What’s in Mark Knight’s DJ box?

What’s in Mark Knight’s DJ box?

22 September, 2009 | 5.52AM

• Written by: Zack Rico
• Filed under: Music News: dj box, mark knight, toolroom

British house man Mark Knight is on a mission to conquer the dance world with a relentless DJing and music release schedule.

Not content with running one of the biggest labels in dance music (Toolroom), Knight put out a large number of club hits over the last 18 months including remixes of the classics Leftfield ‘Phat Planet’ and Lil Mo Yin Yang ‘Reach’, as well as the mainroom pleasers ‘Good Times’, ‘Mannheim’, and a 2008 anthem with ‘Man With The Red Face’ (produced alongside fellow Brit Funkagenda).

Now Knight is set for dance music’s front pages once again with a new Underworld co-production, which is the band’s first ever clubland collaboration.

‘Downpipe’ sees the powerful vocals of Underworld’s Karl Hyde boosted by solid club beats from Mark Knight and D.Ramirez, and the track is well on course to becoming a future classic of 2009 (dance music barometer Pete Tong recently named it his Essential New Tune).

Yes Mark Knight is unstoppable, so we decided to peek inside his DJ record box to see what tracks are crucial to his club destroying sets.

Favorite set opener?

It’s difficult to have one specific set opener as shows can vary so much, so what I tend to do for the more high-impact shows is create my own intro. Usually it’s a re-edit of a big record of the moment or one of my own productions to really set the mood as I like to make a statement when I start to play.

Secret weapon only you have a copy of?

At present it’s my remix of the brand new U2 single ‘Moment of Surrender’. It has been going off everywhere.

Trippiest record

I once played Lonnie Youngblood ‘Gonna Fly Now’ just to see what the reaction would be. If you don’t know the record ‘youtube it’ (you’ll soon recognise it!). Didn’t quite get the reaction I was hoping for, but worth a go.

Video: ‘Gonna Fly Now’

Killer vocal track?

Faithless ‘Music Matters’ [Toolroom]

I don’t usually play vocals as they don’t necessarily sit in my set, but I tend to finish the night off with my own productions and of course play ‘Music Matters’ by Faithlesss, which is pretty much the only vocal I play, which does the trick nicely.

Bassline weapon?

Coyu, Uner ‘Raw Sweat’ [Diynamic]

‘Raw Sweat’ by Coyu and Uner. It’s really refreshing to hear a bass sound with real character as opposed to just sub. The bassline totally makes this track. For me it’s one of THE best tracks of the year. I’m a big fan of these guys, who are doing some fantastic stuff at the moment. Would love to get them on board to produce something for Toolroom, so if you’re reading this give me a shout!

The record that will never leave your box as long as you live?

Soul Central ‘Strings Of Life’ (MK & MTV Remix) [Defected]

‘Strings of Life’, the MK & MTV remix.  It’s the record that really put myself and MTV on the map. Not only does it still go off everywhere, but it also brings back some amazing memories. I haven’t played it for along time, but it will never ever leave my box.

Oldie that everyone else has probably forgotten?

4th Measure Man ‘4 You’ [ITH]

‘4 You’ by 4th Measure Men. Dropped this at Pacha NYC last month and it went OFF. An all time classic and a record that completely defines an era. It’s one of the signature tunes of Rulin, at Ministry of Sound, London, circa 94.

One more tune of the night finisher?

U2 ‘With Or Without You’

I always get a bit of stick from my manager Phil for this…but I love to leave something in people’s heads that they go away from the night remembering (hopefully in a good way). I always drop as one more tune ‘With Or Without You’ by U2. One of the best songs ever written.

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