Pedestrian

A notorious sound wanderer, sonic sculptor and dancefloor master, Pedestrian’s intricate, crystallised production and an instinct for DJ sets that can captivate any club has seen him ranked in K Magazine’s ‘10 Bass Music Artists To Watch Out For In 2012’. And with very good reason. With universally strong releases on Push & Run, 2nd Drop, Brownswood and Metalheadz, Pedestrian (also known as Jack Sibley) flows over genre constraints with sounds that submerse the home listener and entrance the heads on any dancefloor. Hailing from St Albans, a young Pedestrian cut his teeth on the breaks of soulful drum & bass. It was during his time living and occasionally learning in Cambridge that a sound began to emerge beyond the confines of 170bpm, leading Pedestrian into absorbing realms of penetrating basslines, crystallised synths, organic audio sampling and crackling melodic harmonies. Critical acclaim from Gilles Peterson led to generous amounts of airtime on his Radio 1 show, with the music aficionado signing ‘Hei Poa’ to his Bubblers 6 compilation on the pioneering Brownswood label. This mystical track, lauded for its high production value and a dancefloor impact only enhanced by an ethereal, hypnotic quality, saw a release on hungry young label Push & Run in late 2011. Remixes from Frederic Robinson, Jon Phonics and haunting B-side ‘Led Astray’ helped the release garner ecstatic reviews from critics, some hailing Pedestrian as a revelation in sound, some calling it the single of the year, and the 12” featured on the back walls of record shops like Phonica for weeks. Pedestrian’s singular production also caught the ear of innovative drum & bass artist Commix, who commissioned a remix of ‘How You Gonna Feel’ for landmark label Metalheadz, resulting in a complex, sexual and completely unique track, nodding to his early roots in the genre even whilst his sound progressed along its own path. A considerable talent for remixes has seen Pedestrian invited to reinvent a host of incredible tracks in his distinctive and entrancing style, always insistent on preserving and enhancing their essential qualities. Remixes of Emeli Sandé’s ‘Daddy’, Tropic’s ‘Mouves’ and a collaboration with close associates Maribou State on a massive Lauryn Hill ‘Doo Wop’ bootleg have been very warmly received, not to mention the iridescent brilliance of his Gang Colours refix, ‘Dance Around The Subject (Pedestrian’s Dusty Warehouse Remix), out on Brownswood at the back end of 2011. Walking on the shoulders of the many great musicians and styles that have come before him, Pedestrian’s deep appreciation of all strands of music lends as much to his absorbing, intricate and fun live sets as it does his production. Pedestrian DJ sets are instinctively, expertly tailored to the dancefloor below, thriving on any opportunity to play 90 minute or 2 hour sets that wander from luxurious, melodic beats right through to the nastiest basslines that hip hop, house, garage and everything in between have to offer. Unlike many DJs on the scene, with Pedestrian no two sets are the same, and his well-earned reputation as a master selector has seen him achieve repeat bookings on the back of every gig, as well as a residency at fearless house and bass music night Trix. As of 2012 Pedestrian will have played at Croatian festival Soundwave two years running, and his signature mixes such as Julio Bashmore’s ‘Battle for Middle You’ into Fatboy Slim’s ‘Right Here Right Now’ have caused dancefloors to explode and peers to shake their heads in envy. Pedestrian has shown on many occasions that his skill with production software is only matched by his fiendish ability with the mixer. With an upcoming Collaboration EP featuring Pedestrian and friends remixes for Maribou State and 2nd Drop lining the horizon, plus a constantly diversifying and expanding bookings schedule, Pedestrian is perfectly placed to take the next step in his music career and fully realise his passion for unique, meaningful sound. As Pedestrian continues to traverse previously unknown realms of sound engineering, his Circadian Rhythms EP on distinguished label 2nd Drop will only see the buzz around this young producer get more intense, and with recent support coming from luminaries such as Bonobo, Ifan Dafydd, Gang Colours and Huw Stephens, 2012 is looking undeniably promising for this young artist.