Ewan Pearson

With minimal being the prevailing theme of the techno world, the musical equivalent of writing a word over and over until it has lost all meaning; it's refreshing to stumble upon someone as anomalous as the highly inventive Ewan Pearson. Long after his days of being a skint self-employed musician, and 11 years on since his first record was pressed, it's quite obvious Ewan Pearson has undoubtedly found his groove and his sound is anything but soulless or uninspired. And his ever-changing, avant-garde productions seem to always surprise even the most jaded of ears. Offbeat yet on point, with a charmingly unpretentious disposition, Pearson makes pop-friendly music drenched in bass and sprinkled with addictive melodies. From his beginnings on Birmingham's Bosting label as Villa America and Dirtbox, to his highly celebrated work on Soma as Maas, to his ever-expanding DJing career, Ewan Pearson has quickly climbed the ranks as one of electronic music's most prodigious underground idols.

On fabric 35, Ewan Pearson tells a gripping, equivocal story; at times it's moving ("Berghain" by Aril Brikha), other times brilliantly off-the-wall (Konrad Black's take on "Honeymoon's Over"), even twists and turns towards the adulterous (100 Hz on "Trustlove") but, from beginning to end, remains completely unpredictable. Pearson has crafted a wonderfully fluid mix, shifting from abrasive, percussive workouts to sublime, sparkling electronics with ease. The mix is underpinned by a menacing sub-plot; mechanical, treated vocals and low end kick drive the story deeper.