MALAA, ZAARK / ESSEL / CRISTOPH / KNIGHT, MARK / WH0 - (V25) TOOLROOM SAMPLER VOL. 25

Sean Samara (ESSEL) was born in San Fernando Valley, CA in 1987. He was raised in the San Fernando Valley for 13 years of his life until his father found a new job in the music industry and moved to Orange County. Sean attended Currie Middle School for four years and later attended high school at both Magnolia and Loara. Sean had always been into music his whole life and had also been in bands through out his whole high school term. He joined drum line and drum corps his freshman year which then led him to receiving several gold medals for his talent and commitment. In the year of 2004 he moved back to LA to pursue his goal of “Making It” in the music and recording industry. He had saved a total of $2000 through out high school career and spent it all on Pro Tools, Reason 4 and a midi keyboard. He spent countless hours in the closet of his apartment mastering everything there was to know about both the programs, recording vocals and even taught his self to learn piano and guitar. He had been extremely influenced by “New School” hip-hop and began to create his own style of production and vocal arrangements/performance. Till this day, Sean Samara (ESSEL) produces, writes, engineers and sings his own music. His main goal is to send an inspirational message to his listeners and constantly search for other up-and-coming talent through out the industry. Radio play is the goal and supporters such as your self can make that possible… Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

There’s a new titan in the world of progressive house, and his name is Cristoph. The mysterious producer has proven himself a bona fide force to be reckoned with landmark releases on imprints like Last Night on Earth and Bedrock. Now, with the official backing of Eric Prydz, he’s primed for even greater success. It’s no surprise his music has caught on so fervently: simply put, Cristoph’s sound is infectious. Cristoph hails from Newcastle upon Tyne, coming from a family deeply entrenched in the art of DJing. With both his father and older brother working in the industry, Cristoph was always destined to take the spotlight. Immersing himself in the club environment from an early age, it wasn’t long until he found himself cutting his teeth on vinyl and diligently studying the tools of the trade. Cristoph found his first heroes in legendary figures like John Digweed and Sasha. Enamored by their spell-binding DJ sets and masterful approach to production, Cristoph developed an insatiable drive to commit himself to his craft. His steady devotion was rewarded early on with big releases on Selador and Truesoul -- a testament to his budding abilities. In 2016, Cristoph achieved his biggest breakthrough yet, joining Hot Since 82’s white-hot Knee Deep in Sound imprint and becoming the inaugural artist to launch the label’s coveted ‘8-track’ album series. The concept album thrust Cristoph into the international spotlight, with anthemic vocal tracks like “Alone” and “Closer” enrapturing dancefloors around the world. In 2017, Cristoph’s career came full circle, signing to both John Digweed’s legendary Bedrock and Sasha’s Last Night on Earth. With standout releases on both imprints, Cristoph cemented his status as one of the most exciting acts in the progressive world in years. It wasn’t long until he caught the attention of another longtime hero, Eric Prydz. Cristoph would go on to open for the Swedish legend at EPIC 5.0, even becoming a recurring staple at Prydz’s inaugural Hï Ibiza residency. Now, Cristoph has officially joined the Pryda family, becoming the first artist to sign to Prydz’s brand new imprint, Pryda Presents. It’s a definitive nod of approval from one of the scene’s most celebrated tastemakers, and a surefire mark of Cristoph’s blossoming career. With the guidance of Prydz’s team and the support of blockbuster imprints like Bedrock and Last Night on Earth at his back, one can only imagine what’s next for the flourishing Newcastle artist. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Not to be confused with, the similarly named, video games and Chiptune composer - Mark 'TDK' Knight. 1) Mark Knight is head of Toolroom Records & a UK DJ / producer. He has stamped his impression on the scene of electronic dance music - through a string of releases & parties - highlighting his label. Often collaborating with fellow British DJ Funkagenda, Mark has been at the forefront of commercial house, techno & tech house. Some of his most successful releases are Man With The Red Face (with Funkagenda), Downpipe (with Underworld & D. Ramirez) & an Underworld rework - Beautiful Burnout (Mark Knight Remix). 2) LA Guitarist Mark Knight's first band was this band called Krude Witch and at sixteen or seventeen played The Troubadour and all the major clubs in Hollywood. Opened up for W.A.S.P. and Ratt. Then that band disbanded, and he put this band together Mickey Knight. It was right around ’84-’85 and the scene was pulsing, all the hair bands. So, Poison, Ratt, all those bands were selling out and the whole scene was starting — and really the Sunset Strip scene was starting to happen. Mickey Knight never got a record deal, but he went on to do City Slick, and then eventually Bang Tango. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Wh0 is a UK house music production duo consisting of Robert Chetcuti and Tom Cross. Robert is known from the duo Rhythm Masters, and Tom has been producing music for over a decade. The duo came together in 2018 seemingly out of nowhere the duo has quickly established themselves as one of the most exciting prospects in the house scene. An initial run of releases on Toolroom, Positiva, Ultra and their sharply rising imprint Wh0 Plays Records, as well as a string of official remixes for The Prodigy, Basement Jaxx, Tiesto, Sigma & more. Decked in black masks and fearless in their studio execution, Wh0 have been seducing some of music’s biggest players. In an interview they stated "our identity is hidden because we want it to be all about the music and not about what we look like". Eventually, five years after the duos debut, the masks came of in November of 2023, revealing their true identities. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.