Mike Charles

"There are moments, few and far between
out on the dance floor, when your
friends are good and the music is better.
It is during these fleeting
moments, that for one brief second in
time, life is perfect.
[Mike Charles]

As far back as any of us can remember, Mike had always embraced the sounds of electronic music. He began working in nightclubs at the age of 17. It was about that same time, that Mike was first introduced to the rave scene. He was instantly engulfed in the emerging sub-culture. He spent his nights either traveling the East Coast going to parties, or working in the nightclubs that became his haven. Mike quickly became a hybrid product of the club and rave scenes, bringing his “raver” sense of morals into club a setting that normally would have nothing to do with a partykid.

     It was a chance meeting between Mike and American trance icon Christopher Lawrence that really set things into motion. Mike and Chris spent a considerable amount of time exchanging ideas. No one is quite sure what exactly was said that fateful night, but Mike left the encounter with a much clearer sense of purpose. It was soon after, that he bought his first set of tables. As both time and skills progressed, another random act of fate brought Mr. Charles face to face with the Crystal Method. During this exchange, the boys of the Method must have seen something special in Mike, because they issued a challenge to him, daring him to climb the ranks with the hopes that one day they might see him on the same billing as the techno giants. Never one to back down from a challenge, Mike continues to work towards passing that test..

     When things in the scene took a turn for the worse because of legislation like the “Rave Act”, Mr. Charles set out to really make a difference. Living true to his now infamous quote “cause somebody's got to change the world”, Mike created his own production company with the hopes of breathing new life into the declining scene. With the help of local guru JJ Blades, Mike is bringing back the old school morals that once defined our scene.

     Now, Mike Charles is our resident floor killer! What started out as a trance/house project has evolved into something all its own. Mike's record bag now contains something from almost every genre of music. The majority of the time you can catch him spinning Breaks, UK Hard House, the hardest of hard trance and NRG, but he also has a lesser-known affection for D&B and Groove House. One thing is for sure, whatever genre Mike puts the needle to, it's going to be a crowd rocker. As anyone who has ever heard him spin will tell you, Mike Charles has one of the most impeccable track selections around. He holds a true belief in the music, and always caries his positive atmosphere with him when he plays. Mike is a true entertainer, known for the wild displays of energy and passion during his live sets, creating an atmosphere on the dance floor that is nothing short of infectious! The truth of the matter is, if you haven't seen Mike Charles live, then you just don't know.

-November 3, 2003