Paul Pesce, better known as Peshay, is a British

drum and bass Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...

and

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

producer and DJ.

Early life

Peshay is of

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

heritage. His first introduction to music was at an early age through his mother who was a well regarded classical singer. He is described as a music obsessive from an early age with interests in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

, soul and early electro and hip-hop. Although he is widely regarded as an influential music producer, he is also regarded as a groundbreaking DJ having been behind the

turntables A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

from as early as 13 years of age.

Music career

Peshay began to come to prominence in the early 1990s, playing at East London raves and releasing classic tracks on

Reinforced Records Reinforced Records is a British breakbeat hardcore, jungle, and drum and bass record label, first founded in 1989 by 4hero and based in Dollis Hill, London. Reinforced is one of the groundbreaking record labels of the genre.Reynolds, S. (1998) ...

Good Looking Records Good Looking Records is a jungle and drum & bass record label, formed in 1991 by producer LTJ Bukem. The label specializes in jazz-influenced and atmospheric, so-called Intelligent Drum & Bass. Overview The label releases music which includ ...

, and

Metalheadz Metalheadz is a drum and bass record label based in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1994 by Kemistry & Storm and Goldie. History Origins Goldie's early experiences of the rave scene, especially the club ''Rage'' had a profound effect on ...

such as ''Protege EP'', ''19:5'', ''Piano Tune/Vocal Tune'', and ''Psychosis/Represent''. In the mid-1990s, he would play at the seminal 'Metalheadz at the Blue Note' nights. In 1995 at the peak of drum and bass being recognised by the mainstream media, Peshay suffered an accident that left him almost bed-bound for two years. His early releases are often referenced as groundbreaking for his unique production techniques and pioneering use of samples and effects. He is also highly regarded for his early use of live musicians and instruments in pursuit of pushing his music forward. His releases are also considered to be timeless pieces of music that have gone on to inspire future generations of producers from all electronic musical disciplines. In particular, prominent early releases such as ''Psychosis'', ''Piano Tune'', ''On The Nile'' and ''Vocal Tune'' are often cited by peers and press as some of the most highly influential within the genre. In 1999, he released the critically acclaimed

-influenced album ''Miles From Home'' on

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...

. This was followed up in 2002 with his

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

-inspired album ''Fuzion'', which spawned the single ''You Got Me Burning''. A further album ''Jammin was released in 2004. In 2000, Peshay was asked by

Red Bull Music Academy The Red Bull Music Academy (RBMA) is a world-traveling series of music workshops and festivals that was founded in 1998 by Red Bull GmbH. The main five-week event is held in a different city each year. The public portion of its program is a festiv ...

to present a

lecture A lecture (from Latin ''lēctūra'' “reading” ) is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical inform ...

music production A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

Djing A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio Music radio is a radio format in which music is the main broadcast con ...

and the

music industry The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, train, ...

in Dublin, Ireland. In 2001, he was nominated for and won ''Best Drum and Bass DJ'' at the

DJ Awards DJ Awards is a celebration of electronic music, and aims to recognise and honour DJs and individuals who have influenced electronic dance music worldwide. Held annually in Ibiza at the end of the summer season, DJ Awards has retained the same et ...

ceremony held annually in Ibiza, Spain. In 2013, he released a live

jazz-funk Jazz-funk is a subgenre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat (groove), electrified sounds, and an early prevalence of analog synthesizers. The integration of funk, soul, and R&B music and styles into jazz resulted in the creatio ...

and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

album on the

Tru Thoughts Tru Thoughts is a British independent record label founded in Brighton in 1999 by Robert Luis and Paul Jonas. Since the acclaimed first album release of Bonobo's debut ''Animal Magic'', the label has put out over 200 LPs, across genres from e ...

record label named ''Generation''. The widely acclaimed album was written, produced and composed by Peshay. Peshay's seminal remix of Inner City Life was given a new lease of life in 2020, being released as exclusive content to celebrate the 25 year anniversary of

Goldie Clifford Joseph Price MBE (born 19 September 1965), better known as Goldie, is a British music producer and DJ. Initially gaining exposure for his work as a graffiti artist, Goldie became well known for his pioneering role as a musician in th ...

's drum and bass album '' Timeless''. Peshay launched his own record label ''Peshay Music'' in 2019. The vision for the new label is to produce a wide spectrum of music and electronic music. The tracks released will feature live instruments all composed by Peshay allowing him to express his creativity as a composer and a producer across multiple and diverse musical genres.

Discography

Albums

Selected singles/EPs

Mixes/compilations

Awards and nominations

;DJ Awards , - , style="text-align:center;", 2001 , Peshay , Best Drum 'N' Bass & Beats DJ ,

References

External links

Official Website

Peshay
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

Peshay

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

Discography {{DEFAULTSORT:Peshay 1970 births Living people Club DJs Electronic dance music DJs English DJs English drum and bass musicians English electronic musicians English record producers English people of Italian descent Breakbeat musicians DJs from London People from Woodford, London Remixers Reinforced Records artists Island Records artists ZYX Music artists Tru Thoughts artists