Founded in 1994 in Sheffield, Love to Be… is the seminal House music label and event series that has consistently captured the true essence of the genre. Over three decades, it has cultivated a loyal, international following, championing every facet of House music through its record label, global events, and long-running radio show. The brand is led by Marc Dennis and Tony Walker, known collectively as Trimtone, two highly respected House music ambassadors celebrated worldwide for their productions and dynamic multi-deck DJ sets. In this interview, DMC World speaks with the duo about the past, present, and future of Love to Be…, the evolution of the scene, and their latest signing, 15-year-old rising talent Max Winfield, a name already generating excitement as the next generation of House music steps forward.
Take us back to where it all started in ‘94 in Sheffield. What was the House music scene like in the North of the UK, and how did it differ from the capital, in London?
Marc Dennis: I’ll let the OG Tony answer this one.
Tony Walker: The scene in the North was flourishing out of the early acid house and rave days. Each town had their own scene with local star DJs filling the venues. Dave Seaman used to pack out the Jam Factor in Sheffield prior to us relaunching the venue as the Music Factory. My early clubbing days were spent down South, so I kept an avid interest in the scene down there and noticed many venues flying in the pioneers of the house scene from America. This is definitely something I wanted to bring a flavour of to Love to be. At that time, the music was very strong coming out of the US with labels like Strictly Rhythm leading the way, so we wanted to give the clubbers of Love to be.. that vibe, not only from the records we played but by the dj/producers who made those tracks.
How do you think being based in the North has shaped the sound of Love To Be and your own musical style?
Marc Dennis: I think being based in the North has its own advantages and disadvantages, with the industry being really focused on London and a lot of the brands being based out of London, but on the flip side, it gives us space to be creative and find our own path, and of course, we do events all over the UK.
Tony Walker: The scene up North was musically very uplifting with clubbers demanding energy from rave through to the US house we played. The atmosphere was always so ecstatic, and we had to find the music that resonated with our crowds.
What have been some of the biggest challenges and successes of running an independent brand that’s making a global impact?
Marc Dennis: One of our biggest challenges as an independent brand has been scaling the brand and growing on a global scale, as we have big ambitions, without the backing of major corporations, every decision, from curating lineups to producing events and releases, comes from a place of passion and commitment. That means we’ve had to learn to do more with less: building strong relationships, reinvesting in the brand, and constantly adapting to an ever-changing music landscape.
Another challenge has been balancing our legacy with innovation. Love to be… has deep roots in club culture, and as we’ve expanded internationally, it’s been important to stay true to that heritage while embracing new sounds, technologies, and audiences.
Tony Walker: The challenges over the years have definitely been the changing landscape of clubland and events. Musical styles go in and out of fashion. A good example of this was when the trance scene exploded, the majority of clubbers wanted this sound, so we took our brand more underground to stay true to our house roots and pushed our sound via radio in the UK and Europe with our Transatlantic Mix show.
The loss of a lot of nightclubs more recently has made our brand transition into the larger festival scale events, which has been most definitely our biggest success, with our current flagship festival in Harrogate, currently being nominated for Best New Festival in the AAA awards.
But the biggest challenge, without a doubt, was COVID and the restrictions put in place. We couldn’t sit still and were very proactive during this time, putting our event online every week for free. We sent our Love to be sound around the world via these streams and amassed fans globally. Coming out of COVID, we saw the love returned as our Love to be family, which grew significantly, supporting the events in many new territories
House music has always been about unity and connection. What’s the secret behind creating that timeless Love To Be atmosphere at your events, or wherever they feature in the world?
Marc Dennis: At Love To Be…, it’s always been about people first, the energy in the music, the connection, and that feeling of togetherness that house music was built on. The secret behind the Love To Be… atmosphere is authenticity. We create spaces where everyone feels welcome. Every event is about capturing that timeless sense of unity, the hands in the air, the smiles, the DJs who understand the crowd and take them on a journey. Whether it’s in Sheffield, Ibiza, the USA, or beyond, the heartbeat is the same: love, respect, and the rhythm that brings us all together.
Tony Walker: Definitely, house music is our DNA, and it always has a positive and uplifting vibe. Clubbers around the world connect with us through this. House music has stood the test of time, and all generations around the world connect to just have the best time at our events. No need for phones as our Love to be…family on the dancefloor are living for that moment and the release the music gives them, whether it be cheers, whistling, singing, or elated hands in the air. Our crowd energy is something to behold!!
What’s your take on “community,” and how does Love to Be support its people?
Marc Dennis: Inclusivity and positivity have always been central. We support the people not just by throwing events or sharing music, but by creating a space where everyone is welcome. Through collaborations with artists, mentorship opportunities, and uplifting emerging talent.
Tony Walker: Love to Be… is a global family of like-minded people brought together by the love of house music. We support by connecting to our community not just via our events but through our weekly radio show syndicated to over 100 stations worldwide.
Through your own events, festivals, or shows that you’ve played, what cities and crowds across the world have become your most memorable and why?
Marc Dennis: Most recently, our flagship festival in Harrogate has become an amazing event for so many reasons. It was a big leap to take the brand into being a festival, and seeing it grow from 3000 – 6000 over 2 years has been unreal. Although every event globally has its own special vibe for us.
Tony Walker: As Marc said, the UK has always been a vibe for us, and more recently, we have seen some amazing scenes in Sydney with our Tours with Armand Van Helden, Bassment Jaxx, and Shapeshifters. The vibe has been so amazing, we return in 2025 with Deep Dish headlining. Also, our Love to Be…tours in the US have always been a pinch-me moment as we connect with House heads in Chicago, New York, and Miami. Personally, I loved the vibe at 528 in Ibiza at our recent tour; very underground vibe in the club room, like going back to the 90s
A quickfire question… Favourite all-time House music record and why?
Marc Dennis: Way too many to choose from.. Like picking a favourite child.. Fence well and truly sat on, sorry!
Tony Walker: ‘Someday’ – Ce Ce Rogers. He performed it live for us at Love to be in the 90s, singing and playing keys!!! Awesome!!
How do you go about discovering, nurturing, and supporting emerging talent within the House music scene?
Marc Dennis: Discovering and supporting emerging talent has always been at the heart of what we do. We believe the future of House music depends on creating opportunities for fresh voices to be heard alongside established names. We recently signed a super talented 15-year-old, Max Winfield, to the label, and are always looking to develop emerging artists
Tony Walker: Programming 2 hours of music for the radio show every week keeps us on the hunt for fresh sounds and talent. Nothing better than finding an emerging artist that just nails their sound. The office sound system gets pumped on those days. We are always on the lookout for demos, and we have discovered some great artists who we encourage to not just join us on the label, but get involved with the events and radio show
We’d love to hear about how you came across Max Winfield! What drew you to sign his new record, ‘Lost In The Music’?
Marc Dennis: We run through our demo inbox each week and have an A&R meeting around demos. Max’s track really stood out, and we couldn’t believe he was only 15. Through his parents, we have nurtured the release and want to give Max a platform to shine.
Tony Walker: Great track, I loved the keys, very Grant Nelson-esque. Musically, an instant yes from me when hearing the demo, and then amazed at Max’s ability at such a young age. He really does get it, and we invited him and his family to join us at ADE, where Max DJ’d for us at our Love to be…event, showing no end to his skill set!!
Do you think the new generation of House music fans and DJs are really keeping the original spirit of the genre alive? What do you see changing over the next 10 years?
Marc Dennis: I think music has gone full circle in the past few years. Younger DJs are finding gems from the 90s and wanting to recreate the vibe and energy from the early days, but in the modern era. Hopefully, house still thrives in the future, and there are some superb new emerging artists coming through that are keeping the vibe strong.
Tony Walker: So many great young DJs and producers out there, and they are discovering for the first time the classic house sounds as we did with disco in the early days of our careers, and they are drawing influence from that. They then put in their own twist on that sound but with a real nod the the past. Some great producers coming out of Holland at the moment, absolutely tearing it up!!
Is there anything in the current House music scene that you feel needs to change or be developed further?
Marc Dennis: I think technology has really changed the landscape in production and visuals, and there’s a lot of talk around phones on the dance floor, which isn’t a problem we face. From a personal perspective, it would be nice to see music and tracks have some longevity again, as there is so much music around that it’s kind of thrown away with music week to week.
Tony Walker: Back in the 90s, as the scene and youth culture were growing, we had so much support from the press and radio. My radio show on Kiss and Galaxy was one of many programmed by DJs who came from a club background. We had amazing magazines which became the clubbers’ bibles, from Boys Own to Mixmag. We had so many amazing venues around the country playing house music. The loss of the venues and support has given what we do an underground edge, and with the rise of social media as a road to market is very different. I’d love to see more support for independent venues and promoters who still pour their heart and soul into events. I’d like to see more support for streaming from the record labels so DJs can more easily reach their audiences. I’d love to see electronic music widely supported in schools as well, to give the Max Winfields of tomorrow a chance to find their affinity to house music
Looking ahead, how do you see Love To Be evolving? What should we expect from you musically, creatively, and globally as a label and event brand?
Marc Dennis: As we look ahead, our growth is focused on expanding that community both creatively and globally. Musically, we’re continuing to champion quality, timeless house music while giving a platform to emerging talent alongside established legends. Expect fresh collaborations, exclusive releases. Creatively, we’re pushing boundaries with immersive event production, digital innovation, and cross-platform storytelling that celebrates the culture of house. We want every Love to Be… experience, whether it’s a release, livestream, or live event, to feel like something special and deeply connected to our roots. Globally, we’re growing our footprint. With new international events, label showcases, and partnerships on the horizon, we’re building a truly worldwide family while keeping that authentic, inclusive spirit at the core. Love to Be… isn’t just an event brand; it’s a movement, and the next chapter is all about spreading that energy even further.
Tony Walker: Artist development is a big thing for us. We want to give a stage, a sound system, a studio base, for producers, artists, radio, and streaming jocks. We are actively looking for the future pioneers of house music to keep our scene thriving!!. Always looking forward with a nod to the past.
Now’s your chance to give a push or plug to something coming up that you think deserves some attention.
Marc Dennis: We’ve got some really great stuff coming up into next year, Harrogate festival and Sheffield fest tickets are on sale now, but short term, our event in Sydney with Deep Dish looks like a sell-out on November 22nd, and we have Sam Divine back with us at Mint Warehouse for our final dance of the year on December 13th.
Tony Walker: Catch the Love to Be… radio show every week on one of our many syndication partners or via our Youtube channel to hear 2 hours of the finest house music presented by ourselves Trimtone alongside guest presenters and mixers including Roger Sanchez, Sam Divine, Todd Terry, David Penn, Lizzie Curious David Morales, Janika Tenn, Low Steppa, The Cube Guys, Mark Picchiotti, Mixed Methods, Moplen, Max Winfield… and many more!! Also, check out our Love to be…recordings label now on all the download sites, and we recently reached our 100th release with a collaboration with us, Trimtone, and Todd Terry. Loads of amazing releases lined up, including a track from the young man of the moment, Max Winfield.
Max Winfield’s ‘Lost In The Music’ is the latest release from Love to Be… and is available to purchase here.
