Paul Pesce (born 18 December 1970), better known as Peshay, is a British drum and bass and electronic music producer and DJ.
Early life Peshay is of British and Italian 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, funk, 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 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, Good Looking Records, and Metalheadz 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 jazz-influenced album Miles From Home on Island Records. This was followed up in 2002 with his disco-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 to present a lecture on music production, Djing and the music industry in Dublin, Ireland.
In 2001, he was nominated for and won Best Drum and Bass DJ at the DJ Awards ceremony held annually in Ibiza, Spain.
In 2013, he released a live jazz-funk and soul album on the Tru Thoughts 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'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 YearReleaseLabel 1999 Miles from Home Island Records 2002 Fuzion Cubik 2004 Jammin Cubik 2013 Generation Tru Thoughts 2018 Reflections De:Tuned 2019 Underground Vol. 1 Peshay Music 2023 Underground Vol. 2 Peshay Music
Selected singles/EPs YearReleaseLabel 1993 "Rude" (with Dave Charlsworth) 1993 "2 Dope" Brain Records 1993 Protege EP Reinforced Records 1993 "Warped" (as Beyond the Future) Paradise 1994 "Psychosis/Represent" Metalheadz 1994 "19.5" with LTJ Bukem Good Looking Records 1994 "Piano Tune/Vocal Tune" Good Looking Records 1995 "Futurama / Endless Thoughts" Basement Records 1995 "On the War Path" Street Beats 1996 "Jah VIP Rollers Mix" Razors Edge 1996 "Music Rework" Nexus Records 1996 "Headz 2" Mo Wax 1998 "Miles from Home" Mo' Wax 1999 "Truly" Island Blue 1999 "Switch" Island Blue 2000 "Lethal (Volume 1) vs Special Forces" Photek Productions 2002 "You Got Me Burning" Cubik 2002 "Satisfy My Love" Cubik 2004 "Ronaldo" Cubik 2005 "Buzz/Atlantis" Cubik 2011 "Solina/How We Used to Live" V Records 2013 Funkster EP V Recordings 2013 Generation EP Tru Thoughts 2014 Vanguard EP 2019 "Angels & Demons" Infrared 2019 "Face Peel/After Dark" Peshay Music 2019 "Let It Go/Infinity" Peshay Music 2020 "Warpizm" Peshay Music 2023 "Brighter Days" Peshay Music
Mixes/compilations YearReleaseLabel 1997 Promised Land Volume 3 Higher Limits 2001 Renegades of Funk Renegade 2007/2008 Inside Cubik Caramelle Recordings / ZYX Music
Awards and nominations DJ Awards
| style="text-align:center;"| 2001 | Peshay | Best Drum 'N' Bass & Beats DJ
References
External links Official Website
Peshay Allmusic Discography