MIX master Ian Bland conquered the world with Dream Frequency’s floor filler, Feel So Real.

The Lancashire-born producer penned the mighty mega hit in Leyland, where he lived, while working as an aircraft electrician at Warton’s British Aerospace plant.

And weeks later Dream Frequency, with American singer Debbie Sharp on the mic, were flying high with one of the most memorable dance tunes ever written.

“The whole thing was completely and utterly bonkers,” recalled Ian, who now runs Maison Records from his home in Read and is fine tuning Dream Frequency for an appearance at The Fortress stage at next week’s Beat-Herder Festival.

“I sent the cassette (Feel so Real) to Nick Hawkes at XL Records, who discovered The Prodigy, never imagining that he would call me back.

“I was frantically pumping 10ps into the pay phone during my tea break, trying to get in contact.

“He must have got hundreds of tapes every day, like John Peel used to, but he rang, and said: ‘Hi, I’ve got your song and I like it. What do you want me to do with it?’

“I spluttered: ‘Put it out please’.”

Ian quit his job and joined the rave revolution, with Dream Frequency enjoying a further hit with Take Me after Live The Dream and Love, Peace and Harmony had already become Nineties’ underground favourites.

He said: “It was a big decision, I’d got a good job, and the boss said: ‘You’ll be back Blandy. See you on Top of the Pops, mate’.

“And do you know what? Six months later we were.

“We went to Elstree Studios to film it, and one of the group ended up having a cup of tea in the BBC canteen with Dot Cotton from Eastenders.

“I was living in a little house in Bamber Bridge when I wrote Live the Dream and Love, Peace and Harmony, so every time I go past now I think of that special era.”

And when pop queen Madonna heard Feel So Real she instructed one of her talent scouts to run the rule over Dream Frequency.

“I was just a lad from Leyland, and there I was at this big plush office in London, surrounded by music moguls,” he said.

“A loud American bloke, sat in front of a big mahogany desk and a signed portrait of Madonna, said ‘Madonnnnnnnnna just loves Dream Frequency’.

“We never heard another thing, though.”

Ian, who recorded part of the musical score for film Human Traffic starring East Lancashire actor John Simm, cut his teeth at Park Hall’s weekly House nights.

“There was a DJ, Phil Meredith, playing House music there, and when I heard Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley’s Jack Your Body I knew that was it.

“Then we’d go to the Red Parrot at Blackburn, the illegal raves and the Hacienda.

“It was a musical revolution and the perfect analogy is that it was like a thirst you couldn’t quench.

“The release of Feel So Real was the big one, though.

“One day, I was listening to Sylvester’s You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), and suddenly it was like, Bingo! I’d got the chorus for Feel So Real.

“I was driving back from a gig at Bognor Regis and the Radio One top 30 countdown was on with Bruno Brookes.

“‘And get your dancing shoes on for this one’, said Bruno, ‘Because in at number 23 is Dream Frequency, Feel So Real’.

“We stopped the car, jumped out, and began cheering like crazy by the side of the road.

“I’ll be doing Dream Frequency when I’m on my Zimmer frame.”

Dream Frequency play the Fortress stage at Beat-Herder on Friday, July 13. Beat-Herder Festival held at Dockber Farm near Sawley runs from Friday July 13 to Sunday, July 15. Headliners include Orbital, Soulwax, Pete Tong, Boney M, Django Django and Morcheeba. A limited number of tickets are available. Details from 0844 888 9991 or www.beatherder.co.uk