If you haven’t heard the name Mark Knight or Toolroom Records in the past few years, you may have been living under a rock, or been backpacking in the Peruvian backcountry. Highly acclaimed DJ and producer Mark Knight, recently voted number #42 in the DJ Mag polls, will be embarking on his first U.S. residency at the legendary Pacha New York. 

After smash hits on his own Toolroom imprint and the fastest selling Beatport single ever, his remake of “The Man With the Red Face,” Mark Knight is ready to tackle New York City head on. You can expect to hear loads of exclusive Toolroom tracks with many custom edits and remixes not heard anywhere else. This is going to be a dance floor influenced affair for people who are passionate about music, all the while keeping up an overriding element of fun. Check out his forthcoming feature on Pacha TV, but in the meantime, get to know the Man behind the chart-topping label – Mark Knight,  coming to Pacha for the launch of his Toolroom Knights residency on Friday, February 27th!

So first off, what made you decide to hold your first-ever North American residency at Pacha New York? 

Having played there in 2008 I fell in love with the place - the sound system, the vibe, the people. I felt totally at home. It was exactly like what I’d been doing in the Box at Ministry of Sound in London over the last 4 years, it felt natural. I made my mind up that 2009 would be the year to bring the sound of Toolroom Knights to the states, and Pacha seemed the perfect place to start to building. I’ve always been fascinated by the legacy of New York clubbing, the way it was structured around one DJ and one journey all night long. From way back at Studio 54 with Larry Levan to Tenaglia and Vasquez, and the legendary Sound Factory to Sasha & Digweed, but there seems to be a hole in this legacy. I thought it was time someone new stepped in and kept things moving. Whilst playing at Space in Ibiza with Sasha we spoke about the concept and he said go for it! So, the next day I spoke with Rob Fernandez [Pacha Director of Bookings/Promotions] and we made it happen. The idea is to source and use people that have always been part of the scene from flyers to decor, to club people. I want to make my Toolroom Knights NYC residency an authentic New York clubbing experience,  

What can people expect from your sets?

With out sounding clichéd I really want people to be sucked it in to the musical journey. I want to paint a Mark Knight musical picture, starting deep and move through styles ending up at techno. Obviously it will be very much the sound of Toolroom with loads of exclusive tracks and edits. I want it to be a night for heads and people who are passionate about music. But most importantly I want it have an overriding feeling of fun. The last thing it’s going to be is anal!

What will make Mark Knight/Toolroom Knights stand out from the other parties in NYC?

As I say I want this to reignite the passion of New York clubbing, no bullshit, no bottle service, no listening to cheese. I want to create a place for music lovers and club characters to feel part of - a new movement and something fresh. Pacha is perfect for this, we’ll create an ambiance and musical soundtrack to leave a mark on NY club history. I’ve not felt this excited since I first started  my residency at Ministry of Sound back in 2005. Its like starting from scratch, building somethimg from the bottom up. I cant wait!!!!

How’s everything else coming along for you? What’s in store for 2009?

Life’s great and very hectic! In addition to Pacha, I am also kicking off another US residency at Vanguard in LA, so I am really excited about bringing the sound of Toolroom Knights to the states by way of a east coast / west coast invasion. I’m also starting a radio show that will be syndicated worldwide, lots going on with new productions, and of course the label’s flying. 2009 looks set to be bigger than ever for us with new signings Dirty Vegas & Faithless.

Your remix of Laurent Garnier’s The Man With The Red Face has been among the most popular tunes on Beatport over the past few months. What has been the idea behind remixing this seminal classic? It is often said that classics such as this should not be touched… what’s your opinion on this?

First of all we completely remade the record it’s NOT a remix, we used none of the original parts. I think if you re-interpret a ‘classic’ tastefully it gives it a whole new lease of life. The original ‘Man With The Red Face’ was an amazing piece of music but very hard to play in current set. The parts were amazing they just needed to be translated in to a modern arrangement with modern production, making it more accessible. Also, I wouldn’t have done it without the big man’s (Laurent Garniers’) seal of approval. When we finished the track I sent it to him and he loved it, so when he gave us the nod it was all systems go. In all fairness I think we’ve all benefited nicely from the remake, I’d say remaking records, if done in the right way is a winner all round!

Regarding touring, what has been your most memorable gig abroad the past year? 

Wow, there have been so many; Toolroom’s 2ND birthday @ Ministry of Sound, NYE @ Yalta, playing a 12 hour set @ Space in Miami, Toolroom Knights on The Terrace at  Amnesia Ibiza when everyone sat down during the drop of Red Face (a real hairs on the back of the neck moment ) it would be hard to pin it down to one as its been such a great year.

What else can we expect from you this year? An artist album perhaps? 

I’m currently putting together my forth coming Toolroom Knights mix compilation where there’ll be four exclusive tracks, along with a couple of exclusive remixes and edits, so it will be more than just a DJ mix. Also in the background, myself and Funkagenda are working on an artist album under the moniker of Sci Fi Disco. We’ve also written some material for David Guetta’s album, which we are very excited about.