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In Interview with Mark Knight

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There is so much to say about Toolroom Records’ head honcho Mark Knight. His explosive productions over the years have influenced and brought the genre to where it is today. Knight has cultivated some of the best work in the tech house genre, allowing him to remain amongst the top of our scene and as a result, his imprint and all affiliated entities have become a staple in the music industry for years.

Mark has had a very successful summer this year, possibly one of his best. Kicking things off, Toolroom Records announced their triumphant return to Ibiza with a residency at the Eden every Sunday until the end of the summer. You can also find the DJ/producer on tour, making stops in cities like New York, London, Copenhagen, and many more.

We had the honor to talk to Mark Knight about everything that is going on in his world, the label and its Ibiza residency, his forthcoming U.S. tour this summer and more!

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Q&A and Premiere: Revered DJ and Producer Giuseppe Scarano Prepares to Launch Debut “Feel Good” EP on His Own NICEPEOPLE Imprint

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DJ and producer Giuseppe Scarano prepares to launch his debut EP Feel Good on his own NICEPEOPLE imprint, set for release on Friday 2nd August.

A four-track offering with the dancefloor in mind, the EP opens with title track ‘Feel Good’, an understated house groover with a classic vocal sample. ‘Back Sound’ continues the theme of classic house elements as it traverses gently through melodic waters, before Chicago house legend Paul Johnson steps up to deliver an energetic remix of ‘Feel Good’. Paul Johnson, best known for 1999 chart hit ‘Get Down’, delivers an animated twist on the original with distinct synth sounds & heavy-hitting beats, whilst accentuating the original’s jacking groove. Closing the EP with ‘This Love For You’, the final track crafts an infectious house beat, concluding with a blissed-out finale.

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Q&A and Video Premiere: Switzerland’s Bobby Shann Releases Official Video for “Frame Of Mind”

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One of Switzerland’s most exciting up-and-coming talents, Bobby Shann is a name you can expect to hear a lot more of over the coming months, starting with a blistering, progressive roller in the shape of ‘Frame Of Mind’ – the first single taken from his forthcoming debut album.

An intricate, progressive cut which flows effortlessly over a rolling bassline punctuated by groovy, precise percussion. Glitchy vocal samples punctuate the breakdown before the energy is ramped back up to continue the driving power that makes ‘Frame Of Mind’ a firmly “peak-time” selection.

A mature and considered production, Bobby Shann doesn’t rely on the obvious drops and tropes which can be found in abundance across the tech and house genres, instead focussing on creating a track which embraces groove and energy in every way. The first track from his forthcoming artist album, it’s a serious statement of intent for the bigger story which he’s ready to tell:

An established name in the local scene and a weekly resident at Zurich’s Kaufleuten club, Bobby Shann is of the old school mindset where learning your trade and understanding the genre from the ground up is an integral part of laying the foundations for a long-term career. With disco and hip hop influences permeating his productions, the debut album is more than just a collection of tracks, but instead tells the story of a dedicated artist with an uncompromising vision. ‘Frame Of Mind’ is chapter one and an electrifying way to begin the journey – expect to hear it on dance floors and terraces all over this summer.

We are proud to be premiering the Official Video for ‘Frame Of Mind’ and took the chance to grab a chat with Bobby for the occasion.

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In Interview with M.F.S: Observatory

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Italy born, UK based prolific producers M.F.S: Observatory return with more of their passionate and synth-heavy house tracks on the Smiley Fingers label.

Opener and title track ‘Belly of Biased Beats’ is a busy, bristling house cut with coarse hits and rumbling synths that will get hands in the air. ‘Amev’ is a tribal cut with big vocal chants and chunky tech drums designed to get outdoor crowds on side and shuffling along. ‘Cut Me’ then drops back into house territory with more big, bouncy drums and slapping hits as well as gospel vocal swirls and effects, keys and chords all adding to the sense of energy. Last of all, ‘Liv’ takes you deep into the night on surging techno, with serene chords layered up top and supple, dub kicks get you in the zone.

We aren’t new to M.F.S: Observatory (check out our last feature with the duo HERE), so we felt it was time to grab a quick chat with the Italian duo to learn more about what they’re all about.

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Premiere & Interview: Finding Balance With Progressive Maestro Hernan Cattaneo

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Balance Music have always been on the pulse of cutting-edge music, from their original series with James Holden and Phil K to the incredibly unique talents of Henry Saiz, James Zabiela, and Max Cooper.

Balance presents Sunsetstrip is the next plateau of concept mixes, curated by Argentina’s Progressive House maestro Hernan Cattaneo. Featuring 33 tracks by established, and new producers, such as DAVI, Khen, Brian Cid, Navar, CID Inc., and more, plus a host of exclusive original collaborations, where we transverse multiple genres, and tempos, all under the steady hands by one of the most highly regarded DJ in the industry today.

As we premiere one Hernan’s collaboration tracks with Soundexile featured on the compilation, we also sat down with the man-of-the-moment to talk about his relationship with Balance Music, the state of Argentina’s progressive house scene, his thoughts on marathon sets and more.

Enjoy the premiere and our exclusive interview with Hernan Cattaneo below!

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In Interview with Julie Marghilano

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Born in the US but now very much a resident of Berlin, Julie Marghilano is a trained violinist whose otherworldly take on house and techno never fail to impress.

The owner of the Sol Asylum label, Julie tends to adhere to a quality-over-quantity approach to production, only perking up every now and then but ensuring when she does so that’s it’s worth the wait. And such is the case with her latest, the brilliant sounds of Time In Space.

Marghilano’s first return to her label since last year’s exceptional Mercury Jasmine, Time in Space is vintage Marghilano: high on atmospherics and imbued with subtleties from the get-go, this is well-honed music of the sort the obsessive audiophiles in particular are sure to devour.

We caught up with Marghilano about the progress of Sol Asylum, this latest Time in Space EP, the difference between playing the States versus Europe and upcoming Berlin gigs.

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In Interview with Markus Suckut: “For Me 6am Is The Perfect Time”

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Anja Schneider created Sous to provide a new platform where she can evolve her sound and play around with new creative ideas. It’s also fast become a home for some exciting collaborations with a new wave of outstandingly talented and accomplished producers Schneider admires.

Making his Sous debut is hypnotic techno king, Markus Suckut with two exceptional original cuts – ‘6AM’ and ‘Float’. Since bursting onto the scene back in 2009, Markus has stayed faithful to his minimal tech roots, creating mind-altering releases for everyone from Rekids to Figure by way of his own SCKT imprint. An artist at heart, his music is very often made without a dance floor in mind: a testament to his studio craft that he’s become such a potent force in the scene.

With an EP title we are certainly fond of, 6AM sat down for a chat with Markus to talk about his relationship with Anja, the meaning behind 6AM and more.

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Digging Deeper with David Berrie

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Raised in the nightlife mecca of New York City, David Berrie has been involved in the music scene since his earliest days of finding his way into clubs and parties underage.

Rising through the ranks and honing his skills as a DJ since the age of 18, David has spun everything from hip-hop to disco and is now making waves with his signature house and techno sound in iconic rooms from Space Miami to DC10 Ibiza.

Drawing from different genres to create his unique sound, David has released essential tracks on distinguished labels such as Hot Creations, Cuttin’ Headz and Play It Say It. Most notably, David released his collaboration with Jamie Jones this past October which broke top 5 on the Beatport overall chart. Also, receiving a 9/10 rating on his follow up EP on Play It Say It by DJ Mag. Not to mention, his production has continued support by industry leaders such as Carl Cox, Marco Carola, The Martinez Brothers and Seth Troxler.

So far this year David has played sets at Paradise In The Park LA at the start of June, Park Life in Manchester, Paradise at Off-Week Barcelona, Fabrik in Madrid and this summer David has been enjoying a Paradise residency in Ibiza at DC-10.

We caught up with David to talk about what has been a very very busy year for him:

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In Conversation: Bart Skils & Weska Interview Each Other

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When Weska (Cody Hull) was just 20 when he remembers walking through the bitter Canadian cold, dissecting every percussive detail of ‘New Ground’, Bart Skils’ low-end groover that dropped on Drumcode in 2012. Seven years later, the young Toronto-born artist is celebrating a debut EP on Adam Beyer’s fabled label. And to close a circle, it’s a collaborative work with Dutch journeyman Bart Skils, no less.

While the Polarize EP marks Weska’s first time on a Drumcode cover slick (followers will note he dropped ‘Other Places’ on last year’s A-Sides compilation), Skils has almost ten DC releases to his name and a deep connection with Beyer going back to the early 2000s when the pair would play Awakenings events alongside one another.

With almost 20 years separating the artists and vastly different backgrounds, they reflected on their respective career journeys in a conversation piece for 6AM.

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Digging Deeper with Mr V

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New York’s Mr. V has been been a key player on the house scene for a number of years with his legendary vocals and top-class productions resonating dance floors worldwide.

Alongside his most famous track, “Jus Dance”, Mr. V has also released productions, collaborations and remixes for top house labels including Vega Records, King Street Sounds, Flamingo Records, Defected, Play It Down, Strictly Rhythm and his own label Sole Channel. As he drops his ace new collaboration ‘I Be Searchin’ with Genetic Funk, 6AM digs deeper


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