DJ Randall, the pioneering jungle and drum & bass DJ, has died at the age of 54.
Frequently referred to as “the godfather of breakbeat”, the British DJ helped steer British rave culture from the acid house movement of the late 80s and early 90s into the breakbeat, hardcore, jungle, and drum & bass sounds that dominated UK dance floors through the 90s. He often played alongside other legendary figures in the early jungle movement such as Fabio & Grooverider.
Randall first got into mixing and scratching with vinyl in the late 80s after discovering acid house at 1987’s Notting Hill Carnival. Having begun to build his own collection of records, while also attending various parties, he soon started recording his own mixtapes and appeared on pirate radio stations such as Rave FM and Centreforce at the turn of the 90s.
It was at this time that his DJ sets became increasingly more experimental, building into playing a darker strand of breakbeat-heavy hardcore and jungle. A number of mixtapes capturing his sets at the AWOL party at now closed The Paradise Club in London through the first half of the 90s are considered classics of the jungle genre, while his frequent sets at Hoxton club Blue Note, which is also now closed, were also hailed by those who regularly went to the venue.
Though Randall was better known as a DJ than a producer, his 1994 collaboration with Andy C, ‘Sound Control’, for RAM Records is frequently considered as a definitive jungle tune. He also helped co-found the DeUnderground record shop, based in East London, and associated record label with Cool Hand Flex and Mike De Underground. The shop operated from 1991 until 1996, and helped inspire the further co-founding of another label with Cool Hand Flex, Mac2 Recordings, in 1996.
Responding to the news of Randall’s death, Goldie’s Metalheadz label, one of many key drum & bass imprints that the late DJ was affiliated with, said: “Everyone at Metalheadz is absolutely devastated to learn of the passing of one of our own. A uniquely loveable character with a heart of gold, we will miss you very much Randall.”
Paul Woolford, otherwise known under his breakbeat-inspired alias Special Request, said on social media: “Randall’s influence cannot be understated. It is colossal. So many of us were absolute schooled by his methods. It runs so deep it’s ridiculous.”
