House DJ and producer Ben Pearce was primarily interested in metal and punk-pop until his late teens, when electronic dance music caught his ears. He got involved with DJ'ing and gained a following through a recurring club night in his native Manchester, England. In late 2011, he became deeply involved with Purp & Soul, a record label and agency established by Chris Farnsworth, and was named label owner. He released his first official remix -- a subdued, atmospheric transformation of Native Underground's "Close" -- in April 2012. Later that year, in October, he released his first single, "What I Might Do," through Under the Shade. Aided significantly by a sample from Anthony Hamilton's "Cornbread, Fish, and Collard Greens," the song was a quick success on the club level, slowly crept into the U.K. mainstream, and was in the Top Ten the following October. ~ Andy Kellman