast+Holland/6239279
DJ Shop - http://www.djshop.de/Download-mike-world-citizen/ex/s~details,u~8110001512,p1~mp3/xe/details.html
iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/world-citizen/id603136517?ls=1
Juno Download - http://www.junodownload.com/products/mike-world-citizen/2140386-02/
Track It Down - http://www.trackitdown.net/track/m-i-k-e/world-citizen/trance/5416655.html