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DJ Mag Top100 DJs
71
Mark Knight
18

year?', but having 72 out of the Beatport Top 100 all on your own label must come a very close second. Mark Knight's Toolroom Records did just that at one stage in 2011, pretty much defining the year's main room tech house template as a result. It's no surprise really, because the man himself talks with a steely determination.
“I've got a definitive plan of what I want to do with my career. This year I've been focussed on the new live concept, but have also done some interesting pop collaborations with people. It's been good; I've had some big singles this year and have stepped it up a notch with the people I'm working with.”
Those people include Tiësto, and his live show debut is imminent. It's due to launch at Brixton and is a culmination of months of hard (“and expensive”) preparation. “I have a repertoire of proper songs and anthemic pieces, so I might as well play to that strength. That's gonna be my angle - we'll have Karl Hyde from Underworld, and loads of other guests will come on and perform. A sort of Chemical Brothers-style vibe is what I'm ultimately aiming for.”
A bold move, given Mark's already assured standing on the world DJ circuit. This year alone he has opened Space with Steve Lawler and Carl Cox, played an eight-hour set in front of 15,000 people at Cacao Beach in Bulgaria and has touched down all across Europe and the Americas. KRISTAN J CARYL