The Pedro’s Groove Show, a diverse mix of influences, from West African folk-inspired house to dope South African beats, deep minimalist NYC/NJ grooves, and soulful sounds, promising a unique listening experience each time.
Ben’s journey into DJing began in the mid-90s when a group of BMX riders in Harrow discovered the rave scene and made the switch from bikes to beats. With a keen interest in music, he saved up for a pair of Soundlab belt-drive turntables from Maplins, and thus his passion took flight.
He started his career on Risk FM and later Jive FM, playing at various clubs and bars in Harrow and Watford for events like Shh and Garage Nation at venues such as Moonlight and Area. While many of his contemporaries gravitated towards 2Step, Ben focused on the 4/4 side of UK Garage, exploring the connections between UK and US Garage and House music. This led to a dedicated “Old Skool Garage” show on Impact FM with DJ Blak, before he shifted his focus to House music.
Ben held residencies at several London venues, including Propaganda in Soho, and joined Pressure Radio for DJP on Monday nights. A memorable moment was hosting Paul Trouble Anderson on Pressure Radio for a live stream from his childhood home.
He later became part of House FM, where his show grew in popularity and featured guest mixes and interviews with artists like Kerri Chandler, Jovonn, and Alix Alvarez.
In a bid to innovate, Ben left Pressure Radio to focus on HouseFM.NET, where he played a key role in the internet streaming boom, introducing the first online listen-again feature among London pirate stations.
He was active in the London club scene, contributing to events like Nightlife at Aquarium, Canvas, and House FM parties at Ministry of Sound, as well as the legendary Garage City parties at Bar Rumba, and other nights for Bobby & Steve at Herbal, The Whitehouse and their renowned Miami WMC Pool Parties. During this time, he connected with influential figures like Neil Pierce, Paul Trouble Anderson, and Jeremy Newall who were all great mentors to an up and coming group of London DJs in the early to mid 2000s. Mainly having all met from the Uptown and Farris internet forums thanks to Paul Farris.
Ben also ventured into production, creating remixes for Tone Control and SuCasa Records, and collaborated with Steal Vybe. A highlight was hearing Kerri Chandler open a gig with an unreleased track, “The Snares.”
Later, Ben helped co-created Push FM, further advancing internet radio before stepping back in the late 2000s to focus on his IT career and a quieter life in the Cotswolds.
Now based in the Valencian countryside of Spain, Ben continues to pursue his love for music, playing hand drums in a local Samba group and being able to DJ at home with no neighbours 🙂
