Interview: Eats Everything

“There’s no better way to learn your craft than to play the same local clubs week in, week out”, says Dan Pearce, aka Eats Everything. One of the most successful artists to emerge from the Bristol house explosion, Dan’s involvement in the scene actually goes back much further.  While he now spends his summers jetting between festivals and stints in Ibiza, he grew up in Wootton-Under-Edge and cut his teeth at Bristol institutions like Ripsnorter and Scream: “I have a special place in my heart for those years – they made me who I am today. I still try to play Ripsnorter whenever possible.”

Dan was already in his thirties when his career took off. “I started producing a long time after I’d been DJing”, he explains. Initially turning his hand to breakbeat, “I collaborated with this guy Masataki Toyota, who became one of my best friends and taught me almost everything I know about production.” in 2010 he made his breakthrough track, Entrance Song. A heady house banger with the punchiest subs this side of Chicago footwork, it demonstrated Dan’s ability to blend genres to perfection. After being released by Pets Recordings Entrance Song was picked up by tastemakers Carl Cox, Seth Troxler and Jamie Jones. It changed his life: “I had management requests, plays from Annie Mac and Pete Tong, and was watching videos of Justin Martin playing it out to huge crowds in America.” For Dan, music success came not a moment too soon: “It had been my one last chance to give music a go before sacking it in for a sensible job.”

His releases for labels like Pets and Dirtybird draw on everything from disco to jungle and hardcore. There’s no Eats Everything formula as such, yet his hard-hitting, light-hearted productions are instantly recognisable and guaranteed to put a dancefloor through its paces. “I feel no need to be a purist or music snob in any respect. I grew up DJing hard house, jungle and rave, and when I started producing it was breakbeat. I naturally gravitated towards house but there’s still a place in my heart for those genres. I actually played a full jungle set at my XOYO residency…” His distinctive sound has led to work remixing Disclosure and Four Tet as well as Chicago house don Green Velvet. “Remixing for a legend like that is an absolute honour,” says Dan, “and I tried to do the original justice.” Last year Dan launched a label called Edible Records with Bristol dance music mogul Nick Harris.

His touring schedule is hectic. Recent gigs have included Glastonbury – “a highlight of my summer whether I’m playing or there as a punter” – and a sold out Elrow party at 5000 capacity Space Ibiza. Dan says he always enjoys DJing, but one night last year stands out above the others: “A really special booking was when I got to play at the Discoteca in Space before Carl Cox at his residency – Carl’s always been a hero of mine, and I was playing on the same bill as my other heroes like Sasha that night.”

After a globetrotting summer, the autumn sees Eats Everything embark on a tour of South West and Wales venues, most of which are well off the beaten track for top flight house DJs. It includes a Bristol show on the opening weekend of In:Motion 2016. “There’s nothing like playing on home turf – my house and my family are in Bristol, so it makes life easier. It’s my favourite city in the world, with a musical heritage that’s unrivalled in my opinion. I’ll be playing alongside lots of friends.” Time to welcome him home.

Eats Everything plays In:Motion Opening Party at Motion on Friday, September 30. For more information visit www.eatseverything.com