DJ Randall dead at 54: Drum & bass star dubbed 'the godfather of ...

DJ RANDALL, the pioneering drum & bass DJ often called "the godfather of breakbeat," has died aged 54.

The tragic news were confirmed by one of his representatives as tributes pour in for the late star.

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The official cause of his death has not been confirmed yet.

Randall, along with Fabio and Grooverider, transformed jungle in the 1990s with his unique skills.

As a vinyl-obsessed youngster and amateur record scratcher, he first experienced acid house during Notting Hill Carnival in 1987, before establishing his own distinct style of breakbeat hardcore.

He was a frequent on pirate radio stations such as Rave FM and Rinse FM before joining Centreforce in 1989.

Randall and Cool Hand Flex cofounded Mac2 Recordings in 1996, motivated by the closing of prominent trading shop De-Underground Records.

Randall also frequently worked the decks at The Blue Note Club, with musicians like as Goldie and DJ Storm.

He has been regarded as a major inspiration by innumerable luminaries in the drum and bass field, including Andy C and Nia Archives.

The devastated fans of DJ Randall have since been pouring emotional tributes online.

Fellow musician DJFresh wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "RIP Randall -You were such a big influence to me and my friends.

"And I was lucky to get to work with and hang out with you.

"You got a generation of kids into Drum & Bass when it was still called Jungle and you inspired the people that inspired me.

"Rest in peace my friend, you will live on in our hearts and our music."

Another heartbroken fan said: "RIP to the Original badbwoy junglist Dj RANDALL…

"Junglist is a way of life you knew what it meant from within your heart & you communicated it to the people through your music...

"Salute Sir."

A third shared: "Rest in peace to my dj hero (since I was a kid), 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."