We chat to German dance legend Tom Novy and Spanish house aficionado Wally Lopez about mixing the new Toolroom Knights album, the top acts set to blow us away this year and an extremely creepy request Wally had from a fan!

You have your new album out at the end of the month, tell us about it?

Tom: We have mixed the new Toolroom compilation which is out in March. I really enjoyed mixing it as it gave me the chance to dig into my deeper underground stuff. And Toolroom is a fantastic label. I selected my favourite tracks from my sets over the last few months.

Wally: My mix completely represents what I am spinning at the clubs at the moment. I just picked my favourite tracks of the moment and I put them all in.

What are your fave tracks on there?

Tom: I like the Marusha Remix , the Kaliber track and of course the Dirt crew track.

Wally: I really love the Workidz track, the remix for Depeche Mode and my own Wideband tune.

You are doing a massive Toolroom tour – which dates are you really looking forward to?

Tom: It’s gonna be fantastic, I am really looking forward to it. I’m doing a massive tour of Australia which I am really looking forward to and playing in Switzerland, Russia, China and Brazil to name a few.

Wally: It’s always a lot of fun! Last one at Ministry of Sound was one of my bests sets ever, and I am really looking forward my next date at Yello.

What’s the strangest thing that has happened to you at a gig?

Tom: So many strange things have happened to me over the years that it’s difficult to name one! At the last ‘Nature one’ Festival there was a young girl who asked me if she could pee behind me! That was kinda strange.

Wally: The strangest are usually the filthiest, so I guess most of them I can’t tell here… When you work from 2 am to 8 am, it is quite normal for strange things to happen!

How do you describe the music that you’re bringing out right now and where do you look for inspiration?

Tom: I skipped the whole Electro wave scene and look more to tech-house. I really like tracks with build ups and I love true House Music. I get my inspiration from life in general. It could be a song on the Radio on the way to the airport or anything that happens around me.

Wally: I always try to respect both myself as an artist and the crowd. I always install lots of energy in the music and mixes. My inspiration is coming lately from so many new names on the scene that refresh my sets every week. Also, supporters and fans are helping me out so much.

Have you ever had to take a massive risk musically?

Wally: When I was 13 and doing very well at school, there was no professional DJ scene in Spain. Then I decided to stand up to my parents and quit it all, just because I wanted to dedicate all my life, 24-7 to a dream. I think that was a big risk! And also now, because I am playing more underground than ever and some people still expect to hear my just a little more love track.

Name three of your biggest influences.

Wally: Yoshitoshi label’s 90´s records, Armand van Helden heavily influenced me when I made all that speed garage stuff and at the moment, H FOUNDATION and all the SIESTA CREW stuff. It’s really influenced me a lot.

Tom: God, Life, Adrian.

Who do you think is going to blow us away this year?

Wally: Patric La Funk and Ismael Rivas

Tom: I hope there is a period of non commercial music coming. I can´t stand all the remakes and the 4 to the floor electro basslines anymore. A young new talent we should watch out for is Jerome Isma-ae and of course Miss Abigail Bailey – they are both fantastic.

What piece of kit can you not live without?

Wally: My laptop and now my Blackberry

Tom: My Laptop

What was the last book you read?

Tom: Daniel Kehlman's Die Vermessung the Welt

Wally: How to Get Rich by Donald Trump

What’s your most treasured possession?

Tom: A ring from my Mother

Wally: Not my most expensive possession, but I have to say one of my bags. I don’t want to mention the brand but I take it everywhere and I look after it as if it was a baby.

Tell us something you’ve never told an interviewer before?

Tom: I can scratch really good!

Wally: I want to marry Mark Knight.

Look out for their fantastic mixing skills on the latest Toolroom Knights album.

Tom Novy Forthcoming DJ dates:

23/02/08 - Loft Lounge, Dominican Republic
28/02/08 - Lique, Curitiba, Brazil
29/02/08 - Mix Garden, Belo Horizonte,
01/03/08 - Space on Tour, Brasilia
07/03/08 - Garden Club, Wein, Austria
08/03/08 - Follow Me, Munich, Germany
15/03/08 - Terminus, Olten, Switzerland
21/03/08 – Wanna, Istanbul, Turkey
22/03/08 - Plug, Sheffield, UK
26/03/08 - Subliminal Sessions @ Cameo, Miami, USA
28/03/08 - MN2S @ Opium, Miami, USA
28/03/08 - AZULI @ Dream, Miami, USA
05/04/08 – Shine, St Petersburg, Russia
18/04/08 - Metro Freemantle, Perth, Australia
19/04/08 - Queensbridge, Melbourne, Australia
20/04/08 - Bedroom, Gold Coast, Australia
24/04/08 - The Civic, Auckland, Australia
25/04/08 - The Met, Brisbane, Australia
26/04/08 - Home, Sydney, Australia

Wally Lopez forthcoming DJ dates:

22/02/08 – Organza club, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
23/02/08 – PR, Sofia, Bulgaria
24/02/08 – Space, Madrid, Spain
01/03/08 – Bonias pi r jaen, Spain
07/03/08 – Mission, Leeds, UK
08/03/08 – The Arches, Edinburgh, Scotland
09/03/08 – Abril, Seville, Spain
15/03/08 – Pacha, Ibiza,
16/03/08 – Space, Madrid, Spain
20/03/08 – Dreamers, Marbella
21/03/08 – Puerto principe, Tarragona, Spain
22/03/08 – Cocoon, Germany
28/03/08 – Rockstar, Bilbao, Spain
29/03/08 – Rockstar, Donostia, Spain
03/04/08 – Australian tour - TBC
19/04/08 – Pacha, Ibiza
26/04/08 – Golben, Sweden