Pete Dougherty (aka Moon Boots) was born and still resides in Brooklyn. His earliest musical memories include block parties where Paradise Garage classics like MSFB’s “Love Is the Message” blared through the neighborhood. His adolescent years were spent in the suburbs, where he played synth and keys, jamming along to Daft Punk with a black light on. 

After studying classical and jazz composition at Princeton, Pete moved to Chicago, the birthplace of house music. The city transformed Pete, giving him the chance to see legends like Frankie Knuckles, Paul Johnson and Derrick Carter on their home turf. He spent years honing his skills as a remixer and DJ and in late 2011, Moon Boots was born. The alias began taking shape with a series of releases for French Express. The label provided Pete with a platform, and he quickly leveled up his craft while touring around the world and eventually moving back to Brooklyn.

The first Moon Boots album, First Landing, arrived in 2017 on Anjunadeep, followed two years later by Bimini Road, and then in 2023 by Ride Away. As with his DJ sets, each album blends elements of house, disco, and R&B with a crate’s worth of musical influences. Each of these albums was also accompanied by an ambitious live show, showcasing Pete's mastery of piano, synth programming and arranging along with dramatic vocal performances from his collaborators. The three records were widely embraced, amassing over 100 million streams.

Moon Boots has played everywhere from dimly lit clubs and warehouse parties to massive festivals. played everywhere from dimly lit clubs and warehouse parties to massive festivals. Regardless of the DJ booth's location, his only goal is to keep people dancing. With upcoming releases in 2024 on Big Love (Defected), Sweat it Out, and Jackie's Music, Moon Boots is bringing his focus back to the DJ booth with plenty of surprises in store.