PAWSA is the stage name of David Esekhile, a London-born British DJ and producer who became one of the defining names of contemporary tech house. Rather than building his identity around constant interviews or celebrity visibility, he has spent much of his career letting club records and DJ sets do the talking.
Who is PAWSA?
David Esekhile grew up in London in a family with Nigerian and Irish heritage. In a 2026 interview with NYLON, he described music as the centre of his attention even as his bookings expanded to major festivals and large venues. That focus helps explain the PAWSA persona: visible when there is music to play, comparatively private everywhere else.
Today PAWSA is known as a DJ, producer, label founder and one of the central artists around Solid Grooves. His music sits broadly inside house and tech house, but his catalogue and sets regularly pull from minimal, micro house, older club records, hip-hop and vocal samples.
From London clubs to his first record
PAWSA's route into production was practical. After DJing and experimenting with edits, he taught himself Ableton using accessible production tutorials and began translating the records he heard in clubs into his own ideas. A trip to Ibiza pushed his taste toward deeper and more minimal house.
The breakthrough came after he connected with Leftwing : Kody and finished a project for them to hear. Lost Records signed it, and PAWSA made his label debut in 2014 with the Pilot EP. That release put a formal starting point on a career that had been developing through London's club scene.
PAWSA, Michael Bibi and Solid Grooves
PAWSA met Michael Bibi through the Solid Grooves party scene in London. The two connected over music and a shared ambition to build something lasting rather than depend entirely on other labels and industry structures. In 2015 they co-founded Solid Grooves Records.
The label became much more than a home for their own releases. Over time it helped develop and amplify artists including Dennis Cruz, ANOTR, Ben Sterling and Beltran, while Solid Grooves events grew into an international club and festival presence. For PAWSA, the label's identity is fundamentally about curation: records should feel as though they belong to the same musical language.
What genre is PAWSA—and what makes his sound different?
Calling PAWSA simply “tech house” is useful for search, but incomplete as a description. His productions tend to favour groove over excess: prominent bass, drums with space around them, short vocal or musical samples and arrangements designed to work physically on a dance floor.
His influences reach further into minimal and micro house, and his DJ sets can mix newer records with older material that supports the arc of the set. The result is music that can sound simple on first listen while being highly deliberate in its timing and restraint.
PAWSA's defining production principle is not how much can be added to a track, but how little it needs to keep a room moving.
Why PAWSA created PAWZ
In 2017 PAWSA launched PAWZ, a separate imprint for material that did not naturally fit the Solid Grooves identity. The project gave him room for stranger, more personal and more minimal records, while also connecting music with another creative interest: he has produced artwork associated with PAWZ releases.
The existence of both labels reveals an important part of his career. Solid Grooves is a curated collective language; PAWZ gives PAWSA a place to move outside that language without diluting it.
PAWSA songs: where to start
Earlier releases such as The Groovy Cat helped establish the rolling, sample-led style associated with PAWSA. His later catalogue widened his audience considerably, with releases including COLLECT THE COMMAS, TOO COOL TO BE CARELESS and Dirty Cash (Money Talks). More recent releases include BANG BANG, DOUBLE C from the F1 movie project and 2026's Ride On Me.
Those records show the same basic instinct across different levels of visibility: memorable source material, a strong groove and enough space for the idea to land in a club.
Why PAWSA's DJ sets matter as much as his records
PAWSA's identity was built in clubs, and his live schedule remains central to how audiences encounter him. His sets range from large festival appearances and extended sessions to vinyl-focused mixes. He has explained that he does not want a set made entirely from his own music; older and less obvious records can provide the structure that makes the bigger moments work.
That makes PAWSA especially relevant to Tonayt's idea of DJ discovery. Hearing one record online tells you part of the story. Experiencing the selector in a room—and then knowing where that DJ plays next—is a different relationship.
Where is PAWSA playing next?
PAWSA continues to tour internationally. Because DJ schedules change, the useful answer is not a static list that becomes outdated: it is a connected artist profile whose confirmed events can be updated as new dates are announced.
Open PAWSA's DJ profile on Tonayt to see his connected gigs and track the artist for what comes next. For primary-source announcements, PAWSA also maintains an official tour section on his own website.
PAWSA DJ FAQ
What is PAWSA's real name?
PAWSA's real name is David Esekhile. He is a British DJ and music producer from London.
What genre does PAWSA play?
PAWSA is primarily associated with house and tech house, with strong minimal and micro-house influences.
Who founded Solid Grooves?
Michael Bibi established the Solid Grooves party brand; PAWSA and Michael Bibi later co-founded Solid Grooves Records in 2015.
Does PAWSA have his own record label?
Yes. Alongside co-founding Solid Grooves Records, PAWSA launched his own PAWZ imprint in 2017 for more personal and experimental material.
Where can I see PAWSA's upcoming events?
Track PAWSA on Tonayt to keep his connected DJ dates in one profile, and check his official website for primary-source tour announcements.
Track PAWSA. Know where he plays next.
A great set should not end with trying to remember the DJ's name the next morning. Keep PAWSA's profile and upcoming gigs connected on Tonayt.
Sources and further reading
This guide was researched using PAWSA's official website and contemporary editorial/discography sources including NYLON, DJ Mag and Apple Music. Tour information is treated as time-sensitive and should be verified against current official announcements.