RIP DJ Randall: A jungle and drum ‘n’ bass master with a magnetic personality

Over the last 30-plus years Randall’s dedication to DJing and supporting new music and new artists has never waned. While drum ‘n’ bass may be enjoying renewed popularity right now, there have been occasions when its popularity dipped, yet Randall was still there, grafting, touring and rolling out his flawless sets. For the majority of his career he was a DJ, with a few dalliances with production – including the seminal ‘Sound Control’ with Andy C and Ant Miles on Ram Records in 1994. The track, which sampled Creative Force’s ‘It’s So Good’, is an early example of Randall’s production prowess, which didn’t really come to the fore until the pandemic.

After years of focusing on DJing, due to the constant flow of new music, he had the space and time in 2020 to immerse himself in production full-time. This led to a steady flow of Randall productions over the past four years, including his debut solo EP ‘Time 4 Da Switch’ in November 2020 on Mac II. More recently he formed the collaborative group Watch The Ride with Bristol’s DJ Die and Dismantle. A further extension of his creative abilities the crew have wowed audiences with their fresh take on breakbeat-influenced music, connecting with artists like Nia Archives and D Double E, and keeping the cross-generational British underground lineage strong.

Alongside all of his achievements and innate abilities, what really shines through most in all the dedications to DJ Randall is his consistently positive persona. A gregarious character and hilarious with a notorious belly laugh and magnetic presence, he was widely loved for being a genuinely lovely person. He was welcoming and supportive to newcomers, connecting with new generation artists, and forming very close bonds with many of the veteran fraternity he came up with. The old adage of “never meet your heroes” simply did not apply to Randall. “He was an inspiration; such a talent, such a good man. I gave him my first tape and the next time I saw him, he had a huge grin on his face and said ‘I loved your tape!’ From then on, I was forever on Mac II’s mailing list and promo list. It was such a momentous milestone for me, as a young teenage, female DJ, who grew up listening to his tapes! He was so generous, so funny, absolutely so respectful at a time when there were only a handful of us females in the scene and I will always be utterly grateful for his kindness and support,” said DJ Empress.

Renowned selector Charlotte Devaney tells a similar story on Instagram, “Thank you for taking me under your wing at the very start of my journey in the scene almost 25 years ago, you were such an important part of my journey that I’ll never ever forget,” she wrote. “We shared so many good times and adventures, you will always be one of my favourite DJs, a true inspiration & mentor giving me my first DJ lesson.”

The widespread outpouring of love and positivity, key memories, stories and, of course, the seminal DJ sets – from studio sets to live recordings – are a testament to how much respect Randall always had, from day one. Not only lauded since his passing, Randall got his flowers time and again during his lifetime. His contribution to electronic music is undoubtedly a gift to us all, and his loss is being felt tremendously by the entire d’n’b community worldwide, and by other adjacent artists and scenes, such as garage icon DJ Spoony and dubstep MC Sgt. Pokes, who highlighted Randall’s influence over him and the DMZ crew.

It’s virtually impossible to quantify the impact he has had, not only on the development of the music and culture, but how much he has touched people’s lives across the UK and the rest of the world. Randall McNeil, a master and innovator of his craft, a forefather of jungle and drum ‘n’ bass music and an all round gent. Rest In Peace.

Marcus Barnes is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Mixmag, follow him on Twitter