Toolroom looks to the future. Live and direct with the boss…Mark Knight
Interview : Dan Prince
Mark welcome back to DMCWORLD on the eve of the announcement of a very exciting new era for your beloved label with the launch of your #RESET campaign, Toolroom going back to your roots and looking to the next decade. So when did this whole idea begin to form in your mind and what were some of the factors that prompted it?
“Great to be back Dan. We’ve had an amazing ten years at Toolroom as a label, but the time came to step back and evaluate exactly what we wanted to do for the next decade as a business. Somewhere along the line, it felt like the huge growth of our business and the success that came with it had slightly distracted from the musical space we were adamant on fostering. #RESET is about taking it back to basics and putting the focus back on our musical space for the years to come.”
One of the first things you did was invite some of your Toolroom fans into the office to get their ideas and feedback. What were some of the comments and ideas that resulted in these sessions that surprised or impressed you?
“Firstly I was just surprised at the sheer effort that people made to come and see us – we had guys travelling down from the other end of the country just for an hour’s session with us. And we had our international fans speaking to us over Skype at about 4 in the morning their time. So it was quite humbling how enthusiastic they were in being involved in the process at this initial stage. I have to say it was one of the best decisions we ever made to meet them all, because we learned so much. I think in the music industry there is often a bit of a wall between the fans and the labels, so to hear people say that we’re an approachable company was very gratifying. That was one of the core things that kept coming up – our fans feel like they know us, like they’re part of the crew. So moving forward we knew we have to keep this up, no matter how big we grow as a brand. Secondly, more or less everyone we spoke to talked about Toolroom music having a consistency of quality – maybe not everything we release is to their specific taste every time, but they appreciate the quality of the music. So from an A&R perspective I was pretty chuffed with that. And finally, we found that with our creative identity, people liked us best when we were bold, simple and modern – values which we adopted into our new branding and artwork.”
What were the biggest criticisms?
“It wasn’t a criticism as such, but more of a reminder of not to forget doing certain things. We started Toolroom as a record label for DJs – the mantra from the early days, right back to when I had my studio in my dad’s toolshed, was to release records that DJs could totally rely on. As we’ve got bigger over the years, with global events, albums, radio and TV, maybe we lost a little bit of focus about the core of why we started Toolroom. So that was some of the thinking behind #RESET. A jolt to the system to remind everyone that we stand for quality House music; this is our passion and what drives us. Our core fan base, I think, feel exactly the same way, so staying close to them is absolutely paramount.”
The new development will see three pillars through which the new brand will form with yourself joined by Weiss and Adrian Hour…please talk us through how you see this working…the cutting edge House artist joined by the next generation Techno advocate?
“For me, having the three of us on one compilation really cuts to the core of what Toolroom is about musically. We hold a considerable middle ground in House music and are very much privileged to occupy it. Having the three of us together like this really brings that musical space together and gives it a musical embodiment, hitting it from all angles at the highest quality. I think the music and the mixes speak for themselves and to me that can only mean that we hit the right spot with this one.”
Big money is all around the dance scene at the moment, just like the football industry, corporate money all around the world has seen extra zeroes added to everything. How do you see our industry evolving at the moment and where does Toolroom sit amongst it?
“I think it’s a good thing that lots of people are interested. It is important that people don’t get too greedy or burn it out too quickly. From our perspective, Toolroom will just keep doing Toolroom. We have a ten-year strategy and just want to continue to take the long way round, keeping a legacy of quality and credibility in the process. We have our own little game plan and we’re not getting too caught up in trends, fads and chasing the buck.”
The #RESET campaign will see new artwork for Toolroom, a new website, new music and new events. The first release is your first ever Toolroom Live album mixed by yourself, Weiss and Adrian…please talk us through the album…
“Toolroom Live 01 is mixed by Weiss, Adrian Hour and myself. It’s the first installment in the series and will also run alongside a new live concept by the same name. As an album, it was our opportunity to really give people a solid insight into what our musical space sounds like and who the artists that we identify with are. I couldn’t be prouder of the way it turned out and what it says about where Toolroom is as a label and a business right now.”
Your Toolroom nights have been one of the success stories down at Booom! in Ibiza this summer with packed houses and great line ups. Steve Angello, Afrojack and Oaky famously were on Radio 1 this summer stating the island had gone “too VIP” and the white isle had “lost it’s mystique”. For everyone living on the island we all know you just have to know where to look to find those Ibiza gems…but what is your take on their comments…?
“Our season at BOOOM went phenomenally well, seeing as we started so late and had all the false starts with Gatecrasher. It fulfilled all our aspirations and set us up perfectly for year two. More generally, the big concern out there about is that greed level you mention. People are charging far too much to the people who genuinely make the island magic. It’s no secret the island is well down on numbers this year. You work that out when we are seeing just a huge boom in the industry everywhere else. If Ibiza isn’t packed given the circumstances then it must be the price. It all adds up and if people don’t take responsibility for it there is a risk that the magic will be lost.”
It is the DJ Top 100 Poll next month, we interviewed Arthur Baker this month who stated simply there are too many DJs and producers out there now and the Poll should be split into categories…how relevant is this annual competition in 2014 to a label like Toolroom when other labels around the world are now management companies and see it as vital to their artists?
“We’re not about hype at Toolroom. Hype is hard to quantify. As a record label, hype doesn’t pay our bills. Accordingly, we’re about actual record sales, not the popularity contest that surrounds that. The results from the past ten years of Beatport sales were far more relevant to us and I was thrilled to find out that I was one of the highest selling artists on there of the past decade because those were actual quantifiable facts. The top 100 can be so distorted and carries absolutely no weight to the people that matter. It’s totally and utterly irrelevant and has historically been tainted with cheating and distortion. As a result it’s lost all credibility and isn’t a true barometer on what’s really going wrong. People inflate their own egos surrounding it, but I don’t see much else in it to be honest.”
From a label owner’s point of view with dance music now in every country of the world…is this the most exciting times we have ever had or the hardest?
“It is definitely an exciting time. There has never been such a thirst for all aspects of the industry and I think it is a really exciting time to be in it for the right reasons. It goes back to what I said about chasing fads and searching for a quick buck during a big boom – now is the time to build a legacy on credibility and music you genuinely believe in. I’m thrilled we can operate Toolroom to the level we do after ten years of success and I hope we can keep that going for at least another ten years!”
What can you tell us about the new events Toolroom will be bringing the dance globe?
“We will be kicking off Toolroom Live in Los Angeles and London, with more dates set to follow down the line. From there the plan is to use global residencies and festival stage hosting duties to really show the world what Toolroom means as a musical experience. These events are our chance to show the world away from Beatport and iTunes what we do and what we stand for. The initial live push is already looking very exciting and I look forward to announcing the line-ups very soon.”
And finally, what are you most looking forward to the launch of #RESET…what has really excited you?
“It’s like winning the league several times. You take things back to the drawing board, re-evaluate your team and the specific strengths you have or need to review and then make the changes that will keep you on winning form. #RESET is one part of a huge process for us as a business. The future is what excites me the most right now.”
