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 perhaps know you best for…
Chris Lake: Crossing genres in my DJ sets I feel is one of the signatures to my sound, and something I’ve always felt is important to separate me from other DJs on the circuit. I like so many styles of dance music that I find it difficult to feature everything I like into two hours.

Was it your intention to cover such as diverse range of sounds?
T: I wanted to represent the styles that I play when I DJ. I play everything from 300 person nightclub to 50.000 people festivals. I love to work with different styles. You can also see this in my productions and remixes. Its always different then the one before. I dont like to repeat my self.

Are there any records in there that people wouldn’t expect to hear?
C: Well it depends what people expect from me. People who follow my work closely will be aware that I’ve made all sort of stuff over the years, and there are definitely projects and music out there that nobody knows is me. I love expressing myself through music, and my expressions are not tied to one sound or genre.
T: I think in general the people have a picture that is just reduced on some hit records that I have made. It happens a lot that I talk to people and tell them what I have done and who I have remixed and they are very surprised. I love electronic music in all it different styles. You can also hear that in my two albums that I did. Very versatile.

How’s the first half of the year been for you guys?
C: This first six months of 2010 has been extremely full on for me. I’ve been writing new music like crazy and doing a few remixes along the way. Now this summer is time to get a lot of this music out there for people to hear. As well as completing my Toolroom mix compilation I’ve been working on a debut Chris Lake and Marco Lys album which I’m super excited about. I’ve been doing my monthly podcast, collaborating with various people like Michael woods, Deadmau5, Lys, Nelski, Nightriders, Funkagenda etc. It’s always good to vibe with other people and have fun with your music.
T: Its getting more busy and crazier every year. I always think ok that s it this is the top you cant go only down from here and then there is another amazing opportunity. I’m building my companies now. I was very lucky when I met my wife. She understands my passion for music and starts to get more and more involved in the business side. For me that’s a present from heaven. I was always hoping for someone like Natasha. We already lunched our party “TOCACABANA” which goes hand in hand with the TOCACABANA RADIO SHOW” which is broadcast on several radio stations around the world. My wife is also the boss of our booking agency “MORUMBI BOOKING” She will exclusively book me now worldwide from September on.

Your busying touring heavily Chris, what’s the sound of Chris Lake people will hear and is there any where in the world that your really enjoying spinning at the moment?
C: Always expect to hear a variety of styles from me in my sets, as I like so much of it. I always try to keep things varied and individual. As for where I’m enjoying playing, I’ve loved the USA for the past few years now. It’s really come a long way and some of the clubs and events out there are amazing. I’ll be in Brazil again though for the world cup finals. I hope it’s England against Brazil, and we manage to give them a public spanking on the pitch!

Roman your super busy with gigs, what about you?
T: My “sound” is very versatile. I don’t like to play the same records every night. I m interested in all kinds of music and styles and I try to combine them into “my sound”. I’m so lucky that I get all this great music upfront from the labels. This is like a dream! I have hundreds of emails every month with only the freshest dance music of the moment. I play underground and I also like to play hits sometimes. Everything that I think is right to play at the moment and place.

Chris you’ve written some very big records that have had a big impact on dance music’s greater appeal; you’ve always managed to balance with one foot on the dance floor and one foot in the charts. Does Chris Lake ever wake up specifically in big record mode?
C: I make all sorts of music. I like having energy in dance tracks as I think it works well in the clubs. I don’t take the approach of making something big, just something I’d play in my sets.

Tocadisco do you have certain goals with you head into the studio or are you records the outcome of a more organic process.
T: I never think like this. I go into my studio and start with a beat. How it ends I don’t know. It’s like a journey. It can be bumpy or a smooth ride. Always depending on the vibe I have at the moment. I consider myself very lucky that the people like my music.

Tell me a little about the exclusives on the album and how did you both approach producing a track specifically for a compilation mix?
C: Well the track I wrote for the album is called “Amiga” It’s more of a visit back to my older sound, as it’s quite progressive in style and approach, but with a 2010 twist. I got my wife to do a few little bits of chanting for fun, and I liked it so much that i left it on the record. It feels like a Good end of night record also as it’s quite euphoric. I’ve also put my next single called minimal life on there, which I made with Nelski, a fantastic new artist from the UK who also sings. I’ve got some wicked remixes of that track in by filthy rich and DJ pp since I mixed the album which are really really good too.
T: I remixed the track “Stoppover” by Mark Knight and Dirty South. I know both the guys and we always bump into each other on festivals. I liked the track. It s different and I had a lot of fun to remix it.

During the writing process did you have a definite place and arrangement to where you would be slotting it in?
C: I didn’t no. I just wrote the track and hoped and prayed it would work :). It did thankfully, I think..
T: I imagined myself playing the terrace of SPACE, Ibiza that I was playing this year for the first time. I had a lot of fun.

Both your music never fails to be energetic whether it be a club hit or an underground number, would be ever see a slow dark moody and tripped out track from either of you?
C: I’ve done tracks like this in the past, and I’ve done some downtempo stuff as well. Check out my track called “Communicate” and you’ll see what I mean. I also did a track years ago called “Echofalls – shiver”. Again it’s pretty deep, or the Original B side remix I made of “Changes” on Alternative Route back in 2006.
T: Yes. I m not a big fan of dreamy dance music. I probably would hear this kind of music at home. But for me a DJ set or a good dance track has to be powerful and push you forward. I don’t want to go to a party to relax. I want to go to let myself go. To become crazy and wild. I always loved the energy that dance music has. Its basically just some beats and bass combined with some other sounds… Its magic…

How do you feel about the resurgence of a very original house sound in 2010, and are there any artists around at the moment that are really catching you attention?
C: I love the fact that house is back. It always does, and for me, it’s a very good thing. House is mostly about positive vibes, and the slightly negative side about the sound of 2009 was that some of it was quite negative. This I felt transmitted to the dance floor in a bad way. House alleys makes me feel good. As for exciting producers, I’m loving artists like DJ pp, Funkerman, Siwell, Lys, Imbernon, Coyu etc. Loads of great music out there right now.
T: I think there are many new talents out there. And I have the feeling that at the moment there are so many good tracks out and a lot of different new evolutions. Institubes “Sound Pelligrino” label from France is doing great stuff at the moment. Very different.

Tocadisco what’s coming up for you for the rest of the year?
T: Huge summer for me touring and I’m also at alot of festivals. I will also do some more of my party TOCACABANA. A lot of remixes on my label and for some of my friends too.

Where and how was the cd mixed?
T: I mixed in my house in Cologne. I used Native Instrument’s TRAKTOR software with some hardware controllers

Through timely and super catchy reworks of The Egg and Mylo a few years ago, Tocadisco aka, Roman Boer muscled his way into the thriving electro house scene and has since become one of it’s high ranking elite. Since his 2004 debut single “Nobody likes the records that I play” (It turns out that everyone did!) Tocadisco has continued to show he’s far from a one-trick pony and slowly but surely carved out a name for himself as one of the best electro/techno DJs and producers. Tocadisco has certainly managed to figure out how to make remarkably likeable records in such a short period of time and his career has seen him remix for the likes of Axwell & Ingrosso, ATB, Amo & Navas, Bob Sinclar and of course Toolroom Records.

Tocadisco’s mix on CD1 kicks off with the indelible piano riff of Tony Lionni’s “Found A Place” before moving swiftly through deep percussive cuts combined with a more vigorous backbone. Tracks including Oxia – “Whole Life” and Christian Smith’s “Almaviva” create a polished and upbeat electro-influenced techno vibe.

Keeping the party heads happy CD1 soon accelerates into Tocadisco’s awesome exclusive remix of Miami smash ‘Stopover’ by Dirty South & Mark Knight. Tocadisco’s own production talents are showcased with his storming remixes of Zoo Brazil’s “Late At Night” and “Pong” by Wippenberg heavily washed in groove and rhythm. Another exclusive follows with Tomy DeClerque dynamic “Backup Again”.

The duty of mixing CD2 falls on the energetic shoulders of Chris Lake. Globally recognised as one of the most exciting young yet accomplished producers, who is currently working closely with regular studio partner Marco Lys, as well as Michael Woods and Funkagenda. In 2009 Chris successfully won over America with two Billboard Dance chart airplay number 1’s and multiple tours have ensured that from Vancouver to Rio, NYC to Miami, the sound of Chris Lake has travelled far and wide.

Not only has this year kicked off with a remix of his collaboration with good friend Deadmau5 “I Said” taking Pete Tong’s first “essential new tune of the decade.” but Chris has been confirmed as a Cream Ibiza resident for Deadmau5 & Friends this summer season at Amnesia.

Chris Lake lays down CD2 with the enthralling jacking vibe in Uner & Coyu’s remix of Noir & Westboy “She’s Got My Heart” and of course Riva Starr’s massive remix of Lake & Lys “La Tromba”. Fresh sounding and fully engaging productions from Sergio Fernandez and Stefano Noferini tighten the tension screws before he pushes the BPM counter slightly harder and morphs through disco basses to deliver his more customary sound including his own show stopping “Dominos” with fellow Toolroom Knight Micheal Woods. In Toolroom Knights tradition Chris Lake’s mix is bursting with exclusives, including “Amiga” that wont fail to shake any motionless hips in the nearby vicinity.

Both CD’s bridge the gap between warm-up and peak time with a distinctive yet daring sidestep away from the obvious to explore all corners of the house spectrum. Tocadisco and Chris Lake’s mixes fuse together to continue Toolroom Knight’s esteemed reputation as purveyors of only the best house and techno.

Having discretely passed from international chart topping success with the ubiquitous ‘Put Your Hands Up for Detroit’ back in 2006, to establishing position as one of the industry’s premier DJ’s, Fedde Le Grand continues to purvey his talent to worldwide dance floors bringing his unique blend of fine House music in all its glorious forms.

Fedde’s first release on Toolroom; ‘Just Trippin’ was a huge anthem, cementing his status within the Toolroom family. Also producing under his moniker F.L.G, which allows Fedde to experiment with a more stripped-back, darker, minimal Tech House sound; he released his double A-sider ‘Amplified’ / ‘Pink Bird’ on Toolroom last year, garnering massive attention on the dark and sweaty dancefloors of the world’s best clubs. It only seemed right that Fedde be next in line for this illustrious series.

Reflecting his world renowned DJ sets, CD1 is mixed under Fedde’s F.L.G. moniker and delivers a stripped back attitude, manifested through the deployment of varied rhythmic and skittering percussive elements. Beginning deep, in a slick and smooth style, with tracks from the likes of Solomun and Ramon Tapia, the mix lays a distinctive groove. Tracks from Noir, Saeed Younan, Joey Negro, Mark Mendes & F.L.G.’s new exclusive for Toolroom; ‘An Old Technique’ are intertwined with flowing Tech House, as F.L.G’s craft fully winds up rolling beats, and sends them marching and stomping into a field of de-tuned vocal stabs and pressure-building peaks.

You will find bouts of light tribalisms and throbbing cuts on CD2, as Fedde Le Grand finds himself on his excursion into more underground tastes; a statement that sits comfortably in the grey and somewhat surprising area between House and Techno. The inclusion of tracks such as Joris Voorn’s remix of Steve Bug’s ‘Swallowed Too Much Bass’ results in an undulating, hypnotic but ultimately highly energetic and uplifting mix. Also featuring his remix of Fatboy Slim’s ‘Praise You’, Fedde uses tracks like Ntfo’s ‘Filter’, Mark Knight & Koen Groeneveld’s Toolroom smash ‘Put Your Hands Up’, alongside another compilation exclusive; Johnstar’s ‘Tick Tock Track’, to narrate full on Fedde Le Grand mode – a chunkier and tougher approach that indulges in epic gut-busting synth melodies.

Fedde’s mix simply inhales and exhales life, striking the right balance between refined Techno tweaks and genre-busting House music that provides a soundtrack that stimulates the ears and feet at the same time.

Release Date: April 5th 2010

Offering something a little different for the occasion, The Box sees Mark Knight & Martijn Ten Velden, Dave Spoon & D. Ramirez team up for an all singing, all dancing 5 hour back-2back show involving 4 CDJ’s, 3 mixers, 2 laptops, a whole world of FX and no doubt the odd house classic been thrown down. Funkagenda, launching his Toolroom Knights compilation, will close the room flying-solo with an array of Birthday bangers and exclusive personal edits. As friends, producers and DJ’s these are 5 of the most passionate talents working in the industry today, who between them have dominated the dance charts with a succession of big releases and tonight as the leading Toolroom Knights share a common goal…to tear a new dance floor in the main room for the Birthday.

Over in the Bar it’s all about a special DJ/live set from Grammy Award winning Dirty Vegas, fusing vocal elements of a live performance with the energy and beats of a DJ set. 2009 has been a hectic year for the DV trio, who’ve been back in the studio, had 3 major releases on Toolroom; Pressure, Changes and this summer’s IMS anthem Tonight, remixed big hitters Dizzie Rascal, Calvin Harris, Ladytron and announced plans for an artist album due early 2010. All eyes will be on the boys as they turn up their talents for this exciting Birthday appearance. In support, the Bar will be rocking to the sound of Toolroom’s future stars; Pete Griffiths, George Andrews, Mark Storie, Gina Star and the label’s latest ‘Leader of the New School’ Paul Thomas, looking to celebrate the release of his ‘LONS’ album. London party supremos Get Diverted host the Loft and Gifted bring the underground sounds to the Baby Box.

All in all, an almighty party to celebrate 3 years of Toolroom Knights and another guaranteed road-block.

And there’s MORE – Toolroom want to give a little something back as a thank-you for your continued support of their parties over the last 3 years, so all tickets purchased on the door will receive the latest Toolroom Knights CD mixed by Funkagenda FREE, and for advanced ticket holders the CD will be available on the night for £5. (this CD would normally retail in stores at £12.99!!)

Saturday Sessions presents…
Toolroom Knights – 3rd Birthday

Saturday 21st November
23:00-07:00

Box:
Mark Knight b2b Martijn Ten Velden
Funkagenda
Dave Spoon b2b D.Ramirez

Bar:
Dirty Vegas (DJ Set)
Paul Thomas
Pete Griffiths & George Andrews
Mark Storie
Gina Star

Loft: Get Diverted
Rob Aldritt
Lofty b2b Mike Mackeeg
Jordan Brown
Grant Nichols
Alex Acuna

Baby Box: Gifted
James Murray
Lewi Five 0
Twisted K
David Lee
Dave Lane

Door prices: £15* in advance, £20 on the door (which includes FREE Toolroom Knights CD mixed by Funkagenda), £6 after 4am.

*For all for advanced ticket holders, the CD will be available to purchase on the night for £5.

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 willing to put me at the helm of this journey and trusted me to steer it in the right direction!

How would you describe the sound of the mix?
Well disc one is more of a groove based listening experience… It’s kind of like the sort of mix I enjoy listening to. It begins really deep and then works its way to a banging finish… Disc two is more representative of a guest slot that I would play in a club. I guess it like a 2hr club mix condensed into 75mins

How did you go about selecting tracks for the mix?
Haha – well it was a long process… Ask George in licensing! It was always going to be a bit more packed than any of the others CDs because I use tools extensively and I wanted that to be captured on the CD. There were LOADS of things that never made it on there due to licensing restrictions though… That was a bit gutting.

Would you say your musical policies as a DJ are accurately reflected?
Definitely! I think a lot of aspects of my sound are covered and people also get to see a different side to my music, for example the deeper stuff from disc one that I don’t normally get to play. I think people will be quite surprised.

Was musical diversity an important concept to explore for you while making the mix?
It wasn’t so much of an exploration, as I listen to so much different music. It was more like a case of actually fitting everything I wanted on there!

What do you feel about the house scene at the moment in terms of the quality of musical output?
Some of the output is great. There are exciting producers out there doing amazing tracks, and people are so up for listening right now… However some of the music out there is absolute gash, but its managing to hide under a veil of perceived genius. No names though! My stuff fits into neither I think… It’s just music to shake your bum to.

On the back of the Album release, how packed is your DJ schedule?
It’s Ramjamajammer at the moment. I am on a flight right now to Tokyo and then I get back for a few days of studio work before I shoot off to Russia + Poland… I can’t remember the last weekend off I had! Its pretty packed up until NY aswell – I have a US tour in December that I am really looking forward to and I am really excited that I am booked in London for NYE.

Are there any upcoming shows that you’re particularly looking forward to?
The Toolroom Knights 3rd Birthday at Ministry of Sound in London… I am planning some VERY special bits for that…

Preferred method of mixing: Vinyl or CDs?
Neither! I use Ableton Live 8 and the Akai APC40 now with 2 CDJ’s running in parallel to it… It’s the only way for me to fly.

All-time Favourite Club to perform in?
Pacha NYC or Space Ibiza… The terrace at Space obviously! And then in close joint second it would be Space Miami + Ministry of Sound.

Favourite Producer of the moment?
Either ThreeSixty or Adam Shaw… I also really like Broombeck + Siwell. They all make awesome stuff!

Secret weapon in your record box?
A .44 caliber spud gun… For laying down hefty justice carbohydrate style.

What’s your worst experience behind the decks?
When I used to drink a lot I played a couple of SHOCKING shows… One over here and one in Ireland. I have never felt like more of an asswipe for being as bad as I was. That’s why I got clean and promised that I would never play like that again.

TOOLROOM KNIGHTS MIXED BY FUNKAGENDA IS OUT NOW… (And it’s worth a listen!)

Already having featured on prominent labels such as Defected, Azuli, Ministry of Sound, Subliminal and of course, Toolroom; Funkagenda’s production and remix skills are highly sought after worldwide. With remix commissions from the likes of Basement Jaxx, Moby, Dirty Vegas and a song writing stint with the Black Eyed Peas, coupled with 3 Beatport no.1’s this year alone, Funkagenda is on a roll.

After winning Best Newcomer & Best Track (Man with the Red Face alongside Mark Knight) at the DJ Awards 2008, and his productions & DJ sets pricking the ears of promoters worldwide, Funkagenda’s tour diary has been jam packed with gigs in America, Canada, Russia, South America, Eastern Europe, Spain, France and many more. His enthusiastic and creative DJ sets have set him aside from norm and his residency at the Toolroom Knights Events has cemented his reputation as one of the most unique and engaging DJs in his field today.

Funkagenda has scanned the length and breadth of his record collection and has come up with an eclectic and different mix for Toolroom. He has written 3 tracks exclusively for Toolroom – Zomg and Lmaoblade, appear here for the first time alongside the massive groove induced Kim Fai collaboration Gayfest.

With a staggering 37 tracks, Funkagenda seamlessly blends smooth house grooves and big hitters from Sebo K, Jimpster, Lützenkirchen, D Ramirez, D Nox & Beckers, Crazy P, Matteo DiMarr and Mark Knight, working the edits and utilizing accapella’s from DJ Gregory, and Mutiny. Kirsty Hawkshaw’s Face To Face vocal also makes an appearance over Ritkam & Bansi’s Bass Master Zorro, and Nadia Ali’s legendary Rapture over Adam Shaw’s Far Cry, which recreates the massive booty championed by Pete Tong.

Funkagenda’s love of all things is clearly apparent over the mix; ‘straight up’ house, techno, tech-house, deep house and so on – and he’s not afraid of a good vocal too! Included in the mix is Mark Knight & Funkagenda’s recent smash ‘Good Times’ and Funkagenda’s recent remix of the classic ‘Zoe’ by Paganini Traxx.

With DJ support from the likes of Mark Knight, Pete Tong, Axwell, Dirty South, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso its easy to see why Funkagenda has become a serious driving force in shaping House music today.

Whilst David has been busy morphing himself into possibly the most recognizable DJ/producer on the planet, and fulfilling his passion to have Dance music shared by everyman, he still loves to turn out underground club tracks. ‘Grrrr!’ – throws us back into the middle of the dark and sweaty dancefloor like David loves best.

During a recent collaboration in the studio with Mark Knight and Funkagenda, David passed Mark a copy of his new track, ‘Grrrr!’ which was quickly snapped up by Knight’s Toolroom label, for an exclusive summer release. David knew ‘Grrrr!’ would be a perfect release to represent the Toolroom sound that is at the heart of the UK’s house scene.

David flexes his musical muscles for this Toolroom debut, with a straight up techy dance floor stomper… ‘Grrrr!’ has a buzzing bass-line and pulsating rhythm sits perfectly alongside a thunderous kick-drum and cleverly thought out percussion, whilst rising FX sounds weave in and out of the mix.

With global sales of more than four million singles and two million albums under his belt, road-blocked gigs from Space Miami to Ibiza, Cocoon to Cavo Paradiso, Glastonbury to Manchester’s Warehouse Project; David is challenging the pre-conception. Yeah, he uniquely and boldly treads the tightrope most DJs wouldn’t dare to cross: the line between being a world-class club DJ and having huge crossover success. But he has served 20 years on the street and though he could choose to leave it all behind, his vision is simply to take it to another level.

Let’s celebrate the coming of Dance music; it was made to share. One Love!
‘Grrrr!’ is passionate and real. Just like Guetta. And it rocks!
Don’t be boxed in. Raise your hands and open your eyes – for the love of House.

LABEL: TOOLROOM RECORDS
DATE: 19TH OCTOBER ‘09

This double-disc collection covers the length and breadth of the house music spectrum, moving from shades of House right through to the current crop of Techno and Electro. It is a sound that Joachim has lovingly cultivated over many years of solid gigging and through releasing a staggeringly consistent collection of quality music.

CD1 is definitely on the techier spectrum of Joachim’s palette, kicking off with Sidekick’s ‘Deep Fear’. Joachim turns up the heat a little with Mark Knight & Funkagenda’s ‘Arena’, providing the mix with some pulsating rhythms and driving beats… Sebastian Gnewkow’s ‘Threshold’ reigns it back in with some noodly, bleepy tech-house and some nice melodic overlays. Lazy Jay’s ‘Hammer Down’ serves up some regimental pounding bass, which makes you wish you were in a dark and sweaty club. Joachim finishes off with the knob-twiddling Taurus & Vaggeli’s ‘Hello Paris’, which leads on perfectly to CD2.

CD2 starts off with a bit of old school flavour with Da Fresh’s rework of ‘Age of Love’ which leads on to some nice US house sounds, with a dash of hip-house thrown into the mix with DJ Bam Bam & Mixin Marc’s ‘The New Hip House’. Joachim’s own ‘Miami is BS’ (written specifically for this compilation) follows on nicely and mixes perfectly with Groovewatchers ‘High Level’. Olav Basoski’s ‘Roulette’ kicks in alongside Steve Aoki’s ‘Deadmeat’ and leads us to Joachim’s exclusive remix of the Paganini Traxx’ ‘Zoe’, which we are pleased to announce has been released here for the first time. Joachim’s new remix of the legendary BBE track ‘Seven Days and One Week’ follows and finishes off with another track that Joachim wrote specifically for this Toolroom mix ‘No Techno in this Room Please’.

With such a full musical career and undoubtedly one of the most influential names within electronic music, Joachim was an obvious choice to mix the next ‘Toolroom Knights’ compilation. We are sure you will think so too…

It would be difficult to name a new artist who has had more impact on the scene over the last couple of years than Dirty South aka Dragan Roganovic. It was 2006 and Dirty South’s killer remix of Evermore’s ‘It’s Too Late’ that his career really began to skyrocket. The remix was easily among the year’s biggest tracks in clubland and in addition to being licensed to over 30 compilations worldwide, the track was nominated for ‘Best Alternative Dance Release’ at the International Dance Music Awards in Miami. Since that pivotal moment Dirty South has gone on to remix countless world renowned artists such as Depeche Mode, Mark Ronson, Tracy Thorn, Snoop Dogg, Tiesto and Roger Sanchez among many others. By no means purely a remix specialist, Dirty South has produced an impressive number of high quality EPs and singles. ‘Let It Go’, ‘Open Your Heart’, ‘Minority’ and The Doors sampling ‘The End’ have been all been club-smashing anthems that have received support from right across the board.

The strength of this double disc release lies with a carefully selected array of floor-destroying House tracks that have been hand-picked from a vast array of production talent from across the globe. There is a cunning blend of classic US sounds, techno and electro-influenced cuts and Dirty South’s own releases that bubble together in a mammoth, musical melting pot.

CD1 begins in epic fashion with Kemistry’s remix of the Buzzin Fly classic ‘Insomnia’ by Rodamaal. There is an early theme of melody-rich numbers that includes Studio Apartment’s ‘I’m In Love’ and Gui Boratto’s ‘Anunciación’, which both set the tone perfectly for the introduction of the more full-on club bangers for which Dirty South is famed. As Samuel L Session’s remix of Jerome Sydenham’s ‘Ebian’ rolls into the picture a little later you can feel the pressure being gradually ratcheted up a couple of notches. Dirty South’s own track ‘Minority’ blazes into the mix around the halfway point, keeping the intensity levels stoked as it does. Skylark’s Miami-conquering remix of Xpress 2’s ‘Music Xpress’ and Solomun’s ‘Deadman’ sit back-to-back in the home- stretch of the mix and serve as an insight into what anthems sound like past and present. The versatility of the mix is epitomized by the closing choice of James Holden’s remix of Nathan Fake’s ‘The Sky Was Pink’ with its neo-trance synths and glitchy flourishes of white-noise.

Conversely CD2 is more of a straight-up peak time affair that is laced with occasional vocal numbers and accapellas that keep the flow fresh and always interesting. Kicking off with Dirty South’s recent Axwell collaboration ‘Open Your Heart’ the mix immediately moves through darker musical shades than on the previous disc thanks to Dubfire’s devastating remix of Booka Shades’s ‘Charlotte’. Toolroom boss Mark Knight’s remix of Dave Spoon’s ‘88’ is cleverly layered with an acappella version of Paul Harris & Dirty South’s ‘Better Day’; a deft touch that takes an already thrilling track to another level. There is an abundance of contributions from the influential Swedish House Mafia with Sebastian Ingrosso & Laidback Luke’s ‘Chaa Chaa’, Steve Angello & Sebastian Ingrosso’s ‘Partouze’ and Steve Angello’s ‘Gypsy’ all being weaved into the mix. German producer Tocadisco turns in a show-stopping interpretation of ‘The End’ to round the disc off in frenetic fashion.

Off the back of his awesome production output, Dirty South has toured extensively throughout Europe, the UK, the US, Canada and UAE in addition to numerous performances back home at Australia’s biggest festival events. 2008 also saw him secure an exciting monthly residency alongside Erick Morillo at Pacha, Ibiza for his legendary Subliminal Sessions parties.

CD1

CD2

So firstly, how did you initially hook up with the guys at Toolroom?
It was totally by chance! I was buying a record collection off someone called Own and then realized that he worked at Toolroom Records, so I spoke to him and sent a basic demo that same day of “21st Century”. The next morning Mark Knight called me and the rest is history as they say! It was meant to happen :)

How did you feel when they asked you to provide a mix for the Toolroom Knights series?
Well I did a couple of compilations last year, but to do one for Toolroom is an honour. They’ve helped massively to put me on the map and get my music to the masses. Also, it’s the first time I’ve had a whole compilation to myself, both discs are me!

Why do you think you have forged such a strong connection with the label? Is it a sharing of ideals or simply that you have similar styles?
It’s a mixture of stuff really. I think the main reason is that we all grew together; I mean Mark Knights career has shot Toolroom into the elite but I feel as the label was growing, so was I, and vice-versa. Aside from that, of course, we share the same vibes and ideas and I also love their set-up in Maidstone.

Can you tell us a bit about the mix?
There’s alot of big tunes from people like Zoo Brazil, Deadmau5, Butch & Myself too of course! The 2 discs are deliberately different to represent my influences and also simply what I’m into right now.

What where you looking to achieve or put across with the mix?
Well, I wanted it to represent where I’m at at the moment. The Main Room disc is really a perfect example of my DJ set’s so far this year. Whereas the Basement disc has a lot more of the tracks I love to listen to and play on my Radio 1 show. There have been a few gigs this year where I’ve played a lot of those tunes out… gotta love those basslines, old skool noises and fidgets!

Is it a straight up decks and a mixer affair or did you employ any studio trickery along the way?
I used Ableton Live to produce the album and although I love the fact you can do so much with Ableton, I purposely didn’t do anything I couldn’t achieve with with CDJ’s and a mixer. I think it’s easy to get carried away and lose the essence of being a DJ so I kept things simple but true to how I play live.

What’s you view on the CD compilation market? Do you think it’s in danger of becoming obsolete or do you think people will always have a desire to possess music in the physical form?
Personally I’d like to hope people will still want something physical, but the digital revolution isn’t done with us yet so who knows where we’ll be in a year or 2?! Compilations are very important to get onto as an artist, and I’d fear the worst if anything changed too much. It’s important that DJ’s represent themselves in this form as it’s the only way to bring themselves to the masses without playing 24/7 all over the globe!

How is the new Radio 1 residency working out for you?
It’s awesome, I love it. I always wanted to try Radio, but to be asked to do Radio 1 was a huge surprise and although I went straight into the deep end it seems to be working out very well. I hope more comes of it although this is amazing for me at this point in time!

What’s the ethos of the show?
“In New DJs We Trust” is there to represent 4 different styles of music each week on rotation. My show has been labeled ‘Electro House’, but it’s really not that one sided. I cover most of the House music spectrum and always push new talent on each show. We’re looking at re-jigging it a bit from July so there will be some new features on there too!

How is the rest of the year shaping up?
I’ve got a mini-residency at Amnesia for Cream in Ibiza through the summer, a few dates in the UK and around Europe… and we’re looking at a short North American tour at some point too. I have plenty on in the studio, my new “88EP” on Toolroom is due, as is “Baditude” with Sam Obernik & Paul Harris which is likely to evolve into more of a regular project!

What are you working on at the mo?
Well, I’m still working on my artist album, that’s why I temporarily quit the remixing last November! However, I’ve just sneaked a few in actually before I continue with my album… The Presets, ‘Alphabeat’ and a Tong & Spoon remix of Madonna’s “Give It 2 Me”. There’s also some original material coming from Pete Tong & I later this year too.

On top of all that, I’m in the midst of setting up a label as a platform for some collaboration I’ve done with people like DJ Zinc & Liquid… so there’s loads happening! I also need to work on my crap sleep pattern and playing less Wii.