10 Tracks That Shaped Padre: Pete Lazonby’s Musical Journey Unveiled

Kono Vidovic March 18, 2025 363 4

For Aterral’s next edition the label welcomes Pete Lazonby aka Padre. Best known for the 90s classics of Sacred Cycles and Wavespeech, his current mode explores the tranquility versus energy paradox. He is able to drive a party without the need for brute force or nostalgia, seamlessly blending futuristic electronics with organic outbursts. Padre’s most recent releases are on Germany’s Rawax, Sum Over Histories and Aterral.

Pete says “I need thrilling levels of beauty in my party music. I know other people look for other things like energy or attitude. I want beauty; Call it what you want to: romance, love, god? I want a big dose of what words can’t describe, in every track with no exceptions.”

‘Alterity’ is a two-track release that defies genre boundaries and celebrates the beauty of otherness. This debut brings together Padre and Italian producer Bar.ba, and together they delivering emotive, avant-garde compositions that resonate on the dancefloor and beyond. ‘Holding Hands We’re Feeling Power’ opens with singer Oe celebrating that glorious and heady flash point at the start of a relationship. Perhaps the highest purpose of a rave or party is for lovers or soul mates to meet? ‘She Dances Like A Painting’ walks the path that embraces innovation and individuality, offering a timeless addition to the electronic music landscape.

Discover 10 tracks that shaped Pete Lazonby aka Padre, from African roots to avant-garde beats, ahead of his Aterral release Alterity in Feb 2025."

Pete Lazonby aka Padre walks us through ten tracks that had an impact no his musical world.

1. Franco & Le TPOK Jazz – Mosala Ekomi Mpasi Embong

This may sound Latin but it’s actually West African. If you’re ever at a tropical beach bar there’s a >15 hour Franco playlist on Spotify which I recommend above all others.

Not only does most American party music have African roots, I believe all the best electronic music connects more strongly to the indigenous roots music of the world than to recent western musical forms.

2. Insync – Storm

Still the best 909 programming I ever heard. So bouncy. It must have been a magical session. Irdial’s finest hour also. Lee Purkis may be gone but his work is not.

3. Ken Ishii – Cocoa Mousse

Even the production has stood the test of time on this one. Ken at his most playful and free.

4. Matthew Herbert – I Hadn’t Known (I Only Heard)

Needing no introduction. Poignant.

5. Roy Davis Jr. & Peven Everett – Gabriel

The direct line from Gospel to House music. Pure church for the dance floor.

6. Telefon Tel Aviv – Fahrenheit Fair Enough

A technical breakthrough at the time as well as top vibes. They were my good friends when I lived in New Orleans, and they certainly opened a portal with this one.

7. Ricardo Villalobos – Easy Lee

A great legacy for Heiko MSO as well as Ricardo. Heiko’s labels Playhouse and Klang contributed a lot, but this one will last the longest.

8. James Holden – 10101

It’s true, as his girlfriend says, that Holden’s most radical move was to give up DJing. It’s still a pity though. One of the only truly original producers in the scene and he is gone. He’s not a bona fide free improvising jazz musician yet, maybe in another 10-20 years he will be?

This track is a zenith and deserves a more sympathetic title. The title 10101 shows James’ disdain for the solitary digital world he was about to ditch. However, novelists and poets still have good lives in isolation like us studio hounds (the ones who aren’t suicidal alcoholics anyway). Come back James, you are needed.

9. The Acid – Ra (David August Remix)

Inter-dimensional playful playa deepness showing what power can be unleashed by aligned forces in collaboration. A remix should be an artistic necessity like this, not some cynical exchange of favors and branding association.

10. Padre & Bar.ba – She Dances Like A Painting

I’m happy you asked me to do this because now I am able to hear a little bit of many of these tunes in this one.

The heavy lifting for Painting was done by my writing partner Davide ‘Bar.ba’ De Michele, but I was able to rarify and magnify his groove and vibes with my dusty wax cylinder piano lines, orchestral interludes, arrangement, mixing and mastering.

This is just the beginning.

https://www.instagram.com/padreproducer

https://www.facebook.com/PadreMusic

https://soundcloud.com/padreuk

Conclusion and thank you!

Alterity drops in February 2025, with Holding Hands out on the 14th and She Dances Like A Painting on the 28th.

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Author

Kono Vidovic

DJ | MUSIC CURATOR & SELECTOR | PODCAST MAKER | BLOGGER Professional online interpreneur. Coffee practitioner. Electronic music culture maven. Total music guru. Infuriatingly humble problem solver. Food & sports fanatic.

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10 Tracks That Shaped Padre: Pete Lazonby’s Musical Journey Unveiled