Pete got his first taste of reggae music while going to school in London in the 70s. Punk was sweeping the nation and influential punk bands like the Clash and the Sex Pistols were also championing another form of rebel music; reggae. “It was similar to how the Beatles made the blues popular. Punk and reggae, they were really the soundtrack for growing up in those days.”

When we ask him what he specifically loves so much about reggae, Pete comes alive. “It’s authentic. It really helped me to make sense of my life. It’s rebellious and you know, I’ve just never gotten bored with it. I put together some music to bring with me on this trip to China and I’d say 75% of it is reggae.

Reggae music, it’s universal. It’s actually really easy to make, but difficult to do well. Reggae caught people’s imagination. People were able to use what they had, and sometimes it wasn’t a lot, to make these huge expansive sounding records, each with their own unique sound.”

Now on a roll, Pete opines on how today’s recording and production values are not exactly the same as they were back when reggae recordings were first becoming popular in the 60s. “Today’s studios, for the most part all have access to the same recording and production equipment. Even if the equipment is very high quality, a lot of the time the music that comes out of that is a bit homogenous. The recording’s have lost a little bit of that magic, the unique sound that came out of the old studios with limited equipment, where people customized every little piece of equipment and came up with their own sound.”

As he is currently living in Japan, we ask Pete what he thinks about reggae music in Asia. Having heard different recordings in Japan and from friends in Korea and China, he remarks how the music is as good as anywhere else, but the next step is for reggae artists in Asia to bring their music to the international level. Later on Pete makes the comment, “Some of the most influential people in reggae have had a Chinese background; musicians, producers…somebody should really make a documentary.”

Ahead of his apperance at Yugong Yishan this Saturday with UpStepper Sound, we ask Pete what music he has in store for us. “The set will include many records from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, with some from the late 60s, and records from as recent as 6 months ago. The music I’ll be playing is authentic. It should be a real party, a really good time.”

Details: UpStepper Sound’s 4 Year Anniversary Bash w/ special guest Pete Holdsworth. Starts at 10pm at Yigong Yishan on Saturday, August 1st. 60RMB.