Latest news with #TerrorDanjah
The Guardian
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Terror Danjah was the gregarious heart of the grime scene – and its greatest producer
It's not entirely surprising to hear the news of Terror Danjah's death, given he had been very unwell since suffering a stroke in 2019. But it still hits just as hard, and leaves a gaping absence in British music culture. Born Rodney Pryce, he was not only a foundational figure in grime at the turn of the millennium, but throughout his prolific career remained a great enthusiast, evangelist, musical explorer and connector of people. He was one of the first grime producers to work with singers, the first to have his instrumentals released in album form, and reached beyond the sometimes insular scene, joining dots into other areas of bass and club music, and helping grime itself to achieve maturity and longevity. He was also crucial in documenting the culture, and any conversation with him never stuck to music – his generally salacious anecdotes were packed with detail of how X was Y's cousin or went to school with Z, all precisely located on a detailed mental map of record shops, clubs and pirate station studios, and filling in inter-generational detail. So hilariously gossipy were his stories, it could often feel like an episode of grimey EastEnders, but it also brought the music culture vividly to life. Growing up in Forest Gate, east London, he had a standard early 90s adolescence listening to ragga and hip-hop, then jungle hit just as he was starting to collect records and DJ as Terror Danjah, He quickly built a reputation doing the rounds of house parties and youth clubs with his schoolfriend MC Dee – soon to be spelled out as D Double E. But he already had a deeper musical grounding, too: he had older siblings with diverse tastes, his brother-in-law had been on early pirates playing electro and house, and his dad was of the pre-reggae Jamaican generation and filled the family home with jazz, classical and country. He and Dee quickly got recruited by local pirate Future FM, then the bigger Rinse FM, and at the end of the decade, Terror Danjah tried his hand at his own jungle/drum'n'bass productions to little effect. But though he didn't like it much when his pirate peers made the switch to garage near the end of the decade, the minute he tried producing at that tempo, MCs and listeners were thrilled. The name 'grime' didn't exist yet, but he was tapping into the same set of influences as fellow Rinse names Wiley, Target, Geeneus and co, and tracks like 2002's Highly Flammable helped cement the sound: a wildly futurist music based around lurching bass, freezer-burned drum programming and fast-chatting lyricism. But Terror Danjah was already in a lane of his own even as he operated right at the heart of the nascent scene, having Skepta and Kano jumping on his beats, working with Nasty Crew and his own After Shock collective, and launching the careers of MCs like Bruza, Mz Bratt and Tinie Tempah. He helped create the R&B-grime hybrid 'R&G' with singers like Sadie and Shola Ama, but his instrumentals for MCs also had a unique musicality, combining Timbaland-style fidgety percussion, huge reggae soundsystem bass, melodic hooks galore and above all a natural sense of funk. This all helped him reach a wider electronica audience, and Gremlinz, his 2009 collection of beats for connoisseurs' label Planet Mu put a flag in the ground for grime as instrumental electronic music just as dubstep was beginning to outflank it. This was followed by music on Hyperdub alongside the likes of Burial and label boss Kode 9; helping to launch the Butterz imprint and parties, emphasising grime as party music above all; and generally forging links through the wider club and 'post-dubstep' scene. I first interviewed Terror Danjah around his early Hyperdub releases, and was bowled over by his geniality, generosity and love for his scene and locality. He became the biggest single inspiration for my book Bass, Mids, Tops, which mapped out UK bass music, and he took a starring role. Through the 2010s, his mercurial creativity seemed like maybe it kept him from the breakout success he deserved – he'd leap from making borderline EDM bangers to ultra-minimal dancehall, concept albums about planets to R&B rhythms for vocalist IAMDDB – often churning tracks out with little fanfare on his own Hardrive imprint. But every time I interviewed him or bumped into him at an industry do or rave, he seemed creatively fulfilled and happy to have the respect of his peers, getting regular collaborations with everyone from Wiley to Four Tet. It's bittersweet that he had just made his most coherent album yet, Invasion, when he was taken ill in 2019 – the thought of what might have come is almost too much to process. But he was already the best producer in all of grime, and so much more besides: his influence will only become more apparent with time.
The Guardian
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Acclaimed British grime producer Terror Danjah has died
The pioneering grime artist Terror Danjah, much admired for his lush, playful and propulsive style of production, has died. A label representative confirmed the news to the Guardian via a family member, though a cause of death, and his age, have not been given. Among those paying tribute was Kevin Martin, AKA producer the Bug, who wrote: 'A fantastic producer, big hearted person and criminally underrated outside of grime circles … a positive force, sorely missed.' Terror Danjah was born Rodney Price in Forest Gate, the son of Jamaican parents, whose soundsystem house parties left a big impression on the young music fan. He cited Public Enemy, Timbaland and soundsystem culture as influences on his musical sensibility. He formed Reckless Crew in 1998, a collective that garnered attention from its sets on Rinse FM, and said that his love of jungle inspired him to start producing his own material. Price made an impact in the early 2000s as a producer for Nasty Crew, working alongside MCs such as Kano and Hitman Hyper. He was among a clutch of producers who pioneered the short-lived R&G (rhythm and grime) movement. His 2005 collaboration with Sadie Ama, So Sure, introduced a softer side of grime, inspired by what Price described to the Quietus as his background in reggae, R&B and soul. He formed his own label, Hardrive records, in 2007, and released solo material through Butterz and Planet Mu. The latter released Price's debut collection Gremlinz in 2009, which 'rewrote the twin narratives of grime and dubstep with Danjah placed firmly at the centre, making him instantly relevant' according to dance music publication XLR8R. He was also considered a key voice in the current sound of grime, noted for what his label Tru Thoughts called his 'trademark heavy basslines, intricate programming and kinetic productions, with a sonic output that is brash, neon-bright and hyperactive', along with his trademark 'gremlin' cackle audio stamp. He collaborated with acts including Wiley, Dizzee Rascal, Kano and Tinie Tempah, and released a split 12-inch with Four Tet, Killer/Nasty, in 2014. Price became seriously unwell in August 2019 after suffering a stroke, and his family released a statement at the time to confirm that he was in a critical condition. Price made a number of records for the dance label Hyperdub, which stated that he was in a coma at the time, but he later recovered. His most recent releases date to that year: the album Invasion, and the EP Red Flag. Other peers from the grime and rap scenes have paid tribute, including rapper and TV presenter Big Zuu who called Price 'a very kind soul who always had time for the mandem and just wanted to see us win. Sending prayers and blessings to your family.' Producer and DJ Plastician wrote: 'Such a talented producer and a great human being to boot. He's never left my crates. Never will.' Rapper Trillary Banks wrote: 'Heaven gained not just an angel but a UK legend', while another MC, Manga Saint Hilare, wrote: 'What you've created & taught so many will live forever.'
The Independent
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Grime pioneer Terror Danjah, who worked with Kano, Wiley and Ghetts, has died
Respected music producer Terror Danjah, who worked with some of the foremost artists of the UK's grime scene, has reportedly died. The news was announced on Tuesday (11 February) by musician D Power Diesle on social media in a brief statement that said: 'People! Sad sad news! [Terror Danjah] has unfortunately passed away. 'God bless all his family, I will let you know when I know more.' Born Rodney Price in east London, the producer was described as a 'great uncle' of grime thanks to his work nurturing generations of talent, collaborating with early pioneers of the scene including Wiley, Ghetts, Jammer and Kano. He began his career by DJing at local house parties before starting out as a producer around 2001. Two years later, he produced NASTY's 'Cock Back' ft Crazy Titch and Bruza. Price swiftly became known for creating some of grime's most distinctive sounds, including his trademark 'gremlin', a robotic cackle that added an extra dose of suspense. His music soon found its way to pivotal underground labels including Hyperdub, Tru Thoughts and Planet Mu, along with his own Hardrive Records, through which he released a number of solo projects. He held a diplomatic view on artists venturing into mainstream territory, telling Vice that it depended on 'whether you can stay true to the music'. 'It would be lovely to get a national hit but it would be beautiful to do it from what I do now,' he said. 'I know it's gonna take some wider thinking and maybe less intricate but at the same time, it's all about timing because you can do what the Wileys, Tinies and Skeptas are doing; making music for the market and then making music for them.' He continued: 'It seems as time goes on, people are accepting more of the underground culture because it's becoming more of a norm. Ten or 15 years ago, there was a massive gap and now both sides are just merging into one big pot.' Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members) Sign up In the same interview, he recalled an amusing anecdote of how Tinie Tempah, who rose to fame with 2010 singles 'Pass Out' and 'Frisky', was coming to visit him at his home. Price warned him to get there before 2.30pm. 'He still tried to come into the ends at 3pm and ended up getting chased down the road by a mob of [school] girls,' he remembered. 'You know when someone doesn't realised how big they are? Them girls know everything, so of course they'd chase him. Lesson learnt!' Price remained active well into the 2010s, working with electronic artist Four Tet on his 2014 single 'Killer' and releasing an album, Invasion, in 2019. That same year, his family released a statement telling fans that he was 'critically ill' from an unconfirmed illness and in a coma. Price's social media accounts have been inactive since then, and he appeared to disappear from the public eye. Following the news of his death, tributes poured in from former collaborators, fans and friends. 'Rest in peace,' rapper and singer Big Zuu wrote on X. 'A very kind soul who always had time for the mandem and just wanted to see us win. Sending prayers and blessings to your family.' 'RIP Terror Danjah,' artist Kush Jones wrote. 'One of my favs and one of the best grime producers ever. His style was truly unique.' Electronic music Plastician (Chris Reed), wrote: 'Sad news to read on the timeline. Such a talented producer and a great human being to boot. He's never left my crates. Never will.' His friend and fellow musician Trillary Banks said: 'Heaven gained not just an angel but a UK legend. Love you @TerrorDanjah.'
