The quest to make, play and release truly original dance music is the driving force in Rob Ellis’s life.

The artist known as Pinch is a pioneer of dubstep, the sound that sparked one of the biggest waves of musical creativity ever seen in the UK. Subloaded, which he began in his adopted hometown of Bristol back in 2004, was the first dedicated dubstep and grime night outside of FWD>> in London, and to this day the impact of the party still ripples through Bristol’s bass community.

Techno’s endless permutations are as much an inspiration as dub in Pinch’s music. His DJ sets and productions take the term “dub techno” not as a concrete blueprint laid down by Basic Channel in the 1990s, but as a creative springboard to explore and combine two of the most versatile music styles ever conceived. The bass and dynamics of dub are interwoven with the tense soundscapes and atmospheres of techno. This is why you might find Pinch scorching the dance floor at a techno club one week, before rolling out a set of the heaviest dub, dubstep and dancehall the next.

The strength and flexibility of Pinch’s sound has naturally created a global demand for his DJ sets. Beyond regularly playing in the UK and Europe, he’s toured in over 40 countries, which has included the USA, Canada, Japan, China, Australasia, South East Asia, Russia and Mexico. This ongoing activity has also been reflected in media and radio interest. Pinch has recorded mixes for BBC R1, 1Xtra, Kiss FM, Resident Advisor, FACT and Red Bull (with whom he’s worked on various projects), while his 2012 session for the Fabriclive series remains a landmark in his career.

The vehicle for so much of Pinch’s work down the years has been Tectonic. Since founding the label in 2005, he’s released music from trailblazers like Loefah, Skream, Scientist, 2562, Photek, Digital Mystikz, Distance, Flying Lotus, Joker, Addison Groove and Peverelist, and he continues to cultivate fresh talent who have an eye on club music’s future. Seminal Pinch releases like the 2007 album Underwater Dancehall and tracks such as “Midnight Oil,” “Blow Out The Candle” and “The Boxer” have all appeared on Tectonic. Away from home, his releases and remixes have featured on leading labels like Planet Mu, Soul Jazz, Punch Drunk, Deep Medi, Swamp 81, Ninja Tune, Warp, Wichita, Wax and On-U Sound, collaborations that have yielded a few bass music classics—”Qawwali,” “Punisher,” “Croydon House,” “Swish.”

This openness to collaboration has been one of Pinch’s defining artistic characteristics. He’s worked with a broad swathe of club music producers down the years, which more recently has included a partnership with Mumdance that’s given us anthems like “Turbo Mitzi,” “Strobe Light” and “Big Slug,” which featured Riko Dan. Pinch’s collaborative work in the album format has also lived long in the memory. In 2011, he linked with the inimitable Shackleton to write an album for Honest Jons, while his ongoing work with the legendary Adrian Sherwood has so far produced two albums, 2015’s Late Night Endless and 2017’s Man Vs Sofa. The pair toured the globe together playing live dub sets as Pinch & Sherwood.

2019 saw Pinch dropping a darkside leftfield techno EP on Berceuse Heroique; future dancehall-grime-dubstep alongside Kahn, Killa P, Irah & Longrange; working with Trim to produce a side-stepping contribution to the 20 Years of Fabric compilation; collaborating with Monkey Marc to produce the Graveyard Version of Ninjaman’s ‘Badness’ and, finally, collaborating with Full Cycle legend DJ Die for ‘Jungle Reflections’, released on Gutterfunk. 2020 saw Pinch releasing his first solo LP in 13 years, as well as further collaborative productions, showcasing a range of moods and tempos.

PinchBristol | Tectonic

Ina ValeskaBern | Töchter

PhrexBern | Midilux

Digital Steppaz SoundsystemFreiburg

ALIBISão Paulo

RyckBern

Deejay MFBern

SelectahThun

Sabine NussBerlin

TOMMY VERCETTIBern

Sunn O)))Seattle

Supa ManaSeignosse

Dj NurstacrisZürich

Redubtion Soundsystem

RebellBern

Rosa PistolaCiudad de México

SusobrinoBrussels

Luca DuránZürich

HOELA$Poznań

4wallzzPoznań

paëbiBern

SaharaaBern

NyctophiliaBern

EbowBerlin

ETOBern

Deineschwester x haessiggurke

Kerem SchambergerMünchen

TOMMY VERCETTIBern

Ana TijouxSantiago de Chile/Lilles

RoshâniGenf

DJ LizzSantiago

LarataquéBern

yurachaimBiel

pastelfuneralWinterthur

$rip & VdotFribourg

ButterflycaBern

mememakerBern

BuatomaBern

TalawahHamburg

Soul Rebel Sound Bern

Fi MeditationBern

Öpis dSuufä und ä GschichtBern

Maja adilettrasBern

MOTORPSYCHOTrondheim

Donna CandyMarseille

ScalpelFribourg

VELParis/Rabat

KabelsalatBern

PhrexBern

StahlbergerSt. Gallen

HundefutterSt.Gallen

MAXABern

Maro

Diselecta EnergyCH / Gambia

Hosted by MC QWERTYCH / Uganda

Acht Eimer HühnerherzenBerlin

IedereenKöln

Pinch
Bristol | Tectonic

Ina Valeska
Bern | Töchter

Phrex
Bern | Midilux

Digital Steppaz Soundsystem
Freiburg

ALIBI
São Paulo

Ryck
Bern

Deejay MF
Bern

Selectah
Thun

Sabine Nuss
Berlin

TOMMY VERCETTI
Bern

Sunn O)))
Seattle

Supa Mana
Seignosse

Dj Nurstacris
Zürich

Rebell
Bern

Rosa Pistola
Ciudad de México

Susobrino
Brussels

Luca Durán
Zürich

HOELA$
Poznań

4wallzz
Poznań

paëbi
Bern

Saharaa
Bern

Nyctophilia
Bern

Ebow
Berlin

ETO
Bern

Kerem Schamberger
München

TOMMY VERCETTI
Bern

Ana Tijoux
Santiago de Chile/Lilles

Roshâni
Genf

DJ Lizz
Santiago

Larataqué
Bern

yurachaim
Biel

pastelfuneral
Winterthur

$rip & Vdot
Fribourg

Butterflyca
Bern

mememaker
Bern

Buatoma
Bern

Talawah
Hamburg

Soul Rebel Sound
Bern

Fi Meditation
Bern

Öpis dSuufä und ä Gschicht
Bern

Maja adilettras
Bern

MOTORPSYCHO
Trondheim

Donna Candy
Marseille

Scalpel
Fribourg

VEL
Paris/Rabat

Kabelsalat
Bern

Phrex
Bern

Stahlberger
St. Gallen

Hundefutter
St.Gallen

MAXA
Bern

Diselecta Energy
CH / Gambia

Hosted by MC QWERTY
CH / Uganda

Acht Eimer Hühnerherzen
Berlin

Iedereen
Köln