Push — Universal Nation

Universal Nation is a 1998 Push release on Bonzai Records. The original Belgian record was titled The Real Anthem and paired Universal Nation with Prisma. Push is Mike Dierickx’s project, also connected to his M.I.K.E. identity. For this archive, the record is a starting point for the melodic side of Belgian trance: its original version and later remixes offer different ways into the same composition.

In an interview on Dave Pearce’s website, Dierickx recalled making the track in four hours on a Wednesday afternoon. He described it as a spontaneous session rather than a formula. That recollection does not establish a precise recording date. The original Belgian catalog editions checked here are from 1998; we do not treat a reported earlier studio date as a verified commercial release.

The production credit belongs to Dierickx; Ferry Corsten, Oliver Lieb, DuMonde and Gai Barone are remixers on separate editions. Compare the original with one named remix at a time. The release listings identify versions, but they do not document a complete equipment list or a bar-by-bar studio reconstruction. We therefore leave those claims out.

Armada Music Publishing identifies Universal Nation as the breakthrough for the Push name. Bonzai’s own retrospective also treats it as a defining release in the label’s catalog. Those sources support its place here without requiring unsourced sales totals, chart rankings or claims that every classic-era DJ played it.

• Universal Nation / original mix (1998)

  The Real Anthem, BR98137, is the original Belgian pairing with Prisma. A separate 1998 edition explicitly labels the original mix.

  The Real Anthem: original Belgian release

• DuMonde mix (1998)

  Named on the BR98137R Bonzai edition alongside the original mix and Prisma.

  Universal Nation: 1998 Bonzai remix edition

• Oliver Lieb remix (1999)

  Named on Universal Nation ’99 Remixes, BR99151. Do not confuse it with the original.

  Universal Nation ’99 Remixes: BR99151

• Ferry Corsten remix (1999)

  Another distinct version on BR99151; Ferry Corsten is the remixer, not the original artist.

  Universal Nation ’99 Remixes: BR99151

• Gai Barone Remix (2017)

  Bonzai Progressive’s later anniversary-program reinterpretation.

  Universal Nation — Gai Barone Remix

The 1999 remix releases and Bonzai’s 2017 Gai Barone edition show how the composition remained in circulation. The 2017 release is a later reinterpretation, not evidence for a different original artist or year. The ’99 title likewise identifies a remix campaign rather than the first release of the composition.

• The Real Anthem is the title of the original Belgian release, not a second producer credit.
• Prisma is the companion track on that release.
• A remix or remaster collection date does not replace the original 1998 catalog year.