I love music. I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Thank you very much for sitting down with us, Perry! Let's give our readers a proper introduction!

My name is Peredur ap Gwynedd; I am the guitarist in the drum and bass band Pendulum. I’m also a media composer. When I’m not on tour, I write music for TV/film.

 

What were your humble beginnings? How did you find your way to music and the audio segment?

I started playing guitar when I was a kid; my parents had acoustic guitars at home, and soon after that, I became interested in recording music. My first multitrack recorder was a Fostex X30 four-track cassette recorder.

 

So how did this evolve into being a professional musician? What were the steps and decisions that led you to where you are?

I was told when I was about sixteen that I was good enough to become professional, so from that age, I diverted all my academic endeavors to music. I ended up getting a degree in music at the University of London. Eventually, I got some pro gigs through word of mouth and became a session player as soon as I left university.

 

(photo by Josette Crispin, @jcrispinphoto)

Was your family supportive of this endeavor?

Yes, they were. They’re musicians themselves, so they were very supportive. Even if they hadn’t been, it wouldn’t have mattered; I still would have done the same thing.

 

You have an amazing roster of artists with whom you’ve worked: Anastacia, Natalie Imbruglia, Faithless, Sophie Ellis-Bextor…. Tell us about your career path and involvement with these amazing artists.

I’ve been lucky enough to play with quite a few talented artists over the years, and all of those gigs have come through word of mouth—through friends mainly.

My first big gig was with Natalie Imbruglia; I played with her from 1997 to 2006. It was an incredible experience.

I was a session musician back then, and I would go from gig to gig and do a lot of recording sessions, too. One such session was with Pendulum; I played guitar on the first album as a session, then they decided to take it live.

We did our first live show in October 2006.

In 2007, I was asked to join the band full-time. This was a bit of a gamble because I had a quite successful career as a sideman, but I needed a change, so I joined Pendulum, and the rest is history.

 

Where did life take you during the hiatus of Pendulum?

We were on hiatus from 2012–2016. During that time, I was back doing sessions and producing a lot of TV music. I played in Anastacia’s live band for a few tours, and after that, I was asked to join Faithless; I toured with them for two years.

 

You’re playing and have played in a lot of different musical styles; which one or ones are closest to you?

I’ve always been a rock/metal guitarist, although I do play most other styles, but I grew up listening to Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slayer, Rush, Van Halen, etc. So that’s where a lot of my influences come from.

It’s really interesting to hear how metal music has influenced Pendulum’s music while it being a d’n’b act. Not too long ago, you played in Budapest, and we, of course, enjoyed it a lot.

Do you think Pendulum’s work has opened up the opportunity for metal music to embrace a lot of electronic influences? These days we see all the modern bands using all kinds of d’n’b and other electronic elements.

Possibly? I’m not sure; there are a lot of other influential electronic bands out there, too.

(photo by Jaden Moss)

 

Let's talk about your most cherished projects!

Obviously Pendulum. It’s such a buzz knowing that we can still fill arenas, and it never gets boring.

Being asked to join the Faithless live band was great, too. Pendulum were on a hiatus for four years, and during that time, Sister Bliss sent me a text asking if I’d be interested in playing in the band; of course, I said yes. It was an honour to play with such legends.

 

How did it affect you when Pendulum went on hiatus?

It was great to work with other people, but fantastic when the band got back together again. It was incredibly exciting to be back in a room with the guys.

 

How was the latest Pendulum tour? What are the takeaways?

It’s been fantastic. We’ve been playing gigs in a lot of countries we haven’t been to in a while. It’s such a good feeling to know we’re still popular there.

It’s also good to see that the new material is just as popular as the old stuff.

 

Oh yes, we got a chance to experience that in person! What an amazing show! A lot of energy was coming down from the stage. Having played this music for decades now, do you still feel the same passion for it, or is it a bit more laid-back now?

It’s less laid-back than ever; the music is heavier and more frenetic now. We all love what we do and love being on stage. If I wasn’t passionate about the music, I wouldn’t be doing it; I’m in a privileged position of doing my hobby for a living.

 

(photo by Jessie Kusters, @knotsandshots)

 

How big of a part did you take in writing the new material?

The bulk of Pendulum’s songs are written and produced by Rob (Swire, singer/keyboards), but I’ve got one co-write on Inertia, a song called "Louder Than Words," a collab with Hybrid Minds.

 

What is your Buso desk of choice?

I’ve got a Producer XL. I needed something relatively big. I use two 27” monitors and a 43” TV above those (for when I do sound to picture). I don’t have that much outboard gear (most of my work is "in the box"), but the rack space is slowly getting filled up with toys.

Who are your instrumental heroes?

Mainly guitarists: EVH, Gary Moore, Alex Lifeson, Wayne Krantz, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and my latest hero is a blues guitarist called Philip Sayce; he’s just incredible.

 

You’re out on tour a lot; how do you manage to balance studio work with that?

I’m lucky that it all seems to work out nicely; nothing has clashed…… yet!

But I do take my MacBook on tour with me; it’s a clone of my studio computer, so I can compose/produce anywhere in the world. For example, I composed a piece for the BAFTA Games Awards on a flight between London and Miami a few months ago. I can work anywhere, really.

 

Wow, this BAFTA story is so cool! Typically, what is the work you’re doing at the studio?

It’s mainly composing and producing, but the bulk of my work over the last few years has been composing for TV and composing production/library music.

 

 

Composing on demand must be an entirely different challenge. What are your highlights here—any show that the wider audience knows as well?

With the production music, I’ve never asked on what shows my music has been used; maybe I should? :) 

 

Let's take a look at the influences from the audio world!

When I was younger, one name kept on cropping up on the sleeve notes of my favourite records…… Bob Clearmountain.

To me, he’s the greatest mix engineer of all time, and I was lucky enough to sit in on a Dolby Atmos masterclass he did a couple of years ago. He’s just an incredible talent but very humble, too; I was very starstruck on meeting him!

My go-to reference mixes when testing anything new—speakers, studios, etc.—are "Woman In Chains" by Tears For Fears and "Avalon" by Roxy Music.

 

Hah, thanks! I think I’ll come back to this for reference. Tell us a little more about the gear that's being used in your workspace.

I work in the box, so there is no mixing console.

My gear:

M1 Mac Studio Ultra (64GB), Universal Apollo x8, Nektar Panorama CS12 controller, Unity Audio The Rock III nearfield monitors, IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitors, Audio Technica R70x open-backed headphones, and a Novation LaunchKey 88 keyboard.

 

This was the immediate workstation; what about the rest of the arsenal?

I have a lot of guitar gear in my studio, obviously. About four PRS guitars (Custom 24 Floyd, Silver Sky, DGT & Hollowbody II), a Fender Precision Bass, various acoustics (Maton, Fylde, Seagull), a 1931 Dobro, a pedal steel, and an EVH Frankie which is hanging on the wall overlooking my work area; it’s a bit of a shrine.

 

I’ve got about a hundred guitar FX stompboxes, the latest being a Teaching Machines FuzzBillion—probably the best fuzz pedal I’ve ever played through.

Up until recently, all my work has been in the box, but I’m slowly incorporating some outboard gear. The most interesting one is the Teaching Machines Wellspring; it’s an analogue stereo spring reverb system with added analog delay, filter, and modulation. It’s an amazing piece of kit.

I don’t use guitar amps in the studio anymore; for the last 10 years, I’ve been using a Line 6 Helix multi-FX processor/modeller instead. It’s very, very good and a lot less hassle than miking up a cab.

I’ve also got a Eurorack setup; I use this primarily for drones and beastly sounds.

 

 

What got you eventually to set foot in the outboard world as well?

There was nothing specific; I’ve always had bits of outboard, things like mic preamps and delays. But the next thing I’ll buy is probably an Alesis Midiverb II, just for preset number 45 (if you know, you know). I had one about 25 years ago but gave it away; I really miss that preset.

 

What is your workflow strategy?

Efficiency is always important when you’re working on music, and the Producer XL helps greatly; everything is at hand and ergonomically perfect.

 

In regards to analog/digital, how do you see the future of the industry?

There will always be room for analogue, but I prefer working in the digital realm, with some analogue bits here and there.

 

AI is gaining more and more ground in our lives. How do you see it affecting composing, engineering, and the all-around music industry?

I try to ignore it. I hope it doesn’t take a foothold in our industry. We hear about how AI is replacing jobs in many industries right now, but before long, I’m sure that governments will have to do something about it. An AI entity on a server somewhere doesn’t pay tax, whereas an actual human does.

 

Being an accomplished player and producer, what is it that keeps you going still? What keeps the flame alive?

I just love music; I can’t imagine doing anything else really. Someone asked me about a year ago what I will do when I retire. I replied that I’ll never retire.

Why would I want to retire from the best job in the world?

 

Another philosophical one: what advice would you give to someone starting out in the music industry in 2026? Be that a player or an engineer.

My advice would be to say yes to everything. The more experience you have, the more chance you’ll have of making it in the music industry.

When I was starting out, I made sure I was either recording or gigging every single day. If you’re sitting down and doing nothing, you’re wasting time. If you haven’t got a gig, find a gig; if you’re not recording, then start recording something new.

Even now, when I’m not on tour, I’m in the studio. Then again, I’d be very bored if I wasn’t.

Thank you again, Perry, for taking the time; we really enjoyed having this chat with you. What song would you pick for our Buso Audio Hall of Fame playlist?

I'll go with Pendulum - Driver!