RIP DJ KEMISTRY (thanks MIXMAG)

Remembering Kemistry

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Image via Metalheadz

It’s crazy to think that it’s been 15 years since the world lost Kemistry. You know who Kemistry is, right? If you know who Goldie is, you have Kemistry to thank. He’s gone on record as saying that it was Kemistry (alongside her DJ partner, Storm) that were seminal in introducing him not only to the players in the club scene, but the club night Rage, where Fabio and Grooveriderwere resident DJs spinning the sounds that would later be known as jungle, then drum & bass. Kemistry is one of the brainchilds behind Metalheadz in its early days, and has been forever immortalized in song on Goldie’s debut LP, Timeless:

One of the most important mixed CDs in drum & bass history was Kemistry and Storm’s CD for the DJ-Kicks series. The 12th mix in the series, Kemistry and Storm introduced drum & bass to the series, which was pretty massive for a compilation series that for four year prior focused more on house, techno, and downtempo sounds. Released 15 years ago, you can look at the tracklist and recognize the names that helped changed the landspace of dnb, including Dillinja, John B, Digital, Loxy, Jonny L, and even the early machinations of Bad Company (in the form of Absolute Zero and Subphonics). Respect to DJ Mag for unearthing their interview with Kemi and Storm from that period.

Sadly, on April 25, 1999 (aka a few months after the release of their DJ-Kicks mix CD), Kemistry was killed in a freak car accident. At the time it was a major blow to the dnb scene, especially when you consider that (like much of the electronic music scene), females producing and DJing aren’t always given the props and value that they should be. Kemistry and Storm are important figures within the scene, and Storm has made it a point to continue flying the flag for dnb and Metalheadz. Through her, DJs like Flight, and our memories, Kemistry lives on.

Check out the next page for a collection of mixes, interviews, and remixes of Goldie’s “Kemistry,” all while you’re reading over this great article from Mixmag. Rest in peace, Kemi.