Ben Pearce

One of the UK’s finest young producers looks back at a MASSIVE 2015


Interview by Rob Chadwick


Hey Ben welcome back to DMCWORLD – you have been on a big tour recently – how has it been? How does it compare to regular non tour gigs?

Mentally and physically it’s draining, you cover a lot of miles at sometimes quite inconvenient times. Spend a lot of time (in my case) on your own but on the plus side you get to experience so much in such a relatively short space of time.

You are in Australia right now, they love you down there! What were some of the essential packing items you took this time?

Yes I have been here twice before, I love it here – I always get such a great reception. So I brought a few records, some good earphones to make music whilst travelling around and I have brought my golf shoes just in case I can find a course on a day off…football boots too…they love their sport here! 

How has your summer been?

Summer was great, good points were too long to list. Had some amazing times with friends, holding a residency at Ants which IMO is the best party in Ibiza…bad was mentally it was tough for various reasons, not anything to do with summer, it was just the timing. 

Generally how have the last couple years been for you? A whirlwind ride, right? Do you ever take stock?

All the time, I have very little faith in myself and it’s something I’m trying to work on. They’ve been the best and worst years simultaneously I guess, it’s hard to explain. I don’t think I was mentally ready for the stresses and pressure of this industry when you’re flung in at such a level. I’m still here and now in a place where I’m productive and making some really good music. 

Do you get much writing done in summer? Does the sun inspire you and influence the sort of music you make or is it more internal than that?

My studio doesn’t have any windows, haha! But I guess it does have an effect. I’ve never noticed it really, I’ve made some brutal techno in the summer and some light summery stuff in the winter. It’s just really whatever inspires me at the time. 

Have you got any bits of studio gear you are currently obsessed with or that have featured a lot on your recent tracks?

I’ve just got the Roland Aira collection so I’ve been testing that out, it’s great to have some hands on kit like that. I use my Jupiter 50 in pretty much every track…I’m always obsessed with the next bit of gear…

Do you find crowds around the world react differently to different styles of music?

Of course, crowds 3 doors apart in London react differently. For me it’s always been very much about reading the crowd and being prepared to play sometimes out of your comfort zone. It’s about making people dance, not a self indulgent “look at me with my limited press unknown releases”. 

What is the most prized record in your collection and why?

Alice Smith – Love Endeavour (Maurice Fulton Remix). Money wise it is probably the most valued, but it means a lot as it was a gift from the owner of Under the Shade who signed WIMD first and we split the deal when it got signed to MTA. It was out of the blue and I’ll never even take it out to play it. 

And finally, what else have you got coming up studio wise…?

Got a few remixes, one that I’ve just previewed on my Facebook page. An EP coming up on Moda Black that I’m really excited about because I love those boys and that whole crew. 

Catch Ben Pearce at a very special Boxing Day party at Junk Club in Southampton…

http://www.junkclub.com/

http://www.benpearceproductions.com/