Al MacKenzie started out dj'ing at various warehouse parties around London in the late eighties. His big break came after running several successful parties at the notorious Brain Club in 1990. He then moved on to be resident at the legendary Love Ranch In Leicester Square. He was also one of Danny Rampling's resident djs at his Pure night at the Milk Bar- a true honour for Al. During this time he formed a musical partnership with Peter Cunnah and D:ream was born. They captured the number one spot in the U.S. and U.K. dance charts in mid-1992 with their first single, "U R The Best Thing." The follow up single, Things can Only Get Better hit No.1 on the UK and several charts worldwide 1994 when re-released. Their first album, D:ream On Vol 1, went platinum in the UK. During this period they remixed EMF's They're Here which was included on the first seminal Renaissance Mix Collection CD and Duran Duran's Drowning Man which made No 1 in the US Billboard dance charts. Baby June's classic Hey! What's your name was also one of their remixes.
At this time Al was dj'ing at some of the finest clubs all over the world, including, Back To Basics, Miss Moneypenny's, Cream, Up Yer Ronson, Clockwork orange, Gatecrasher, Love To Be and Rise. He left the band to pursue his dj career whilst still doing the odd remix, including Helicopter's classic 'On Ya Way' and his own Kitsch In Sync project.
He then moved to Birmingham setting up the very successful Retroforward, bringing in some of the world's finest djs to the 2nd city that had previously never appeared there, Rui da Silva, Switch, Nathan Coles, Giles Smith amongst those names. Retroforward still goes today, having had Andrew Weatherall, Paranoid London, ALFOS & Lauer, amongst others guesting.
He releases music with Chris Kentish as Field Of Dreams and runs the record label with the same name. He also does solo music and D:Ream are still going strong, recording their 5th studio album in 2023/2024.
Al plays house music, whatever moves his soul. He doesn't like to pick different genres just great music. He also loves to play funk, disco, ska, reggae and all sorts of sounds that have influenced his dance sets to this day. Whatever it is, it's got to have soul.
Selected discography Al Mackenzie
D:Ream UR The Best Thing/Things Can Only Get Better/Unforgiven (Magnet/Warners/FXU)
LP D:ream On Vol1 LP (Warners)
Kitsch In Sync Jazzma'ass (Global Grooves)
Kitch In Sync Another Night/Another Day (Hi Life/Polydor)
Bottom Dollar You Can't Turn Around (Olympic/Emotive USA/EMI) Writing/production
Gorgie Rd Funkers Problems EP (Fabric)
D:Ream All Things To All Men (USERecords) 2009
D:Ream Gods In The Making (Userecords) 2011
LP D:Ream In Memory Of... (Userecords ) 2011
LP D:Ream - Open Hearts Open Minds (2021)
Field Of Dreams - Pourquoi? (Pleasure Unit) 2017
Field Of Dreams - Nothing is Perfect (FOD Music)2017
Field Of Dreams - Whatever Happened To Baby June EP (FOD Music) 2018
Field Of Dreams - No 303 EP (FOD Music) 2019
Field Of Dreams - You Feed Me (FOD Music) 2022
Field Of Dreams - Keep Rollin' EP (2023)
Al Mackenzie - Sail On (FOD Music) (2022)
Al Mackenzie - Hold Your Own EP (FOD Music) 2023
Selected Remixes
Baby June Hey! What's your Name (Brassneck mix) (Arista)
EMF They're Here (D:Ream's dream) (EMI)
EMF It's You (EMI)
Duran Duran Drowning Man (D:reamix) (EMI)
Debbie Harry I Can See Clearly Now (D:reamix)
Helicopter On Ya Way (All Kitsch'd Up Mix) (Helicopter)
Bottom Dollar You Can't Turn Around (Al's Transtastic Voyage) (Olympic/Emotive USA/EMI)
Reza No Man (Rezanation) 2010
North Beach Changes (Brassneck Mix) (Kant Records) 2010
Bedford Falls Players - The White Room (Field Of Dreams Remix) 2019
Kaan - Adab I Raki (Field Of Dreams Remix) 2019
Kaan - Sultan (Field Of Dreams Remix) 2019
Les Crocodiles - Les Crocodiles - La Nuit Des Tropiques (TBA)
Stash Magnetic - My Future (Retroforward No Future Remix) 2020
Jump - Funkatarium (Field Of Dreams Remix) 2022
Matt Gunn - Learning Through Loops (Al Mackenzie Remixes) 2023
Al MacKenzie started out dj'ing at various warehouse parties around London in the late eighties. His big break came after running several successful parties at the notorious Brain Club in 1990. He then moved on to be resident at the legendary Love Ranch In Leicester Square. He was also one of Danny Rampling's resident djs at his Pure night at the Milk Bar- a true honour for Al. During this time he formed a musical partnership with Peter Cunnah and D:ream was born. They captured the number one spot in the U.S. and U.K. dance charts in mid-1992 with their first single, "U R The Best Thing." The follow up single, Things can Only Get Better hit No.1 on the UK and several charts worldwide 1994 when re-released. Their first album, D:ream On Vol 1, went platinum in the UK. During this period they remixed EMF's They're Here which was included on the first seminal Renaissance Mix Collection CD and Duran Duran's Drowning Man which made No 1 in the US Billboard dance charts. Baby June's classic Hey! What's your name was also one of their remixes.
At this time Al was dj'ing at some of the finest clubs all over the world, including, Back To Basics, Miss Moneypenny's, Cream, Up Yer Ronson, Clockwork orange, Gatecrasher, Love To Be and Rise. He left the band to pursue his dj career whilst still doing the odd remix, including Helicopter's classic 'On Ya Way' and his own Kitsch In Sync project.
He then moved to Birmingham setting up the very successful Retroforward, bringing in some of the world's finest djs to the 2nd city that had previously never appeared there, Rui da Silva, Switch, Nathan Coles, Giles Smith amongst those names. Retroforward still goes today, having had Andrew Weatherall, Paranoid London, ALFOS & Lauer, amongst others guesting.
He releases music with Chris Kentish as Field Of Dreams and runs the record label with the same name. He also does solo music and D:Ream are still going strong, recording their 5th studio album in 2023/2024.
Al plays house music, whatever moves his soul. He doesn't like to pick different genres just great music. He also loves to play funk, disco, ska, reggae and all sorts of sounds that have influenced his dance sets to this day. Whatever it is, it's got to have soul.
Selected discography Al Mackenzie
D:Ream UR The Best Thing/Things Can Only Get Better/Unforgiven (Magnet/Warners/FXU)
LP D:ream On Vol1 LP (Warners)
Kitsch In Sync Jazzma'ass (Global Grooves)
Kitch In Sync Another Night/Another Day (Hi Life/Polydor)
Bottom Dollar You Can't Turn Around (Olympic/Emotive USA/EMI) Writing/production
Gorgie Rd Funkers Problems EP (Fabric)
D:Ream All Things To All Men (USERecords) 2009
D:Ream Gods In The Making (Userecords) 2011
LP D:Ream In Memory Of... (Userecords ) 2011
LP D:Ream - Open Hearts Open Minds (2021)
Field Of Dreams - Pourquoi? (Pleasure Unit) 2017
Field Of Dreams - Nothing is Perfect (FOD Music)2017
Field Of Dreams - Whatever Happened To Baby June EP (FOD Music) 2018
Field Of Dreams - No 303 EP (FOD Music) 2019
Field Of Dreams - You Feed Me (FOD Music) 2022
Field Of Dreams - Keep Rollin' EP (2023)
Al Mackenzie - Sail On (FOD Music) (2022)
Al Mackenzie - Hold Your Own EP (FOD Music) 2023
Selected Remixes
Baby June Hey! What's your Name (Brassneck mix) (Arista)
EMF They're Here (D:Ream's dream) (EMI)
EMF It's You (EMI)
Duran Duran Drowning Man (D:reamix) (EMI)
Debbie Harry I Can See Clearly Now (D:reamix)
Helicopter On Ya Way (All Kitsch'd Up Mix) (Helicopter)
Bottom Dollar You Can't Turn Around (Al's Transtastic Voyage) (Olympic/Emotive USA/EMI)
Reza No Man (Rezanation) 2010
North Beach Changes (Brassneck Mix) (Kant Records) 2010
Bedford Falls Players - The White Room (Field Of Dreams Remix) 2019
Kaan - Adab I Raki (Field Of Dreams Remix) 2019
Kaan - Sultan (Field Of Dreams Remix) 2019
Les Crocodiles - Les Crocodiles - La Nuit Des Tropiques (TBA)
Stash Magnetic - My Future (Retroforward No Future Remix) 2020
Jump - Funkatarium (Field Of Dreams Remix) 2022
Matt Gunn - Learning Through Loops (Al Mackenzie Remixes) 2023