Q&A: Ben Pearce

At first glance, you might think Ben Pearce is better suited for a rock band. And in fact, he spent much of his youth immersed in that scene but from it emerged an underground music DJ that stumbled upon stardom with the unprecedented popularity of What I Might Do, a song that became a regular anthem in clubs in 2012 and ended up going platinum in Europe. It also dramatically changed his life.

Now while the Manchester-based musician gets used to his new worldly itinerary, his knack in the studio has only become even more impressive and he also quickly saw the need in a record label and bore Purp & Soul. His wealth of knowledge and passion for music across so many varying genres is also well reflected in the label and also by the music he plays in his DJ sets. Pearce has become renowned for his alternative approach to house music.

Ahead of his first shows in Asia, Mixmag Asia talks to Pearce about the past, the present and the future.

When What I Might Do began to gain traction, can you narrow it down to one moment where you had realized that your entire life had just changed?

When I quit my job in the bank call centre I was working in, that was the moment that I was like ‘ok, this is happening now’. I’m quite pessimistic about myself so I never really thought any of this could be a reality.

Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would change about your music career prior What I Might Do to try and see some success before that? What would you have done differently?

I wouldn’t change a thing, but sometimes I wish I’d gained a bit more experience as a producer because I was chucked in quite deep but everything has worked out and it’s a really amazing path to be on.

How would you like to see yourself develop more as a DJ and producer this year? What are things that you feel you still need to work on?

I’m always working on things and everything could be better in my opinion. I don’t ever want to get to the stage where I think it’s all ok, and that constant battle within yourself is what keeps you going. You can always be better.

You’ve stated in the past that you were quite into bands, especially punk and metal. As a musician, what pulled you towards dance music over learning how to play an instrument and starting a band?

I did the whole instrument/band thing before but it was when I started to go to house clubs that it really made sense. Seeing Danny Tenaglia was a big moment I remember. Bass/Dubstep and Drum & Bass seeped into the rock music scene in the UK quite a lot before that, and I started deejaying that kind of stuff.

The average person has a few bands that maybe they grew up with and have molded or shaped their life in some way, and lyrics play a big part of the connection. Do you think it’s possible to have the same sort of attachment to dance music DJs or is this industry more transient?

I think it’s definitely a different attachment. I mean you see kids who have such an attachment to electronic songs, so I can’t say for sure that it’s not the same thing. I think for so long the DJ was something only over 18-year-olds would experience in the general sense, now that electronic music is in the charts more you see younger teenagers getting into this kind of music. It’s really interesting to see that shift.

As creative director of Purp & Soul, what is your vision for the label that you think makes it different from other labels?

I don’t ever want to preach as if we’re doing something completely different, I just think I’m doing what a lot of people are doing and just putting out what they believe to be solid good quality music. There’s a vision of where I want it to go, and we’re working towards that but we’re laying foundations now with some great music.

What is the uniqueness that you feel you offer an increasingly homogenized dance music industry?

I don’t believe the industry is getting homogenized, if anything there are more and more artists breaking the trend. Yes in popular culture there’s a certain sound that is popular at any one time, I think dance music runs so much deeper than that. I’m constantly discovering new artists that are making some amazing music.

What was your number one moment in 2014?

It’s so hard to choose but playing in the Discoteca at Space Ibiza was probably the one. I had an out of body experience almost, just thinking ‘is this real?’. It was amazing.

We read that you are quite the cook. In all of your newfound travels, what were the most memorable and interesting things you’ve gotten to eat?

Oh yeah I love cooking, it’s amazing to be able to try so many different things. It’s hard to think off the top of my head, having sea urchin for example. I’d had it before but I’d order it again. I’m always trying new things, definitely excited to come to Asia as I love Asian food.

Ahead of coming to Asia, what fascinates you the most about coming out here? What have you heard that you are hoping to experience?

There’s so much, it’s been on my wish list for so long. Friends and family have been and there are so many places I want to visit for the culture, the food and the scenery. I’m very excited about going and I’m really going to make the most of it. I want to get stuck in an off the beaten tourist track if I can, and see the countries for what they really are.

The industry in Asia is far from being as developed as what you are used to in Europe and America, and tastes are quite different. How do you prepare to play for a different culture and being still somewhat new to international touring, does it ever scare you to play for unfamiliar and potentially unreceptive audiences?

There are some situations you can’t prepare for, and you can ask around but everyone’s experiences are different. I’m quite a versatile DJ so I pack a varied bag when it comes to music. If I haven’t played somewhere before, I’ll turn up to the club early, check out the resident DJs and see what the crowd are reacting to. It’s also nice to do the social side and meet people from the club. Haha, I suppose it would be scary for them to be unreceptive, luckily I haven’t had that yet.