Pest is a southeast London group whose members have varying backgrounds (techno, hip-hop, jazz, etc.), which makes for an unsurprisingly unique blend of breakbeat funk with abstract playing. Before they came together to record a 2003 record for Ninja Tune, members of the quintet worked, variously, as a hip-hop DJ, a classical cellist (who's appeared with Roots Manuva and worked as a garage producer), a techno trackmaster for the Flatline label, a trombone player (who's also into African percussion), and a guitarist who spent time at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. Pest is also an accomplished live band, playing out in London and beyond as Spynaworkshop. ~ John Bush