Tributes paid as jungle, drum & bass pioneer DJ Randall dies, aged 54: “His influence cannot be understated”

1 August, 2024

NME News

Jungle and drum & bass pioneer DJ Randall has died at age 54. Tributes have since been shared by fellow musicians, industry peers and fans.

The news was confirmed by a representative of DJ Randall to Resident Advisor earlier today (August 1).

The veteran DJ, real name Randall McNeil, has frequently been referred to as the “godfather of breakbeat”. Through his countless sets, he helped pivot the UK’s acid house-inflicted rave scene – starting from the mid-1980s – into a cavalcade of sounds that included jungle, drum & bass and hardcore through the ’90s.

McNeil first began with the turntables in the late ’80s, carrying along a record collection friendly with the scene’s then-blooming acid house sound. However, as the ’90s arrived, his sets began incorporating jagged breakbeat sounds that were captured on now-seminal mixtapes and pirate radio broadcasts from Rave FM and Centreforce.

While best known as a DJ, McNeil also produced music and co-founded East London record shop DeUnderground, which operated from 1991 to 1996. McNeil had continued to perform DJ sets until recently.

Doc Scott wrote a tweet thread today on X (formerly Twitter), sharing that he only just hung out with McNeil last weekend at Croatia’s Outlook Festival, where both performed.

“As many have said and will say, you are the DJ’s DJ, you are irreplaceable in this scene, way ahead of your time, you taught so many, myself included,” wrote Scott.

“All my love goes out to his family and to the entire DNB scene around the world, we lost a part of our foundation today and I lost one of my best friends in the scene, I am heartbroken. Rest easy king.”

Goldie’s Metalheadz label, which hosted McNeill during their Outlook Festival showcase, shared a tribute on Instagram. “A uniquely loveable character with a heart of gold, we will miss you very much Randall”, they wrote.

Metalheadz label manager Ant TC1 shared his own tribute on X. McNeil is “one of the big reasons a lot of us fell head over heels for the art form of it all back in the very early days,” he said.

Paul Woolford, aka Special Request, shared that “Randall’s influence cannot be understated”.

“So many of us were absolutely schooled by his methods,” he added. “It runs so deep it’s ridiculous.”

DJ Fresh praised McNeil’s influence on him and his peers: “You got a generation of kids into Drum & Bass when it was still called Jungle and you inspired the people that inspired me.”

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