Exclusive interview with the man behind one of the biggest forces in house music today
It is fair to say that Toolroom is one the biggest brands in dance music in 2012. Spearheaded by British DJ and producer Mark Knight, Toolroom Knights is one of the most globally acclaimed event brands on the planet achieved through dedication, a sharp eye for talent and a brilliant knowledge of underground house music. Toolroom Knights holds residencies in every major continent across the globe. From Miami to Moscow, Las Vegas to London and more – the brand continues to deliver the best in house music…most recently with a storming, summer-long residency at Space in Ibiza that concludes next week. No sooner after the dust settles on another successful year on the magical white isle, Toolroom Knights triumphantly returns to the UK to immediately kick off their nationwide 6th Birthday Tour in Newcastle. Dan Prince catches up with the main man behind it all, a Wednesday evening phone call to the BA Lounge at Gatwick didn’t quite happen…but he gets his man the next day…
Hey Mark, so what the hell happened last night?
“Hi Dan, it was a total nightmare. Our flight to Ibiza was cancelled and then we had to wait for another plane to come down from Manchester but by the time that would have arrived, the crew would have been over their working hours limit. So we were kept hanging around before finally being offered a hotel room for the night. I just went home, it must have cost BA thousands here and in Ibiza putting people up.”
Shit. So what happened over in Ibiza – you do the main slot!
“Luckily it was a big night for us, we had Wally Lopez, Riva Starr and Forza amongst others so they all just played a little while longer.”
Cool. Well it’s quite fair to say that Toolroom Knights has been one of the success stories of Ibiza 2012 with 19 shows and dozens of incredible DJs. Was the idea to create a mini festival every week?
“That was very much the idea Dan. What we tried to do is to book a real cross section of talent and musical diversity. We looked around the island and saw what people were doing and said to each other, everyone will be playing the same records over and over again. So we decided to try and get some progression going, move things forward and do things a little differently.”
Who have been some of the stars of this summer – has anyone surprised you, I heard Jack from Friendly Fires blew you away?
“Who surprised me, that’s a good question. The thing is that most of our guest DJs we have invited to Space this Summer play for us on a regular basis, so we know they can deliver. Coyu though stands out as someone who surprised me and Umek is always someone great to have on board. I was musically excited by them both and the crowd loved them too. Sander Van Doorn absolutely smashed it but he always does, and Butch played really well also.”
I interviewed John Digweed last week and he is really pleased there is now such a split with DJs on the island – the cool techno and house DJs all spinning together and the party heads like Guetta and Morillo doing their own thing. Would you agree with that statement?
“There is a massive divide which kind of puts us in a different position to everyone else on the island. On one hand you have the Swedes, Avicii and Guetta with their party nights – and then you have the really serious music heads like Sven Vath and Richie Hawtin with their nights. We fit in the middle with Toolroom. I was sitting on the plane going over the other week and there was these two girls deciding where they were going that week. It was like ‘okay let’s go to Guetta that night, then Luciano then Armin…’ – they wouldn’t know who Marcel Dettmann was if he walked up to them and smacked them in the face. To these sort of kids going to Ibiza it’s just another big night out with a big name they recognize. I honestly think that maybe 10% of the crowd at those sort of nights have no idea what the records they are are dancing to. At Toolroom Knights we aren’t too underground and we aren’t too commercial which gives us the chance to be diverse in what we deliver. And I think that’s kind of cool.”
What has been your anthem of the summer?
“I know it’s one of mine, but ‘Alright’ has been going off nicely. It’s worked really well all season.”
Have you had a chance to check out any of the other big nights on the island?
“Dan no word of a lie but in the four months we have been running the night, I have not been to one other night. Criminal isn’t it? This summer has been so busy I have literally been going straight to the airport and heading mostly over to America for gigs. I’ve hated the fact I haven’t had a look around, but these last few months have just been so busy for me.”
Okay, that’s Ibiza wrapped up. Well, you have a massive Toolroom 6th Birthday coming up – can you tell us all about 6 nights in 6 cities…
“Well the concept is quite simple. 6x6x6x6 – 6 parties in 6 parties for 6 quid with me playing for 6 hours in each city. After last year’s Brixton show we wanted to flip it a bit this year, mix it up a bit and do something more musically eclectic with promoters who we enjoy working with. “
And it’s only a £6 ticket price?
“It is apart from the Ministry one where we put up 600 early bird tickets up at £6 and they went in a flash. We were putting the Birthday together and were looking at all of these events were the entrance was like £20, we just thought it was time for a bit of payback to the clubbers. We will be kicking the tour off on the 5th October at Digital, in Newcastle – just 2 days after our closing party at Space in Ibiza. We then go to London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Belfast before finishing up in Dublin for the mother of all knees-ups. You had better be there Dan.”
And will there be any supporting acts?
“The idea of the tour is that I play for 6 hours or all night long depending on the venue’s clsoing time. On the night I will be musically weaving through it all, from deep house to techno and everything in between – doing exactly what Toolroom Knights stands for. Our show in London at Ministry will be slightly different. I will still play for 6 hours in the box, alongside Jack from the Friendly Fires. Also on the night we have German house legends Lovebirds, alongside the UK’s most underrated band Crazy P, performing their sound system show which is a must see. All this plus our fantastic Toolroom Knights residents Pete Griffiths, Mark Storie and George Andrews who always smash it.”
Let’s talk about the brand. In the 6 years since Toolroom Knights conception, what has changed? The brand has evolved but are the core ethics the same?
“The brand has grown and grown. From our humble beginnings in the Baby Box at MOS, right through to now, where we have global residences in the world’s finest clubs; from Moscow to Miami, Ibiza to Israel; from sell out concert shows, to hosting our own arenas at some of the best festivals across the globe. This coupled with a compilation series that has showcased some of dance music’s superstars, from Fedde Le Grand to Funkagenda. But the ethic has remained the same; we are not about jumping on bandwagons or trends, the only remit we have here is quality. It’s all about being part of the family here at Toolroom and that’s been the secret of our success: pulling together as a team, from the artists to the amazing people we have working here.”
There was one day from this summer’s insane schedule where you had to play in three countries in 24 hours – do you ever get a chance to let your hair down on tour or is total professionalism all the time?
“Of course I let my hair down mate. Next weekend for instance at The Ministry of Sound I’ll have a few beers. I did 20 gigs in August which was pretty relentless, you just have to organize the dates correctly so now and again you can let off a bit of steam.”
You once said that DJing is 80% psychology and 20% DJing – what did you mean by that?
“It’s very easy to mix records in today’s modern age with technology like Ableton. It’s easy to stick ten big records on and have everyone waving their hands in the air. However if you want to do a longer set, it’s completely different. You have to judge people’s moods, or even change a mood on the dancefloor. The ten big record DJ is just like a jukebox, my nan could do that.”
Ha ha, well I once overheard you say it was so easy to mix today that you could teach your mum!
“I could Dan, it’s that simple. But to be a great DJ these days you have to get into the mind set of people. Play them a record they know and then one they don’t know, just do it subtly to create a flow, get a rhythm going. That all comes with experience. I have always said that if a DJ is playing in a bar with only five people in it and can keep those five people dancing all night, there is no reason he can’t step up to the next level and into a club.”
I see you gave IMS a swerve earlier in the year. Has the digital world put an end to conferences now – ADE seem to do alright…
“I didn’t personally go as I was on tour in the States, but lots from the office went – we think IMS is great at Toolroom. There is nothing better than face to face meetings in our industry, even if there isn’t anything on the agenda it’s great to chew the fat with old friends or have a bit of a brainstorm.”
What are your plans for ADE next month?
“We’ll be taking over Panama on Friday October 19th with a great line up. Joining myself will be Tocadisco, Stefano Noferini, Frederico Scavo, Wehbba and Mihalis Safras. Looking forward to it.”
What is the current top 10 you are spinning…
1. Morena (Original Club Mix)
2. Mihalis Safras: Stranger EP Stranger (Wehbba Remix)
3. Tong & Rogers: Shake The Dice Shake The Dice (Pirupa Remix)
4. Punky Blaster: Missin’ Missin’ (Art Of Tones Remix)
5. Candi Staton: Hallelujah Anyway Hallelujah Anyway (Larse Vocal)
6. Hector Couto & Santi Garcia feat. Pablo Fierro: Let the Music Play Let the Music Play (Giom Remix)
7. Various: Basement Boys House Party Volume 1 Love Love Love (Original Mix)
8. Kevin Saunderson: The Sound The Sound (Jay Lumen Sacred Sounds Remix)
9. Mark Knight feat. Skin: Nothing Matters EP Nothing Matters (Tensnake Remix)
10.Sonny Fodera: Putting It Down EP All The Things (Original )
What is the latest on your first artist album – where are we at with this project now?
“After we have finished the tour I am scaling back my live diary. November and December will see me concentrate all my efforts on nailing my first artist album. I am super excited about getting back in the studio. I have been talking about the album for a good 2 years, it’s finally time to finish it. I have all the tracks, just need to mix down the whole thing, get some drums played, get some guitars played. I am about 70% there with it.”
Got to ask you this as rumours are always flying around. Have The Ministry of Sound ever come round sniffing looking to buy you out?
“There’s been a couple of conversations but things are pretty settled now. We have a very close working relationship with the Ministry and that’s how I like it.”
You once said that house music stops for me as soon as I get out of the studio. What artists non house are you listening to at the moment on your travels?
“Oh wow loads of people. I very, very rarely listen to dance music when I am out of work. I listen to people like Ben Howard and I am also a huge 80s Soul fan, so lots of that and loads of obscure disco stuff.”
Ah I am glad you mentioned your love of soul and disco. You were once asked if you could trade places with any other DJ for one night, it would be Tony Blackburn…
“Well come on Dan, he was a bit of a legend.”
Raise a glass and help Toolroom Knights toast this milestone birthday. Here’s to another 6 years of championing the best beats and grooves from around the world and continued dedication to the scene…
Friday 5th October
Digital, Newcastle
MARK KNIGHT (All night long)
Times Square, NE1 4EP
CLICK FOR TICKETS
Telephone: 0191 261 9755
Saturday 6th October
Ministry of Sound, London
MARK KNIGHT (All night long)
FRIENDLY FIRES (DJ Set)
CRAZY P SOUND SYSTEM
LOVEBIRDS
MARK STORIE
PETE GRIFFITHS
GEORGE ANDREWS
103 Gaunt St, SE1 6DP
CLICK FOR TICKETS
Wednesday 10th October
Castle Clvb, Edinburgh
MARK KNIGHT (All night long)
3 Queensferry Street Lane, EH2 4PF
CLICK FOR TICKETS
Thursday 11th October
Sound Control, Manchester
MARK KNIGHT (All night long)
1 New Wakefield Street, M1 5NP
CLICK FOR TICKETS
Friday 12th October
MYNT, Belfast
MARK KNIGHT (All night long)
2-14 Dunbar Street, BT1 2LH
CLICK FOR TICKETS
Saturday 13th October
The Kitchen, Dublin
MARK KNIGHT (All night long)
The Clarence Hotel, Dublin 2
www.thekitchennightclub.com
http://www.toolroomrecords.com
http://www.toolroomrecords.com/events/toolroom-knights-6th-birthday-tour
Telephone: 085 139 4016