Motorcycle: The Dutch Electronic Music Project
Motorcycle is a Dutch electronic music project best known for its 2002 trance anthem As The Rush Comes. The track, a collaboration between producers Gabriel & Dresden and vocalist Jes Brieden, became a global dance floor staple and achieved significant commercial success, including a Top 20 position on the UK Singles Chart.
Early career
The project Motorcycle was formed in 2002 by the American production duo Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden, collectively known as Gabriel & Dresden. They were based in San Francisco but their collaboration for this project was with Dutch trance label Armada Music. The concept centered on finding the perfect vocalist to complete a specific instrumental track they had crafted.
They discovered the voice of Jes Brieden, an American singer who would later achieve fame as the frontwoman of the group Jes. Her ethereal vocals were recorded and seamlessly integrated into the existing production, creating the signature sound of Motorcycle. The single was released in late 2002 on the Dutch label Armada Music.
Breakthrough
The breakthrough moment arrived in 2003 with the worldwide release of As The Rush Comes. The track was propelled by a massive remix from Dutch trance titans Armin van Buuren and DJ Tiesto, who released it under their aliases. This remix package, particularly the Armin van Buuren's Universal Religion Mix, dominated radio airwaves and club sets globally throughout 2003 and 2004.
As The Rush Comes peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart in March 2004. It also reached the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the United States. The song's enduring popularity led to gold certifications in several markets and cemented its status as a classic within the trance and progressive house genres.
Key tracks
As The Rush Comes — This is the definitive Motorcycle track, a global trance anthem that defined the sound of the early 2000s progressive trance movement.
As The Rush Comes (Armin van Buuren's Universal Religion Mix) — This specific remix was arguably more influential than the original, becoming a staple in sets by the world's top DJs and driving the song's chart success.
Around You — Released as a follow-up single in 2004, this track continued the collaborative formula but did not match the monumental commercial impact of its predecessor.
Later developments and legacy
Following the success of As The Rush Comes, the members of the Motorcycle project returned to their primary careers. Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden focused on their highly successful Gabriel & Dresden alias, producing albums and continuing to DJ worldwide. Jes Brieden launched her solo career under the mononym Jes, becoming a frequent vocalist in the electronic dance music scene.
The Motorcycle project remains a singular, albeit highly impactful, chapter in each artist's career. The track continues to receive radio play and is frequently included in retrospective sets and compilations celebrating the trance genre's peak era. Its influence is heard in the melodic, vocal-driven productions of subsequent generations of electronic musicians.
For fans of the melodic and vocal trance sound of Motorcycle, several artists from the same era and region share a similar approach. Explore Armin van Buuren, the Dutch DJ whose remix was pivotal and whose own work defines the genre. The production style is also echoed by Gabriel & Dresden, the core production duo behind the project. Listen to Jes for the distinctive vocal style that characterized the hit. The anthemic quality can also be found in work by Above & Beyond, who championed a similar blend of emotion and rhythm.
The music of Motorcycle maintains a strong presence on electronic music radio formats. It is regularly featured on classic trance and progressive house radio stations, as well as on online radio streams dedicated to early 2000s dance music. Many independent music radio stations with electronic focus include As The Rush Comes in their rotation, recognizing its historical significance.
You can hear the iconic tracks from Motorcycle on various radio stations featured on our website. Listeners can discover the artist's influential sound through the trance and electronic music radio stations available on onairium.com.
