Published
Thu, Jan 28, 2021, 07:00
- Two mixes showcasing different sides of the important UK radio mainstay.
As part of our new Re-record feature focusing on Black artists in electronic music from 2001 through 2020, we're doing a week-long Mix Of The Day takeover.
With a career spanning over 20 years, DJ Pioneer remains a crucial figure in the UK underground house scene. Pioneer made a name for himself on pirate radio, frequenting several of the capital's best-known stations, including Déjà Vu (92.3FM), alongside his club exploits.
His passion for 4/4-driven beats began with garage, before moving into deep house and the UK's incarnation of funky house. When UK funky started to develop in the mid-2000s, Pioneer was right there at the centre of tall. In 2008 he joined Kiss FM, making the transition into mainstream radio and using the platform to champion a variety of underground talent, supporting and nurturing British acts such as Rudimental, Donae'o and Roska. His slot is now the longest-running UK underground house show on commercial radio, and his huge birthday celebration Pioneer Plays is a key date on the London house music calendar every year.
Check out two mixes from his 2019 birthday celebration—one focused on deep house and the other on Afro house.