When Mark Knight founded Toolroom Records in 2003, he wasn’t just building an empire, he was solving a problem. Frustrated by gatekeepers and hungry for control over his own sound, he built a label around a simple promise: quality club records, properly engineered, built for dance floors.
Two decades later, Toolroom Records sits at the top of Beatport’s all-time chart, Fool’s Paradise has landed a residency at fabric, and Mark shows no signs of slowing down.
With a new collaboration alongside Armand Van Helden and D. Ramirez out now, we sat down with one of house music’s most consistent figures to talk legacy, creativity, AI, and why patience still beats trends every single time.
Toolroom is turning 23 years old this year! Take us back to 2003… What drove the decision to start Toolroom, and what gap in the market or creative need were you trying to fill at that time? Did you ever imagine it would become Beatport’s biggest-selling label or shape this many careers in house music?
In 2003 it was nowhere near as grand as it probably sounds now. I was just frustrated, if I’m honest. I was making records and I wanted a platform where I could release music without compromise, without waiting for someone else to decide whether it fitted their schedule or their identity.
There was also a gap at that time. House music was splintering into lots of little sub genres and I felt like there was space for a label that focused on quality club records that DJs could rely on. Properly engineered, properly structured, built for dance floors. That was always the focus. Function first, but with personality.
Did I think it would become what it has? Not at all. You do not start something thinking about becoming the biggest-selling label on Beatport. You start it because you believe in it and you want control over your own output. The growth came from consistency. We never tried to reinvent ourselves every six months. We just kept delivering. The careers that have come through the label are probably what I am most proud of. Watching artists develop and go on to build their own identities, that is the real legacy.
You’ve just announced a new collaboration with Armand Van Helden and D. Ramirez. How did this particular three-way partnership come together? What was the creative process like working together on this track?
The record started with an idea that I had been living with for a while. It was not forced. It was just something that kept pulling me back in. When Armand and I started talking again it felt like a natural fit for him. There is a shared understanding there. We do not need to over explain things to each other. Bringing Dean into it was instinctive. He has a very particular musical sensibility and I knew he would bring something that neither of us would approach in the same way.
The process was actually very straightforward. When you have all written as many records as we have, you are not fighting for space. You know what you are aiming at. It becomes about cohesion. Making sure the ideas fit together in a way that feels strong and not like a compromise. The record dictates the direction. That is always the boss.
As both a label owner and active producer, how do you balance A&R responsibilities with your own creative output? Does running Toolroom influence the music you make, or vice versa?
They definitely influence each other, whether you try to separate them or not. When you are listening to demos all the time, you are constantly exposed to what is happening in the scene. That keeps you aware, but it can also be dangerous if you start chasing things.
I have always tried to protect my studio time. When I am producing, I am not thinking like an A&R. I am thinking like a DJ. How does this feel at two in the morning? How does it sit in a set? Running Toolroom has taught me discipline. Deadlines, structure, understanding how records live in the real world. But creatively I have to make sure I am coming from the heart. If I start making music to satisfy the label side of my brain, it loses something.
Your sublabel, Fool’s Paradise has become a part of your musical identity. What inspired you to launch a second label, and how does its focus on soulful house influence the music you’re making and playing now?
Fool’s Paradise was very personal. It came from a place of wanting to lean fully into something I genuinely love. Soulful house has always been part of my DNA, but there was a period where those words almost became unfashionable. Everything went minimal, vocals were out, and for a while it felt like the scene had lost a bit of its warmth.
I did not want to chase that. I wanted a space where I could celebrate groove, musicality, vocals, emotion, without apology. It has definitely influenced what I am playing. I am more confident leaning into that side of my taste now. But it is not about being nostalgic. It is about balancing soul with enough energy to translate in the club. That balance is everything.
Fool’s Paradise secured a residency at fabric this year – congratulations! Can you tell us what talent you are looking to bring or any specific theme for the night?
Fabric was important because of integrity. It is a space that has retained its identity over decades. So aligning Fool’s Paradise with that felt right. In terms of talent, it is about continuity. Artists who believe in the sound and are committed to it. Foundational names alongside artists shaping the present. It has to feel natural. Not like a history lesson, and not like a trend showcase. The theme, if there is one, is authenticity. Proper house music in a room that understands it.
How would you describe the state of the UK house scene right now? Are there movements or sounds coming through Toolroom or Fool’s Paradise that excite you about where things are heading?
It is healthy, but you have to look slightly left of centre sometimes. The backbone of house has always been the die hard fans and that has not changed.
There is a lot of great music being made. You just have to dig a bit deeper. Through Toolroom and Fool’s Paradise we are seeing producers who understand groove and structure, not just drops. That excites me. There is a renewed appreciation for musicality, which is important.
You’re known for open-to-close sets that showcase a different side of your programming. How does playing for six or eight hours change the way you think about selection compared to a festival slot?
Open-to-close is storytelling. You are not just delivering impact moments. You are building trust with the room. You can start deeper, more subtle, let things breathe. You can take risks. In a festival slot you have maybe ninety minutes to make a statement, so the energy curve is different. When you play six or eight hours, you are reading the room constantly. You are adjusting. It is more fluid and more rewarding because you see the full journey.
AI is becoming a big conversation in music production. As someone who’s been in the studio for decades, how do you view its role in the creative process and does it concern you at all?
Technology has always evolved. I remember when digital production was frowned upon. Then it became standard. AI does not concern me creatively because tools do not replace taste. They do not replace instinct or lived experience. They might speed up certain processes, but they cannot replicate the emotional decisions that make a record special. If anything, it might push people to focus more on individuality, because that is what will stand out.
For producers and DJs just starting out now, what’s the most important advice you’d give, especially if they’re thinking about building something sustainable like you have with Toolroom?
Patience and drive. Do not chase trends because they are moving targets. Build something that genuinely reflects you. Consistency over years is what creates sustainability. And focus on quality. Whether it is a record, an event, or a brand, integrity matters. It might take longer, but it lasts. If you are doing it from the heart and not purely for the financial upside, you are already on the right path. People can feel when something is real.