Toolroom founder Mark Knight will host a monthly Saturday night slot on Mi-Soul Radio from Saturday 02 March, taking over from Paul ‘Trouble’ Anderson who sadly passed away in late 2018. Mark’s show will run on the first Saturday of every month from 7-9pm, and provide him the opportunity to tell the story of his musical history across two hours. Mark’s entry into House music came through pioneering DJs like Paul Anderson, so to be asked to host this show has been a tremendous honour for him.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that without Paul, I probably wouldn’t be doing what I do today. He has been a massive inspiration to me and hugely influential throughout my career.  Back in the day, every Saturday night I would religiously tune in to Paul’s legendary Advance Dance show on Kiss FM.  I always dreamt that one day could I be as good as Paul – he was like a god to me.  And without fail, every Wednesday we went to his “Loft” night in Camden’s HQ, dancing until we were late for work the next day. So to take over from him, albeit in these sad circumstances, creates a fitting circle in my career.  I hope to do him proud.’

Mark’s musical history is entrenched in soul and hip hop.  Growing up in the  late 80’s and early 90’s, every evening was spent by the radio listening the shows of Froggy , Greg Edwards and a very young Pete Tong. Either taping music or writing titles down from the likes of The BB&Q and Leroy Burgess through to the mind-blowing productions of DJ Eddie F.  He would then take these playlists to Blue Bird or Trax in London’s Soho on a Saturday afternoon, slowly building a catalogue of music that has been the foundation of his musical career.

Pre-house music Saturday nights would be spent at the Wag in Soho and Steve Jervier’s legendary Starlight club In Paddington.  “To be honest I never got House music initially  – it was too straight for me,  too white. Only through the education and vision of DJs  like Paul Trouble, Bobby & Steve and Tony  Humphries  did I start to make the connection from the Swing Beat craze at the time, towards the Soulful House sound that was coming through – and thus the love affair began.”

Mark’s first break as a DJ was becoming a resident Bobby & Steve’s Garage City – where he learnt his craft, playing regularly alongside some of the world’s best Soulful House DJs at Bar Rhumba in Soho. This, in turn, lead to a residency at Kiss 100’s Friday night at the Hanover Grand “independence”, where Mark first met Dave Lee AKA Joey Negro. ‘We struck up a friendship straight away through our very dry sense of humour. Dave invited me to sit in sessions where I learnt from the best. I went on to work with Dave’s Studio engineer Kevin, and I eventually shared the studio with Dave. The first record I ever released was on Dave’s Z Records –  I couldn’t ask for a more authentic seal of approval than that.’

In the years since, Mark’s productions have powered the rise of his label Toolroom. Known for his prolific output of original tracks, classic  remixes and renowned production work for other artists, he’s known for his ability to stay at the top of his game.

“I like to bring diversity in my music, both to keep people guessing and to challenge myself. Whether I am writing a disco record for BBE or producing Underworld, I like to continually grow as an artist to push my boundaries. However, although my musical style has evolved, everything I do is still underpinned with Soul. It doesn’t make sense to me without it.  I can’t wait to bring my version of soul to the station. I have been a huge fan since its inception –  it’s been a breath of fresh air in the UK. Playlist-free, and curated by some of the best soulful minds in Britain, I spend my whole time Shazaming it, which is how a radio station should be.”

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