Acid house progenitors Phuture have announced via their Facebook page that founder Earl Smith Jr., aka DJ Spank Spank, has died:
MGMT:::To our Acid House family and Music family at large we are very sorry to say that our friend and partner DJ Spank Spank has passed away.
Spank is (was) a legend. We will for certain continue the work he’s started on his final album project and his innovations in music.
Please for now: Pray for his family and DJ Pierre his brother. Allow them time to grieve.
We will come back with news. Much love.
Phuture, formed by Smith, DJ Pierre and Herb J in Chicago in 1985, released Acid Tracks in 1987, transforming the Roland TB-303 from an also-ran bass accompaniment machine into the heart of a new sound:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCUPc9zVfyo
via Del
Rest in peace.. Sad day for Acid..
A sad day, indeed.
These guys got more mileage out of a 303 and a 707 than anyone.
That party up in heaven just got even better! Sad news to hear, indeed.
This year has not been good for music, artist, makers and such passing away.
Respect.
Wow, I must admit I didn’t know that it was this artist behind Roland’s acid filter. Ironic that America currently produces such terrible music. Whatever happened there?
Corporate machines happened; they chew up each new generation of sound — polish, package, and homogenize until the new-new-fresh is watered-down garbage.
Anyway, Rest in Peace to this pioneer, Earl Smith Jr.
🙁
I can still remember the first time I heard Acid Tracks. It was really loud. Perfectly loud. My face melted.
I want to hear “Acid Tracks” bumping out of every car I see for the next three days. Think we could actual alter earth’s rotation if we can get every hatchback subwoofer on the planet playing it at the same time.
All of that mayhem and beauty with two machines. One of them monophonic! Amen.