Articles - Interviews

What was your overall approach to constructing a Toolroom Mix?

I wanted to make something that really reflected my sound as a DJ, but was also not just about banging out club tunes. I think I managed to strike a nice balance between those two poles. There is a nice selection of music in the mix.

Toolroom has a rich reputation in the mix CD spectrum. How do you feel about being given the opportunity to contribute to the series?

It’s an honour as I guess it would be for any artist. I am glad that they were willing to put me at the helm of this journey and trusted me to steer it in the right direction!

Articles - Interviews

Q.Are you looking forward to playing in Hong Kong for New Years Eve?

A.Very much so.  This will be my first ever trip to the far east, and due to my oriental heritage, it will be a New Years Eve to remember.

Articles - Interviews

When was your first discovery and understanding of House Music?

I really discovered it back in the early 90's - i was into jungle / d&b back then but i was also into a bit of house - they sold it at the record store i  used to buy by tunes from... but then really understanding it came from a friend of mine nigel wildman - who i met while working at virgin records - he really introduced me to the different house sounds in the mid 90's.. then around 97 i started to like dnb less and house more and then i got hooked into the house thing and the rest is history..

How do you balance life between the studio, the club and home?

It's tough but i think it's important to know when to switch off when your at home and just chill... i also work 4 days a week in the office doing a&r for defected... so it's a pretty hectic schedule but it works when I balance it right and definately pays off

Articles - Interviews

“I didn’t have that many problems breaking through as a producer but it was still really hard for me to understand and accept that even after a series of twenty or thirty releases on good labels nobody wanted to book me for gigs, mostly because I was an artist from ex-Yugoslavia. But when I got my chance, I didn’t let it go.”

With over 500 releases under his belt and a global tour itinerary that reflects his now permanent presence in DJ Magazine’s top 100 DJs, Slovenia tech-house producer Umek is a shining example of the importance of persistence.

“I always believed I would succeed as a producer and DJ and organised my whole life to achieve this goal,” he explains, “I left school and abandoned basketball training when it became obvious I won’t be able to maintain a career in both sports and music at the same time, and focused entirely on music.”

Articles - Interviews

James Horrocks; Why Reggaeton Just Might Be The New Trance (interview)

“I always had the hottest trance and hard dance vinyl and used to plan weekly sets at home, though more as research for compilations we were releasing on the label. I missed a golden opportunity to cash in on the trance scene, which I helped pioneer.”

That UK music business legend James Horrocks missed out on superstar DJ fame is no idle boast, given his pedigree as founder of seminal independent record label React. Selling millions of mix CDs across all genres of underground dance music, the label helped popularize 90s UK club culture with trance, techno and hard house and later happy hardcore, specialist genres React specialized in the most.