Toolroom Knights returns with its next installment; the impressive double line up of Tocadisco & Chris Lake. We catch up with the pair as they embark on a busy worldwide tour.

How did the Toolroom Knights CD come about?
Tocadisco: It was a simple request if I would be interested to mix the CD. It took around one year though until we could arrange everybody’s schedule.

Over your CD you move through a wide range of house styles, and its not until later on in the mix where we are exposed to the big room Chris Lake sound that people…

Congratulations on AliVE reaching 20 releases. Tell us, did you launch the label with certain aims and what was the thinking behind ALiVE?
I had just started to produce some tracks, mainly collaborations with friends and although I had been dj’ing for 10 years or so, I was an unknown producer. I wasn’t sure what to do with this material, so decided the best solution was to set up a label as an outlet for the music. So with a little help, ALiVE was born! Musically the aim was to be a representation of the sort of stuff you would…

Trafik talk to Anna Wharton about their new album – None But The Brave

Confounding any lazy expectations, the long awaited third album from Trafik blazes an improbable trail through the sonic space somewhere between ethereal cinematic scores and storming DJ weapons.

‘None But The Brave’ began life when the duo – Andrew Archer and John Elliott – holed themselves up for an intensive fortnight’s studio session in the far reaches of Scotland, far from the nearest mobile signal or other worldly distractions.

The 18 months since then have turned out to be almost as intense. They’ve ripped their…

Cosmic Gate is created by two figures from Germany: Nic Chagall and Bossi. Over 10 years ago during a chance meeting at a label office in Cologne they joined their forces. Shortly afterwards they introduced Cosmic Gate which quickly evolved into one of the most creative and highly-sought-after electronic music acts in the world. As a proof of their ever-growing success is the 19th position at the DJ Mag Top 100 DJ chart in 2009 (their highest score till today).

Cosmic Gate is a regular guest at Trance Energy and this year they took the clubbers by storm at…

How important is Soul Heaven to you and why is you think they have been successful; proudly celebrating their 10th Anniversary?
At soul heaven we have always kept it real musically and all the djs have done wonderful work giving you the best in soul dance music. Soul Heaven always kept a close contact with the fans, and there is always an a class set of entertainment. With the cds, events worldwide, and quality of music they bring, you can’t go wrong. They are also friendly with all fans and give them the time they deserve. 10 years is a…

What was your overall approach to constructing a Toolroom Mix?
I wanted to make something that really reflected my sound as a DJ, but was also not just about banging out club tunes. I think I managed to strike a nice balance between those two poles. There is a nice selection of music in the mix.

Toolroom has a rich reputation in the mix CD spectrum. How do you feel about being given the opportunity to contribute to the series?
It’s an honour as I guess it would be for any artist. I am glad that they were…