Page 29 - Zone Magazine Issue 012

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There has also been a lot of speculation over the future of dance music in Ibiza due to many reasons but the one that stands out is the overpricing. Have you any thoughts on where Ibiza has gone wrong and how it can fix itself?
Yeah it’s increasingly problematic, which in turn is giving rise to alternative destinations like Bulgaria, Croatia and plenty of others. I just hope it doesn’t get to the point where it completely isolates itself from the core clubbing community that made it such a special place to visit. And I think we’re getting to that point: it’s right on the cusp of simply being impossible for a lot of people to consider for a visit. But Ibiza has a rich history of reinventing itself, so I’m hopeful that things will work themselves out.
Will you and the Toolroom brand be doing more events there next summer or is it too far away to have it planned out yet?
Ask me in a couple of months!
It also has to be said that there are a lot of other up and coming clubbing destinations around the world, do you see a time where anywhere will take Ibiza’s crown as the number one clubbers destination in the world?
As I’ve said previously, there are alternative destinations for sure, but I don’t think Ibiza will be supplanted any time soon. There’s too much history on that island, too many people invested in its success. It’s undoubtedly still the no.1 destination for dance music and I don’t see that changing any time soon.
With the success of Weiss and Adrian Hour’s solo projects, do you have any other artists that are going to be given the freedom that they have had to be so creative?
Yes of course, we always try and give all the artists we work with as much creative freedom as they need.
Over the last few years the Toolroom Mantra for releases and live shows has been ‘Tech House,’ are you still sticking to that sound or are we going to see a move away from it, now that it has become so popular?
We’ve always stuck to our guns, and that’s not going to change. One of the things that I think has made us successful, and given us such a loyal following, is that
we haven’t chased trends, or avoided them necessarily. Also I would contest that all Toolroom releases are ‘tech’ house anyway. They’re records for the club for sure, but a lot of them could just as easily be defined as house, techno or somewhere in between. We spend an awful lot of time talking about genres in this industry, and I’m not sure how helpful that is sometimes. You used to find DJs playing everything, across all genres. That happens occasionally now, but generally people seem to want nights they can pigeonhole as one thing or another. Ultimately, we release and support music we love, and that will never change.
You also have an extremely successful Radio Show and Podcast ‘Toolroom Radio.’ Do you consider yourself as a radio presenter now or still as a DJ that happens to spin great tunes on air, or do you see there being no difference?
There is definitely a difference. First and foremost I’m a producer and DJ, but the radio show is a massively important part of our business now, so it’s something I need to do. I enjoy it, but hosting a show is definitely not for everyone!
You must get many hundreds of new tracks sent to you per week. Do you listen to every one or do you have an army of people ‘separating the wheat from the chaff’ as the saying goes?
Yeah we get a lot of demos, and of course a lot of what we get sent isn’t of the quality we’re looking for. The A&R team at Toolroom are super experienced and I trust them to find those good records, and when you hear that one diamond in the rough, it’s fantastic. Previously if you wanted to make a record you had to invest a lot of time and money in it, so the people making records wanted to make sure they were investing their resources on a quality finished product. That’s not necessarily the case these days, with the result that a lot of the music out there is quite disposable, with not a lot invested in its creation. Having said that, some incredible records have been thrown together in someone’s bedroom in just a few hours! At the end of the day it’s about talent and hard work: if you’ve got both of these in abundance, you’ve going to be successful.
You have also been a loyal supporter of some labels like ‘Krafted’ for an example. Do you look out for certain labels product over others or is it a matter of sifting through everything with an open mind?
I think it’s natural to gravitate towards labels you know and respect. There’s so much music that you need a way of being able to go to things you’re more likely to like. But that doesn’t mean I wont listen to
something if I don’t know the label or artist. Some of my favourite records this year have been from producers or labels I didn’t know last. That’s one of the things that keeps it interesting, and also one of the benefits of the barriers to production being so low. I still get a buzz from finding a record I love, and I don’t think that will ever change.
From what you have been championing on your show, does it influence your own sound from a producers perspective?
I think it’s natural to take influence from everything, other people’s music included, But I try and go into the studio with a blank slate every time. If you stick to a formula, or try to emulate something else too closely, it’s pretty obvious in the results, and I don’t think that aids longevity in this industry.
With so much going on all of the time, how do you find the time to actually get into a studio with a clear head and produce such groundbreaking music?
It’s really hard! You have to be strict about your time, often at the expense of other things. But as long as you’re dedicated you can always find the time, I genuinely miss it if I stay away for too long.
Do you work on projects while on the move with a laptop or do you allocate studio time into what must be an insanely hectic schedule of world travel, gigs, business meetings and radio shows etc?
I might note down a few ideas when I’m travelling, or put together a mix, but the studio is where the vast majority of my musical production takes place. I find being outside of there a bit too distracting: when I’m holed up in the studio I can give it my full attention.
So with the new year fast approaching, can you let us know what to expect from Mark Knight and Toolroom for 2017 please?
My next album, a huge tour which we’ll be announcing early 2017, more quality music and a few surprises. Watch this space!
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Words By Danny Slade
Pics courtesy of Mark knight
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" I think it’s natural to take influence from everything, other people’s music included, But I try and go into the studio with a blank slate every time. If you stick to a formula, or try to emulate something else too closely, it’s pretty obvious in the results, and I don’t think that aids
longevity in this industry. "
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