Ewan Pearson is one of the most respected producers and in demand remixers in the UK at the moment.

You are originally from Kidderminster but now live in Berlin, what prompted your move to Berlin and how are you liking it there ?

I moved to Berlin about 18 months ago - originally as an experiment 'cause I was a bit fed up of London and needed a change of scene. I am lucky that I can do my job pretty much anywhere with a post office and an airport.

But I have grown to love Berlin and am taking German lessons, so looks like I might be staying for a while. It has lots going on whilst being a a bit less hard work than London.

Your early years were spent dividing time between academic pursuits and music; you must have great time-management skills, tell us a little about how you got through that period of your life ?

I don't know about time management skills!  I've always been a bit of an over-achiever I guess - well, I've always been interested in a lot of different things. But I did expect to end up a teacher or an academic: I never imagined I would be able to make a living out of doing music, but gradually it developed its own momentum, to the point where I had to choose between my PhD and being a musician. Up to that point I had been able to fit production around my study but then I did my album and I started playing live and it all got too difficult. Either way, I was going to be poor, but at least with music there was a faint prospect of earning a living at some point down the line!

And likewise about the Discographiesą book you co-wrote with Jeremy Gilbert; can you tell us a little about that and what prompted you at the time to attempt the project ?

"Discographies" came out of my Masters degree work;  I did an MA in Philsophy and Cultural Studies and wrote a good deal about music during my thesis. I met Jeremy Gilbert at an academic conference and it turned out he had been working on similar stuff and he came up with the quite ridiculous idea to put our masters work together and submit it as a book proposal. Usually you don't get published academically until after you have completed a PhD, but for some reason they gave us a contract and then we had to write the thing. It was really hard work and I cursed it many times during the writing but I'm very proud of it and very glad that Jeremy came up with the idea. It made my Mum very happy! It's been translated into Korean and Spanish language editions too.

In terms of releases and remixes what are you working on at the moment and what releases are soon out ?

I have recently remixed Alter Ego, Moby, Silicone Soul and Silver City. I have just mixed singles from Hot Chip and a new band called Howdi and will have a new single out in the autumn on a label I am starting with a friend in Berlin. Not sure what it will be called yet though.

Can you give us a current Top-10 tunes ?

see www.ewanpearson.com/enthusiasm

As a producer yourself who inspires you musically ?

My favourite producers are Joakim, Black Strobe, Stuart Price, Dave Taylor, Michael Meyer, Superpitcher, Riton... I could go on for days, to be honest!

From your last visit to Australia how do you rate the Australian scene ?

I had a wonderful time;  crowds seemed quite open minded and you lot aren't afraid to party! I was only on the East Coast, so I"m looking forward to coming to Perth this time.

From a DJ perspective what do you regard as the most important ingredients in a great set ?

Well, I'm not the most brilliant technician in the world. I can mix (usually!) but I have always thought that selection was the most important thing;   what you play and how you structure the set. I also try and play as much new music as possible. I see my job as helping people to hear the brilliant new records that are about.

check out www.ewanpearson.com

Catch Ewan @ Ministry of Sound 'Sessions' : Sunday June 5 : Metro City and Monkey Bar