Former DJ/producer turned writer. Writes for DJ Mag, Beatport, Disco Pogo, Mixmag, Attack etc. My first book 'Long Relationships: My Incredible Journey From Unknown DJ to Smalltime DJ' was published in 2021
Toolroom at 20: two decades of triumphant tech-house
Since brothers Mark and Stuart Knight first launched Toolroom in 2003 as a two-man operation run out of their parents’ shed, the label has developed into a slick, successful global brand...
Ben Hemsley: advancing the trance
Speaking to us over Zoom from his home studio, freshly returned from gigging in The Netherlands, DJ, producer and trance evangelist Ben Hemsley is feeling pretty good about his DJ Mag Best Producer win..
Exploring the relationship between neurodiversity and dance music
After being diagnosed with ADHD and suspected autism earlier this year, DJ Mag writer Harold Heath began to wonder: is there a particularly high number of neurodivergent people in the scene? .
5 ways to change tempo in your DJ set: "Big tempo changes can lift a dance floor, surprise your audience, or help you perform a reset"
For many DJs, sticking to a narrow bpm range for their entire set works brilliantly, but what if you want to drop a tune with a radically different tempo to what you’re playing?
5 essential EQ & filter tricks for DJs
Aside from the faders and cue buttons, the EQ and filters are probably the most important and most used controls on a DJ mixer. While techniques like looping and scratching might not be essential for every DJ, the EQ is one of the central tools used to mix between tracks and most DJs will use it at every gig they play...
10 mistakes every DJ makes: "DJing is a job and you’re likely better at it when you’re not incapacitated"
Landing a decent DJ gig is a chance to shine; to share the music you love, demonstrate your impeccable tune selection and ability to read a room, as well as your technical prowess. But like any job, it’s also a chance to make mistakes – although, unlike most jobs, as a DJ your mistakes might be in front of hundreds or even thousands of people...
Cover Story: DJ Koze and the Quest for “Invisible, Unexplainable Magic”
Beatport speaks with DJ Koze — one of electronic music’s most original and idiosyncratic producers — about creating to destroy, the matrix of deepness, working with Róisín Murphy, and much more.
Why are there so many neurodivergent people in electronic music?
The growing awareness around the prevalence of neurodivergence within electronic music has led many to wonder if they might be neurodivergent too. Here, following up his 2022 exploration of the topic, AuDHD writer and DJ Harold Heath investigates...
A history of Trax Records and the fight for Chicago's house pioneers' royalties
Chicago’s Trax Records released some of the most influential records in house history, but decades later, many of the artists behind them are still waiting to be paid. Harold Heath investigates the long and complicated history of one of house music’s most infamous labels
“Mainstream Disco Funk” is a quality mid-’70s compilation from Bob Shad’s Mainstream label
Producer Bob Shad’s Mainstream Records started out in the 1960s as a jazz label, then at the end of the decade branched out into rock before moving into soul and funk in the early ’70s...
Cherry on top: celebrating Pacha Ibiza at 50
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023, Pacha is an Ibizan institution that’s made a lasting impact on both clubbing on the White Isle and around the world. Here, Harold Heath looks back at half a century of this storied venue and the ethos that operates behind those iconic cherries
Tour-Maubourg releases the gently introspective Spaces of Silence
The title of Spaces Of Silence refers to Belgian producer Tour-Maubourg’s tinnitus and this album is thematically based around the ideas of noise and silence...
What Happens When You Take Your Music Off Spotify?
A year ago we published a series of articles about artists who had removed their music from Spotify. We caught up with some of them to see if their views, or situation, had changed over the last 12 months.
Patrick Topping: northern powerhouse
2022 was a massive year for Patrick Topping. Alongside global shows and a prolific run of releases, his Trick label hosted a hugely successful debut DC-10 Ibiza residency over the summer. Here, he chats to Harold Heath about his road to success, sobriety, his DJ Mag Best of British Best DJ award win, and more️...