Andrew Penhallow, Australian Dance Music Trailblazer, Has Died
A tribute to Andrew Penhulu, the dance music legend who created two platforms for the genre, introducing DJ culture and electronic beats to millions of young Australians through his Volition Records label and live from Big Day's Boiler Room Out.
British-born Penhallow began his career in the 1980s when he and business partner Paul Gardiner raised $30,000 to form Gardiner and Penhallow, also known as GAP.
Paul got $10,000, and I got $10,000 from my mother-in-law at the time. Then Paul received another $10,000 from his wife's ex-husband, who was a neurosurgeon.
Through GAP, Penhallow and Gardiner secured a licensing deal for Factory Records, the label run by the late Manchester scene creator Tony Wilson. Factory Australasia will act as an extension of this major UK label, bringing its roster of indie and alt-rock gems to the Australian market, from Joy Division and New Order to Happy Mondays and more.
Benkhalov learned the craft, made connections, and embarked on a journey that would put underground dance music in the spotlight.
Penhollow formed Volition Records in the late 1980s, assembling some of the country's top electronic artists, from Severed Heads to Boxcar, Itch-E, Scratch-E, Single Gun Theory, FSOM, Southend, Vision Four 5, and Sexing . Bali.
Particularly successful would be the expansion of BDO and the national launch of the Triple J Radio Network, achieved with remixes of Severed Heads "Dead Eyes Open", "The Winner Is..." and "Itch -". E from Southend. and Scratch-E's Sweetness and Light, winner of the ARIA Award for Best Dance Cover.
Will's acts were at home in the rave and hardcore club scene of the '90s, but Penhallow's talent found a new audience with the Big Day Out tour and the Boiler Room, specializing in large-scale dance and music. Alternative rock and rebellion day.
Penhallow y otras grandes estrellas de la musica elektronica, desde Prodigy hasta Fatboy Slim y Aphex Twin, Firmaron Con Boiler Room, que él coprodujo (Gold Coast Parklands class, respectively, the period denoting the alkanon. of the day):
At its peak, Big Day Out, founded by the late Ken West and Viv Lees, sold 330,000 tickets per tour. Many would have had their first exposure to DJ and PA culture if they had visited the Boiler Room, a space that has "always influenced the Australian live electronic music space", according to a statement from the Sydney producers. electronic. music conference. . "Thank you for your wonderful contribution and thanks for the music, Mr. Penhulu."
Penhallow played a role on OMC Preview and their song "How Bizarre", inviting the New Zealand band to their BDO tour in 1997.
Will would end in the late 1990s when Penhallow finally passed boiler room duties to the next generation. But those who worked with him remember his legacy.
"We will miss you very much," Bokscar said on a social media post. "She changed us and Australian music forever, from Seped Heads to Falling Joys, Vision Four Five, Itch-E & Scratch-E, Single Gun Theory, Sexing the Cherry, FSOM, Sisters Underground, Southend, and Scattered Order, and Ups & Downs: ...before sensationalist Robert Rasik and Factory Music.AP pioneered.
Vision Four 5's message reads: “It is definitely too early for someone with this much drive, passion, energy, and amazing art, ever. Andy, we will miss you, you changed so many lives for the better.”
Details of Penhulu's death are not yet clear at the time of writing. He is survived by his partner, Virginia, and his brother, John.