• More projects
- Madeup.jpg (16.91 KiB) Viewed 620 times
Yes, and then finally Michiel started his own label: Made Up Records! DMC did the distribution. He also started "Hot Cargo Music", his publishing company. The first release was Sheila Stewart with It's you. Not a high energy track but a very strong Production made together with Rob van Eijk.
Michiel continued on his own with the Watch out by Jacky Touché, The tittle says enough; Watch out for Michiel, now he really spreads his sound all over the world. Michiel labels his tracks with EuroDance, a good name which covers the cargo (that's a Dutch saying).
Let me be free by Gina was the third Made Up Record hit. On b-side of this record Michiel introduces the Vocoder version of a vocal song.
Almost all the vocal 12"-ers of Made Up Records have a fantastic Vocoder version on the b-side.
- Rygar.jpg (8.49 KiB) Viewed 620 times
The next track was instrumental, Startracks by Rygar and was also released as compact disc single. This is also own of my favourites. There will be more of Rygar in the near future. Watch your record/compact disc store!
Dance with me, with the vocals of Claudia T. became the next song. This is one of Michiel's own favourites.
Michiel is also popular in the energy scene in the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom Loading Bay Records released energy and Italo music. The tempo of this energy track is 127 BPM. Michiel give a special thanks to Melinda Kerkhoven, his girlfriend at that time. It's you is the first in the Loading Bay Records Catalogue: LBAY1, and mixed with Susanne Meals and Rofo on Loading Bay Megamix Volume 2. Dance with me is the 2nd Loading Bay Record and the 3rd track in Loading Bay Megamix Volume 1. A mix with Baccara, Mark Farina, Mike Hemmer and more Italo-Disco.
Do you want me by Sauvage became the next top-hit. The group Sauvage had a performance in the Pin up club broadcasted by Veronica, a Dutch television company. This is the only Made Up Record Production which is not on the Best of Made Up Records compact disc. This records is sold with a sexy sleeve, the cover photo's are taken by Hans van Uden. The models wear nothing, and you see nothing. Hans is a famous photographer and takes pictures for the Dutch Playboy, a well know magazine.
But there is something other special about this record. Just a few people knew this: The male vocal is sung by... Michiel! I knew Michiel had vocal lessons but unfortunately he didn't continue singing. Listen to it again and it will never sounds the same!
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The Made Up Megamix volume 1 became a famous mix all over the world. It is the 7th Made Up Record and contains the first 6 tracks Made Up Records and a track of Koto: Dragons Legend. This was mixed by Peter Vriends a popular remixer at that time. On the a-side there is a vocal mix and on the b-side a Vocoder mix and It's You by Sheila Stewart. Since that time Michiel became Koto!. The beautiful photo on the cover would be available as a poster but it was cancelled. This mix is released as a record and also on compact disc.
After Sauvage Michiel launched the second Rygar: Space Raiders. The 9th Made Up Production became Fatal Destination, the second record sung by Claudia T. Then house music started getting famous, so Michiel created with Claudia T. his first house track Games by St. & Divisions. The second Gina has the tittle: What's Wrong and has also a acid (house) energy version on the b-side (not on "The Best of Made Up Records" compact disc).
The last Made Up Record 12" single that appeared on the best of Made Up Records compact disc is the second song of Sheila Stewart. It has 2 different mixes of Tonight with on the a-side an up tempo version of 126 BPM and on the b-side, the original version of 103 BPM. The original version is only on this record.
All the Made Up Records fans who have written to Michiel's P.O.box received in October 1989 a letter of Michiel. It says that Michiel is very busy and that he started working on his own since January 1988. In the studio there's a new 40 channel mixing table. Michiel started his own publishing called Hot Cargo Music. In this letter Michiel writes that he will compose in the future everything of Koto. So Michiel is Koto! IMC in Katwijk will be Michiel's distributor.
The Made Up Megamix volume 2 is the second megamix and also mixed by Peter Vriends. It contains Made Up Records from Space Raiders until Tonight. This Production is only released as record.
- MUR.jpg (5.99 KiB) Viewed 620 times
This is one of the best compact disc ever made with all that giant Made Up Records hits. It has to be in your collection.
The Made Up Productions succeeded again in Japan with Watch me, sung by Claudia T. Michiel started with new codes, MUR5001, a code I can't relate. The 3rd Claudia T. starts with on this Maxi Version with great vocal sample cuts. On this 12" are on the b-side a House version and a 45T version.
The next Made Up Record for Japan is the 3rd Gina, a Maxi Version called Rush. Again are on the b-side a House version and a 45T version. Made Up Records code MUR5002. The sleeve of these new Made Up Records has the text HI-BPM Studio, that says enough about the tempo of this productions. This great energy and house tracks are also on Michiel compact disc album Watch me.
1991
- Watch.jpg (6.03 KiB) Viewed 620 times
Michiel van der Kuy WATCH ME HI-BPM studio producer collection. On this compact disc are many great energy tracks created by Michiel especially for Japan. There are some Made Up Productions on this album that we, Europeans, already know like Let Me Free by Gina, Dance With Me, Fatal Destination sung by Claudia T. For the Japanese people are all these tracks new. Watch Out, original by Jacky Touché, is on this album in a different mix. Watch Out is in a new version, Conny Porche has sung this in a different way. The new tracks are great, some with even a Italo-samples, that are perfectly integrated in this songs. Vocalists on this compact disc are: Gina, Claudia T., Conny Porche, Diana Lewis, Jessica Lawrens and Anita Baker. All this together makes this AVCD-1003 a very special CD.
On the last Made Up Record production so far sings Debby Jason Day By Day, a strong energy track. It became a hit in Japan and AVEX put this record, strange enough, in the house version on the collection compact disc The best of Eurobeat 1991 together with all Italo-energy tracks. Michiel said when he gave a promo copy: "This is one of my best 12"-ers, I agree. The number is Made Up Records 5003.
STR
In 1991 Techno music became very popular and Erik van Vliet ask Michiel to make some Techno tracks.
Hotsound/STR released Michiel's Where are you by Now and I like it on the EP Space Trax volume 1. This sound is very different but with the unique Michiel characteristics. Michiel is on the future side and Vivi Section and Musica Suave are on the classic side of this STR 0091. Vivi is of the classic music composer Vivaldi, played by Nigel Kennedy which became very popular in 1991.
Two tracks on the STR0291 Exposure to little electronic noises EP are Precaution club mix and underground mix under the name Mike Loucas. It starts with a special sample of an American president I guess. Precaution is a little bit more Michiel used to sound like.
Together with Duane Samplonius a new time of success started. Atomic Playboy (great samples) became very famous. You can listen to this on Space Trax volume 2. New sounds were used, it became a classic techno track. This STR 0691 record contains 2 mixes of Atomic Playboy: "Follow the leader" mix and "Beyond his mind" mix.
On the Distortion EP STR0791 are 4 tracks of Mike Loucas: Mind Extension and Twilight Tone which is made by Mike and Duane. On the Mind Extension versions club mix and dub mix you can hear more Michiel sound like the bass which is a little bit a Koto bass. Michiel has something with this twilight tone: It's also a track on the album by L.A. Style & a track on the Koto Plays Synthesizer Movie Themes compact disc. Twilight tone is also in a club & dub mix.
Michiel didn't belong to the first underground scene of house music producers, but because of his musical knowledge he picked it up very fast and created strong house tracks which became famous. If something new comes up he controls this in no time and leave his own mark on it. Then this becomes unique and recognisable for all his fans and also make new ones.
Decadance
Decadance records released Float in a dream of EX-TC by Fire on high. This Production contains a sample with the beats from Beat the clock by The Sparks, a famous track from the early days of Disco. The labels says 667 beats on the a-side, I didn't check it but, the b-side mentions 652 beats and the short version contains 378 beats, so I guess it's O.K. The first Decadance Production of Michiel has label number DEC 9001.
As Tirannic Trance Denzil Slemming produced the song I'm gonna tear you apart written by Arjan Joon. The mixes are on DEC 9010: Hysteria mix and Sunshine mix. This is a heavy record with the sounds of Michiel. I can't play this record because the first owner thought that records could stand near his heating.
Until now by Denada is a track of Denzil Slemming released on the Decadance record label as DEC 9011 in '92. This 12" contains 3 versions: Pump version, the 5AM (the time this version was finished?) version and the Hot 85 mix. The samples are the same as on Koto's track From The Dawn Of time. This tracks are not like Laserdance or Koto. This record is also kept warm by this first owner to get it through a cold winter so again not playable. Don't make that same mistake with Michiel's records!
The Decadance label continues with Keep on moving composed by Denzil and Arjan Joon and Take me up composed by Denzil, under the name the Encryptor on DEC 9025. Keep on moving, in the rock your body mix, and Take me up, in the original mix, are fast, heavy, Japanese, different and great. Take me up is with rap and female vocal a real Michiel song in a new different style that we didn't hear before of Michiel. Not many people know this sound of Michiel. Both tracks are produced by Michiel.
The same happened with Another Life in the Genetic Mix, a very good song written by Arjan Joon and produced by Denzil Slemming, on the Decadance label number 9027. On side B is a song called Reaching for the sky by Force Field produced and written by Denzil. This Stop & Go Mix is a little bit short, 3:55, and in the same style as Take me up. These tracks are especially made for Japan.
L.A. Style
1991
- L.A.S..jpg (23.78 KiB) Viewed 620 times
Yes, and then the big one came: James Brown is Dead, Michiel's greatest hit so far. A million seller, of James Brown is Dead were more than 2.000.000 copies sold. L.A. Style reached the nr.1 position in charts all over the world. In his home country the national popmusic-station, Radio 3, didn't give Michiel much airplay. But they couldn't get L.A. Style of getting famous. This music was called at this time 'gabber', not the hard-core music which now is called gabber, but it was new and heavy. Local radio stations played this song many times. This song appeared in many mixes and some copied this successful sound."James Brown is still alive" by Holy Noise, composed by a very good friend of my, Richard van Naamen, became also a big hit all over the world. Many followed like who the is James Brown and is Dead. Michiel didn't care other people used that James Brown item, this happens more with something new.
The voice which says "James Brown is Dead" is from Wessel van Diepen, nowadays a famous deejay at Radio 538, a commercial dance music radio station and also a veejay at The Music Factory, a Dutch television station. The maxi compact disc has 3 mixes of this giant hit: Original mix, Rap remix, Deadly mix. Off course there's a golden compact disc on Michiel's wall near some other awards.
Michiel started working with rappers in his songs. The first video-clip of a song of Michiel is made. And from now on Michiel is called Denzil Slemming in this kind of music. L.A. Style performed live with James Brown is Dead and in famous tv-programmes like the Dutch music tv-program Veronica's Countdown.
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The Japanese compact disc album James Brown is Dead was even released before there was a album in Europe. These 2 albums are totally different. This AVEX compact disc album is a Techno compact disc with tracks in the same Style as James Brown is Dead. There's even a song called James Dad is Brown. A great album which is never released in Europe because of that musical difference a that time. In Europe we also never heard the long rock radio mix of James Brown is Dead. The same for God shave the queen, Let your body free and So help me God a great song.
Michiel has been invited to come to Japan by the AVEX company for the opening of a new giant discotheque. Of course he accepted the invitation. He met several colleagues and he had diner with Giancarlo Pasquini, a famous Italian 'eurobeat ' producer who also makes great eurobeat energy for Japan. A big hit is almost always released again as a remix.
James Brown is Dead the remixes is a maxi compact disc with 2 different remixes: Dream on mix and Wide awake mix.
1992
AVEX released in Japan a mix with James Brown is Dead and James Brown is still alive called James Brown is Dead or Alive!?!?.
In the United States of America, Arista released in 1992 the James Brown is Dead maxi-compact disc with 9 tracks. Special are the Rock Radio Mix, the vocal of Chris Randall of Sister Machine Gun was added and Crossover Radio Mix edited by Glenn Friscia. Michiel regularly visits the States. Yearly there are several festivals where musicians and record companies let their productions hear to people from the music business. Michiel went also several times to the musical festival at Cannes in France. MIDEM.
The second song of L.A. Style is I'm raving. The costs of the video clip were over ƒ100.000,-(most expensive music-clip ever at that time in Dutch history). The "O si nene" vocal part is sung by Nicolette Okoh. L.A. Style performed again live on television in Veronica's Countdown, with Michiel on the keyboard. His hair has grown as fast as his success and he really looked like an house artist. The performing artists of L.A. Style changed when they became more successful.
The European album of L.A. Style called the Album was finally released. It contains a lot of different styles of music: Techno, Disco, Rave. Not all the tracks are made by Michiel. Michiel wants to continue in a Style more like Snap. This famous sound, especially the bassline became very popular and started the new sound of dance music like we all listen to nowadays. Michiel asked me if it's your life, baby would be a good idea for a new single. This song was different but still the L.A. Style sound. Unfortunately Balloony made by Foco (Fonny The Wulf) became the new single. It didn't became a very big hit in the Netherlands. Maybe Michiel's choice was the best, we'll never know, but L.A. Style never ended high up in the Dutch charts again. There's also a possibility that this has other reasons which I do not know or by other influences. The album compact disc was realised by Bounce in 1992. Because of the length of the album, 38 minutes, a Dutch journalist said that they have courage to call it an album. There a picture inside the compact disc: A dog that pisses on a grave and says James Brown is wet.
1995
Got to move is the last L.A. Style Production I know so far. Produced by Denzil and composed together with K.Nagi and S.Tshiananga for the Japanese market. A commercial dance track which didn't became a hit in Europe. A real Michiel track with that famous synth-melody in it. One of his greatest! 5 mixes, a action mix, a reaction mix both long, 2 short ones and a power mix. Indisk distributed this compact disc.
Techno
"The curse" with All system go was released on the city record label and appeared also on The dance sampler nr.2 a limited collection serie with Techno tracks.
Live in a Dutch radio program, called House Party broadcasted from a discotheque by Veronica, Denzil Slemming and Wessel van Diepen made as Castro in a very short time Be what you wanna be. Released on who's that beat, the dance label of play it again sam. The compact disc contains 3 tracks: Radio America, Contra and Revo mix. Michiel gave an interview in this radio program together with other house producers. House music was associated with drugs and they wanted to let people think there was no use of drugs before this kind of music. They forgot the Rolling Stones and flower power people.
In 1991 Denzil and Nick Name had a very big hit in Japan with I Want Your Body by Nymphomania, as well known as Monique Sluyter, a Dutch sex bomb and an artistic painter. The 3rd track on this compact disc is the hard-core version and that's not musical hard-core like the Dutch gabber scene! This compact disc is released by EMI, that didn't happen before, maybe is has got tot do something with that Nick Name. The video-clip of this song is approved for 18 years and older. There should be a remix compact disc of I Want Your Body, but I still haven't found one. I ordered it but it was not available. In the U.S.A. ended I want your body high up in the Billboard's Hot 100. Something special: You can hear this song in the motion picture True Romance made in 1993, released in Europe in 1994. I haven't experienced to hear this great song trough the giant loudspeakers of a movie theatre, but I'm think it would have thrilled me. Jump on your bike (in the Netherlands and put on your raincoat) or in your car and go to the video shop and ask for it!
Together with Maxx Mondino, Denzil Slemming dedicated a record to Gotham City Dance Parties as a birthday present for their first anniversary. Maxx and Denzil, Partners in crime (that says enough about those two guys) created Gotham City strikes again (Do You Wanna Party). Do You Wanna Party is the text of the female vocal sample. The compact disc contains a remix, a club and a original version. Again a great song was made.
Dance
On my birthday in 1994, my wife surprised me to ask Michiel to come to our house. Who's at the door? Michiel! Michiel gave me a great present: Hysteria Hits volume 1. A compilation of 18 dance-tracks made by Michiel. It starts with 2 the core with Have a nice day in the single saxy radio version. 2 the core entered the charts in the Netherlands (Holland), U.K., Germany, Israel and Japan. The track of 2 the core Life's a bitch has a special rapped text, life's a bitch and then you marry one. This track was included on the AM dance album that reached number 1 in the album charts of Israel. The singer and rapper are living in the U.K. A song of Nymphomania feat, Monique S. Strange love is a strong commercial dance track with that unique Michiel charastiscs. A new star called Shay Stevens sings on 3 fabulous dance tracks on this compact disc. Shay is born in the U.K and resides in London and in San Francisco. Michiel created real club songs with sounds as Jorgan of the Yamaha FB-01 sound module, like used Luv 4 Luv by Robin S. This compact disc has also some covers like Body talk original by Imagination in 1980, and This is my life made famous by Shirley Bassey. Special remixes of I want you body, wet & wild mix and blow my flute (!) mix of I'm raving makes this compact disc very special dance event that shows that Michiel has the ability to create many different styles. BR Music released this promotional compact disc, it never was available in the music stores as far as I know. Babe were gonna love tonight is a very big hit by Lime, but Michiel made also version of this great disco song. Michiel and Wessel van Diepen was ask to make the music of a tv commercial for Nintendo. They used samples of Fun Fun for this.
• Todays project Area 51
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After many years is Michiel back with Spacesynth music, he worked again together with Rob van Eijk on “Area 51”, a very famous and for todays times a very successful Spacesynth project. The first CD, “Jupiter Beyond” (HYPS 71025), was released in 2004 at the swiss Hypersound Label. Many of the used sounds on this album remind of the old Laserdance times, but they also used modern and todays synthesizers and sounds.
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The 2. Area 51 release was “Message From Another Time” (HYPS 71030), release in 2005 also at the Swiss Hypersound label. Michiel and Rob made here a very successful Spacesynth album, very closed to the first Area 51 release. The album starts & ends with a nice Intro (Extro) & they used a lot of vocoders for the tracks on this album, f.e. in “The Robot Empire”.
These albums showed us, what we can expect from coming Rygar album. I've written this story especially for Michiel, a very good friend, and a great producer of fantastic music, which pleasures a lot of people, and of course for all his fans all over the world.
Ronald Wennekes
