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Having headlined revered clubs and festivals around the world and released on Hypercolour, Dirtybird and his own Edible imprint among others, Dan Pearce is undoubtedly one of the most successful techno artists on the scene right now. 

Matt Robson caught up with the Bristol-born DJ to discuss early influences, favourite venues and how his home city shaped his style.

Eats Everything alongside Fatboy Slim inside Arcadia's Pangaea stage for Glastonbury 2019. Image: Charlie Raven

When & where was your first ever DJ set in Bristol?

My first ever DJ set was in 1996 at a place called Bar 150 on Nelson St. It was a DJ competition run by Bristol legend DJ Easygroove, to be a resident at his night at Club Loco. I won and a few weeks later I was playing at Club Loco as a 16-year-old!

How many years did you spend playing in Bristol before you started going on to playing around the UK and internationally?

I started playing in Bristol in 1996 and played almost every weekend in some form or another, but didn’t start playing on bigger stages until mid-2011 – a really long time, basically!

How important do you think your time in Bristol was in terms of refining your sound and establishing your own style?

Absolutely vital. Bristol is a cacophony of different musical styles and I was into it all. I went to and played at techno nights like Death Row Techno, Temptation and Shimmy, house nights Revolution, Fandango and Just Jack, hard house nights like Scream, Ripsnorter and Infamous, and Jungle parties in my earlier years.

I gained a wealth of musical knowledge and played with some badass DJs along the way who have all taught me something just by watching them play.

Was there anyone in particular that gave you a platform or influenced you directly during your early days?

I have to give a big shout out to Martin Podmore aka DJ Pod who made me resident at Ripsnorter at the tender age of 16. He is a phenomenal person, still a great friend to this day and an outstanding DJ. He gave me a leg up and put me on a platform at such a young age.

What are your thoughts on the club landscape in Bristol right now?

I’m obviously concerned about the rumours that Motion is coming under threat, but there are loads of amazing parties and underground promoters doing their thing in Bristol as always. With Boomtown opening their new place, talk of Motion starting up some new projects and some huge parties coming up (I’ll be at Lakota on 2 November), I’d say the club situation right now isn’t looking too bad. 

Rave will never die – developers and the council need to realise this and stop messing with our nightlife because it’s so, so necessary.

Eats Everything took over Lakota in early December for a Digital Switch Off.

What’s your favourite Bristol venue to play at and why?

My two faves are Motion and Lakota for very different reasons. Motion because it feels like home when I play there - I’ve been playing since it first opened when it was a tiny cave room that you had to crawl through a hole to get into at the back of a skate park, so to be a part of that journey into what it is today is a beautiful thing.  

When it comes to Lakota, I was going there every weekend religiously when I was 14/15, watching DJs of all styles that I still look up to today. A lot of my best friends now I met at Lakota, so it always stirs up amazing nostalgia for me.

And your favourite dancefloor in the city when you’re not playing?

Sadly I don’t get chance to dance in my own city these days and a lot of my faves have either changed or closed down, but I’ll go for Lakota - I had the best times of my life in there.

What’s been your best-ever experience at a Bristol club as a DJ?

My live Essential Mix from Motion in 2011. The single most nerve-wracking, fulfilling and life-changing experience of my life.

And your best on the dance floor?

Impossible to pick one but being absolutely off my chops at Lakota, surrounded by all my mates having the loveliest time to DJs I absolutely idolised. It doesn’t get better than that and it happened week in, week out. It still does, to be fair!

Any Bristol artists that you’ve got your eye on at the moment?

There are loads, but Demi Riquisimo is really doing it for me at the moment, as is the legend that is Lord Leopard. Keep an eye out for Part Time Lover as well.