Biography
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Born
29 October 1957 (age 66)
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Born In
Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom
Pete Lawrence has spent most of his life assimilating sound. The pursuit of sonic beauty has taken him around the world, as an internationally respected DJ and tastemaker. Like anyone who has a muse, he has had his moments. The journey has been the thing, the joyful adventure he committed to in childhood.
Chilled By Nature has been a labour of love over the last ten years. It is the realisation of an ongoing musical vision that has been distilling over time, shaped by a bewildering variety of musical influences, and real life experiences.
Under One Sun is the debut album of one of the most influential downtempo DJ’s this country has ever produced. His influence has been far reaching through the festival he co-founded over a decade ago The Big Chill. His unique programming skills have ensured the survival and expansion of the innovative festival which people attend in the full expectation of discovering new music that they ‘never knew they loved’. He has cultivated an atmosphere of trust between himself and his audience where they give him the space to create a unique atmosphere. So it is in this context that he has created his debut album.
Under One Sun is a collection of 12 original compositions that document the creative journey of a soul who lives within music. It is not just a collection of chilled instrumentals as some people may have expected, there are some hip movers and shakers featuring the exceptional talent of rhythm section Andy Gangadeen and Nick Cohen of The Bays notoriety. The album acts as a pre-composed DJ set. Under One Sun unites the creative skills of the DJ with the compositional prowess of an artist. Under One Sun is a statement about individual and collective unity; that is the purpose of Chilled By Nature. The lead single State of Grace is a collaboration with sometime Zero 7 vocalist Mozez, with guest appearances by legendary vocal group The Swingle Singers, plus piano virtuoso Jessica Lauren, Egyptian master musician Fathy Salama. The album features and pays tribute to a diverse array of influences, reflecting the eclectic sensibility that is the ‘Big Chill’ sound.
Under One Sun was originally written in Pete’s north London studio and completed on an olive terrace in Greece, with co-producer and label mate Laura B. Two Ep’s have been released on the Big Chill Recordings label to much critical acclaim, (including benchmark remixes from Ulrich Schnauss and Alucidnation). The album, which has been in progress since The Big Chill's inception in the mid 90s, has been a labour of love. "This approach has certainly had its benefits", suggests Pete, "in that it's given time for the tracks to evolve naturally, ensuring that the end result is not be to aligned with any short-term vagaries of fashion. My aim is to make timeless music that will still sound good in 30 years.”
Under One Sun combines Pete’s diverse influences to produce haunting, cinematic music of quiet beauty, which plays out in wide screen in the mind's eye. The album nurtures a feeling of breezy optimism throughout, a hope that good will ultimately triumph, that hope and faith do make a difference.
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