The Toolroom Academy Artist Breakthrough Podcast

In this episode of The Artist Breakthrough Podcast, Pete sits down with Martha Bolton, founder of Not Bad For A Girl and one of the UK's leading voices on diversity and community in electronic music. Together they explore what it really takes to build a career in today's music industry, why community beats competition, how grassroots culture shapes the future of dance music, and the changes the in...

From grassroots clubs in Liverpool to sold-out headline shows around the world, Girls Don't Sync have become one of the most influential collectives in electronic music. In this live conversation recorded at our conference, the Girls Don't Sync crew share the real story behind their rise - from playing seven-hour sets for £50 and building local communities, to navigating social media, producing mu...

In this episode of The Artist Breakthrough Podcast, we sit down with Grahame Farmer, founder of Data Transmission and The Artist Blueprint. He is one of the most respected voices in electronic music, to explore what really drives artist growth in today's industry. From building one of dance music's biggest media platforms to helping artists navigate social media, branding, networking and long-term...

From acid house and record shops to ADHD, autism and redefining success in dance music... In this episode of The Artist Breakthrough Podcast, Pete sits down with legendary DJ, producer, journalist and author Harold Heath to explore his remarkable journey through over 30 years of electronic music culture. Harold shares how he discovered DJing through record collecting, built a career in the early h...

Finishing Tracks, Overthinking & Producer Mindset... In this episode of The Artist Breakthrough Podcast, Pete and Cal dive deep into one of the biggest struggles producers face - actually finishing music. From perfectionism and overthinking to feedback, rejection, and creative block, they unpack the mindset shifts that help artists move forward and release more consistently. They discuss wheth...

Steven Braines joins us on The Artist’s Breakthrough Podcast to share his incredible journey through the global music industry - from promoting club nights in Sunderland to becoming one of electronic music’s most respected voices. Steven is the co-founder of the award-winning HE.SHE.THEY., former Head of Events for Defected & Glitterbox, and has worked across legendary brands including Ministr...

Laura is an award-winning producer, DJ and songwriter, and the first woman to win the Music Producers Guild Self-Producing Award. In this episode, she breaks down her journey from DIY pop projects and vocal features to becoming a fully self-produced artist in the dance music world. We talk about the moment that changed everything at Miami Music Week, why she stopped putting vocals on her own track...

London-based DJ, producer and multi-instrumentalist Kiimi joins the Artist Breakthrough Podcast to talk about their journey from classical music training to playing some of the UK’s most exciting underground dance floors. In this episode, Kiimi shares how learning multiple instruments shaped their musical identity, why they refuse to be boxed into one genre, and how lockdown became the unexpected...

Being a DJ today looks very different to how it did even a few years ago. In this episode, Pete sits down with Jamie and Lawrence from Crossfader to talk about what it really takes to build a career in the modern DJ world. From the early days of Crossfader in Leeds to becoming one of the biggest DJ education platforms online, they break down the fundamentals most DJs overlook - developing real ski...

Carly Wilford joins the Artist Breakthrough Podcast to share her journey from 12-hour bar sets and Rinse FM breakfast radio to playing Tomorrowland and building an international DJ career. In this episode, Carly opens up about reinventing herself in dance music, navigating industry setbacks, starting again during the pandemic, and transitioning from presenter to producer. She breaks down the reali...

D. Ramirez has lived through every era of dance music - from witnessing the birth of house in the UK to shaping sounds that defined entire movements. In this episode, he unpacks the real story behind his journey: early rave culture, underground clubs, Top of the Pops, career-defining remixes, industry mistakes, and the moments that almost broke him. This is a rare, honest conversation about longev...

From early label politics and dodgy contracts, to moving to London with no studio, working as a waiter, and rebuilding everything through residencies, relentless output, and smart connections. We get into workflow, touring vs family life, why warm-up culture is fading, how he writes so fast (including making Love Desire in under an hour), and why he’s staying true to house even when trends move on...

What does it really take to last in dance music? In this Christmas Special of The Artist Breakthrough Podcast, Mark Knight reflects on over two decades at the top of electronic music - from building Toolroom into one of the world’s most influential labels to navigating constant change, pressure, and expectation. The conversation goes beyond success stories, digging into longevity, relevance, decis...

In this episode of The Artist Breakthrough Podcast, Pete sits down with Stuart Knight (Co-founder of Toolroom) and Chris Goss (Co-founder of Hospital Records) to unpack how dance music culture has shifted over the last 30 years - from vinyl, white labels and packed record shops to Boiler Room, phones on the dancefloor, and the rise of DJ celebrity culture. They go deep on how independent labels we...

Finding your sound is one of the hardest parts of becoming a producer and Cal and Pete pull it apart properly. From choosing your lane to shaping an identity that actually gets traction, they share the practical mindset shifts and techniques new artists need. You’ll also hear fresh Academy updates, insights from ADE, details on new courses with Crossfader, Cruzy and Rewire, and live A&R reacti...

How far can obsession take you? Chapter & Verse has dropped 132 tracks in five years, built his own success, and outworked half the scene. We get into the madness behind the method - the obsession, the doubt, the hunger - and how to keep going when everyone else burns out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.