Name: Mario De Block Born: 18/07/1971, Sint-Niklaas Live: Antwerp Job: government, biologist
Discovered house/techno: through MTV's PartyZone and Rave Radio, originally a late friday night radio show on dutch radio 3. it included 'Clubland' from The Ghetto Brothers and i was hooked. About the same age Moby's 'Go' sent shivers on my spine. My first real identification with 'underground' music was with Time Zone's semi-rebellious 'World Destruction'. In terms of electronic music in general, I think Pink Floyd's 'Welcome To Machine' was the first track to really alienate me First techno party so far: Sun Electric/Biosphere/Robert Leiner at Pacific, Antwerp, feb 94. Although i remember my first (of two) Love Parade experience in 1999, when you would drive out of Antwerp at 03.00 am and already at that time, be recognized by likeminded people passing by ;) Best club: Fuse (which is obvious for Belgians i think). You could enter the spot in the most mundane kind of mood and be supplied with enough energy for 2 weeks. I remember the era where Aphex Twin and u-Ziq would play there and house and techno music was still a 'family' thing you didn't share with just anyone ;) I also remember I deliberately touched Richard D James and felt the magic for a second ;) Worst techno/house party so far: a party having Stacey Pullen/100% Isis/Marcello and Koenie on the list in Sint-Niklaas. A totally out-of-context sports location with mirror walls and utterly wrong-spirited posh people safeguarding the event. But a boat party in Brussels with Johnny Fiasco at the deck counts in too here: three people boarded, and the organizer committed suicide the next week. Some people just never get what they deserve Best techno party so far: Exil 98, at the seaside of Cherbourg, France. To me, the french really have this unique, raw-edged kind of idea about parties (you'll know about their 'free party culture' I guess). I'm not hinting at the Astropolis party of 2000 when a visitor was killed though. Movement 2003 was peaking creatively as well i think, but the fact that it was my first visit to Detroit might have helped ;) Best live act so far: probably the Chain Reaction crew feat Tikiman and Monolake at the 6am dawning of a day in july at Astropolis. But Object at a Foton 'Capture' event in Brussels, 2001, with six Volkswagen car frames being used as speakers, and totally absorbing micro-electronics going with it, tops my ranks as well Best dj set so far: Steve Rachmad at Tresor Park, july 1999? Always was and always will be a fan of: Talk Talk. Captivating techno experience advice: listen 'Red Angel' by Hallucinator, stargazing or watching clouds pass by. It just makes me feel 'connected' Mario
