#MyRecordBag – Force Mass Motion reveals his all-time hardcore and UK rave classics
Through EPs such as Chase, Escape and Sonik Source, released on Colin Faver’s seminal Rabbit City imprint, Force Mass Motion, aka Mike Wells, established himself as one of the rave/hardcore scene’s top producers back in the early 90s.
Over the years, his sound has evolved to incorporate techno, trance, progressive and nu-school breaks (helping to pioneer the latter), seeing him play at events such as Mayday in Germany and Energy in Switzerland, as well as remixing the likes of Depeche Mode, Moby and Erasure.
His latest release, on his own label, is Piece of Mind, which showcases the idiosyncratic style which he is associated with – a caustic fusion of bristling percussion and twitchy synths with crunchy drums. It’s set to be released on 24 June – more information here.
Ahead of its release, 909originals asked Force Mass Motion to share his all-time top hardcore and UK rave classics… over to you, Mike.
Outlander – TZ4
“There’s always just one track that you remember from a certain era and from making those early trips out to Knowledge at the SW1 club to go and catch up with Colin Faver and all my friends there was one.
“This always used to get a spin there and it was a long time, until probably my first trip out to Boy Records in Frankfurt, before I finally found it!”
2 Bad Mice – Bombscare
“This reminds me of my first big road trip up to London with all my mates to the Astoria in London. This was massive in that club.”
The House Crew – Keep The Fire Burning
“Sterns Nightclub in Worthing was my regular, every week. It’s where I tried and tested nearly all of my early tunes before they got released. This track, in the ‘Underground’ there, always cut through and sounded amazing. That DX7 bass line, just cool.”
Outlander – Vamp
“Here we are now at the Brighton ‘Event’ club. It’s where the laser shot for my first album was taken. I danced all night under an air conditioning outlet – it was RAMMED and the first ‘rave’ that I got into with a fake ID! Ha ha!”
Jonny L – Hurt You So
“I used to bump into Jonny at the SW1 Club here and there back in the day. When I asked him where the vocal came from, he told me he sung it himself… love it!
“Massive track though, great production skills for the time, and a huge hook too. All the best components that I look for in making my tunes.”
Stakker – Humanoid
“This was the first ‘rave’ track I ever heard. My neighbour took me fishing and over the fields and far away I heard this racket – it was really early and the mist was rising off of this lake. I went home and turned on my Amiga computer.
“Back then software groups used to make ‘demos’ to show off what the Amiga could do. Moving graphics, sounds and samples. Humanoid was in one of these demos – it blew my mind. I finally found out what the track was called and I think I then got it on an early Deep Heat compilation. Just amazing though…303 acid for the first time, for me.”
LFO – LFO
“What to say! TR-909, sub bass, Top Of The Pops… even the local DJ played it at the horrible local disco where we all used to go. On listening back to it today, what a quality piece of production and arrangement.”
The Prodigy – No Good (Start The Dance)
“It was the first bigger track of The Prodigy’s that I liked. It wasn’t cheesy at all, like Charly was – I just could never get my head around Charly being the cat that used to be in the public safety films. But No Good…boom! Breaks and samples, it just kicked it.”
A Homeboy, A Hippy and a Funky Dread – Total Confusion
“I used to go to my local vinyl record store and just buy all the ‘rave’ tracks each week. This was one of them and at the time, in 1990, it was like nothing I’d heard, it was awesome.
“Then, in 1993 – I think it was my first international gig, at a subway station in Frankfurt that had been turned into a nightclub – I played alongside them, how cool was that! I also met the GOD of German dance music at the time Sven Väth, and the rest, as they say, is history. The next week I was at Mayday and so it started.”
NRG – I Need Your Love
“So, following on from above, I go to Mayday and we’re all on the flight with NRG as well. There were 9,500 people there that night and NRG didn’t have a MC. It was my second big gig EVER and I ended up MCing for him, and I’m not even an MC. Ha ha, what an amazing night that was.”
For more information on upcoming Force Mass Motion releases, visit his Bandcamp page.
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