Pioneer was always into music as a child as his mother was a massive reggae fan and his dad a reggae bass player. As a teenager, Pioneer was influenced heavily by the reggae sound system culture, his favourites being Stone Love, Bass Odyssey and David Rodigan. It was in 1994 that Pioneer started to pay more attention to the UK Underground Dance scene and took a great liking to Jungle music. Jungle acts such as Brockie, Funky Flirt and Nicky Blackmarket were heavily influential for Pioneer and led to him wanting to become a DJ. He started collecting vinyl even before he owned a pair of decks and his music soon became more than just a hobby, it was now a major part of his life.