b. Paul Pesce, London, England. Anglo-Italian Peshay, now one of the UK's foremost drum 'n' bass pioneers, grew up listening to a wide range of musical styles, owing, in part, to his mother, who was a classical singer. He was inspired by hip-hop and electro as well as jazz and funk and accumulated an enviable record collection, which led him into DJing. He got his first break at one of the "Genesis" raves and soon left his job in the printing industry to pursue his musical calling. In 1991, the sound of hardcore was emerging and Peshay released an EP with Bizzy B, The 2 Dope, which became a raver's favourite. In 1992, Peshay worked with LTJ Bukem, releasing "19.5" and "Piano Tune"/"Vocal Tune" on the Good Looking Records label in 1993. In the same year, Peshay worked with drum 'n' bass guru, Goldie on his ProtUgU EP for Reinforced Records. When Goldie established his Metalheadz label, Peshay was one of the first artists on the roster and released "Psychosis"/"Reprazant". Just as drum 'n' bass was finding mainstream acceptance and audiences in 1994, Peshay was struck with a debilitating illness that left him bed-ridden until his triumphant return, DJing at London's Blue Note club in 1996, alongside Doc Scott and Goldie. Since then, he has DJed throughout the world and released a critically acclaimed album, Miles From Home. Heavily influenced by modern jazz, the album was compared to Reprazent's New Forms as a milestone in the development of drum 'n' bass. The follow-up Fuzion, released in 2002, eschewed the debut album's jazz leanings in favour of more radio-friendly beats, reflecting the contemporary developments in drum 'n' bass.

Listen to Peshay at Finetune.

• Vocal Tune
• On the Nile
• The Nocturnal
• Vegas
• Amazon

• Roni Size
• Photek
• The Prodigy
• Goldie
• LTJ Bukem
• Adam F
• Alex Reece
• Chemical Brothers
• Aphex Twin
• Dillinja
• DJ Hype
• Massive Attack
• Daft Punk
• PFM
• Fatboy Slim
• Doc Scott
• Roni Size / Reprazent
• The Rufige Kru
• Orbital
• Nas

• dirtmaster
• freehiro