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PIONEERING UK HOUSE & TECHNO DJ COLIN FAVER DIES

The UK DJ world pays tribute to former Kiss FM stalwart 

It was reported over the weekend that pioneering UK DJ Colin Faver has died. 

Faver was a pioneering UK DJ who began his career in music during the punk era. After taking a job at a record shop, he started DJing at punk events and then promoting his own gigs too.

As punk moved into new-wave and then goth, Colin began playing at club-nights like the Bat Cave before landing a residency at Camden Palace from 1982-88.

In the latter part of this spell he started playing house music, alongside other pioneers Mark Moore and 'Evil' Eddie Richards. When acid house exploded in London in the late '80s, he played slots at seminal nights such as Shoom, Hedonism and RIP, secured residencies at house night Pyramid at Heaven, and started a night with Eddie Richards at the Wag Club on Wardour Street.

Colin then started playing across the UK, at places like the Hacienda in Manchester and Orbit in Leeds, held down a Tuesday residency at The Rex Club in Paris, and played at all the big M25 raves such as Raindance, Energy, Biology, Sunrise and so on.

He then became a resident at Rage at Heaven in London, the birthplace of drum & bass, and devoted time on his Kiss FM radio show to playing this emerging breakbeat sound. He also got bang into techno, giving first plays to many emerging techno producers on the Abstrakt Dance show he sometimes did with Colin Dale, and putting on the Knowledge nights that gave first UK gigs to people like Richie Hawtin, Sven Väth and Joey Beltram.

Much of the UK DJ scene has been paying tribute to Colin since the news broke of his passing. Gilles Peterson, Trevor Nelson, Darren Emerson, Grooverider, Andy C, John Digweed, 4Hero, Kirk DeGiorgio, Nicky Blackmarket, Justin Robertson, Optimo and Luke Solomon were just some who tweeted their sympathies and appreciations.

DJ Mag sends sympathy and condolences to all of Colin's friends and family.

Here's one of Colin's old shows from 24 years ago on Kiss, a show that still feels as cutting edge as the day it was broadcast.