Ajax, the passing of a ‘Dance Legend’

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Ajax, the passing of a ‘Dance Legend’

Today is a dark day for many, the passing of Ajax a wholly recognised dance legend, a life cut short by a tragedy in Melbourne.

You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who hadn’t somehow connected with the often smiling and energetic character, be it a quick back-slap as Adrian passed through the club to feverishly dancing till dawn hooked on all the newest indie-dance remixes being spun expertly. He’d be happy to stop and shoot the shit regardless of who you were or what you looked like, a positive force, a living moving tangible charged energy.

He was what Mehdi was to the French scene, a kindred musical spirit always destined for great things and defined what and where many of us belong today.

Look around and speak with anyone and they’ll tell you he was the reason they started clubbing, the reason they started DJing, the reason they listen and support the scene today. He touched many and will be sorely missed.

My early years and first flourishing of dance and electronic music were spent chasing around the then Bang Gang DJs, a posse of daring young souls willing to try something different in a fairly stagnant Australian scene. Made up of dance lords Ajax, Dangerous Dan, Damage (now Beni)Gus Da Hoodrat and Doom, the later who each now run their own empires, cut their teeth with early parties at Moulin Rouge in Sydney’s King Cross before taking the rave to 77 aka the bat cave and eventually  to The Gaff – each time bringing ‘friends’ where you would often see Cut Copy DJs face off against Van She Tech, Kim from The Presets, Midnight Juggernaut DJs and many more.

Their early podcasts were downloaded and listened to religiously, even today spinning them blows you away with track selection mashing New Young Pony Club with The Klaxons, Justice and Simian, old swing edits and DVNO.

… it just wasn’t a night unless you had the Bang Gang DJs in tow.

Ajax’s own statue grew having led FBI 94.5’s ‘Sunsets’ program and holding a residency at Sydney club fraternity Chinese Laundry in the early years both allowing his personality and true skill of mixing to breathe and find a new audience – an audience that wasn’t worried about ego’s or looking a particular way just one that wanted to be free and sweat it out on the dance floor.

Catching a glimpse of the man, the dance legend during these years was akin to seeing the untouchable while at the same time, someone so approachable you’d call him your good friend after sharing even a smile.

As select DJs are today, Ajax was the drawcard, it didn’t matter which international was in town, it’d be Adrian that would get you buying tickets and lining up around the block waiting, hoping to get in for a boogie with your friends and the man.

Listening to his 2007 ‘Dance Till Dawn’ mixtape (below) is a lasting memory that Ajax was so far ahead of the game it wasn’t funny, even today I scratch my head asking myself “how did he do that?” when you hear The Presets mixed into a Kaiser Chiefs remix banged into Yelle and the always recognisable ‘Ying Yang Twins’ edit by the man himself.

His accolades read like a superstar athelette having taken out ‘Australia’s Number 1 DJ’ twice, 3D Mag’s ‘Words Best DJ’ three times, Busy P’s ‘Best DJ of 2007’, Digitalisms ‘Best DJ of 2007’ and Justice’s ‘One To Watch in 2008’.

Stoney Roads own past was curated and pushed by who Adrian was and what he was doing, hell we wouldn’t have existed today without the reassurance somebody out there was doing it for the love of the music.

His legacy will live on today with his record label Sweat It Out, a menagerie of club-centric releases and a lasting tribute to a man that knew exactly what was going on.

Already kind words have poured out from Boys Noize, A-Trak and Brodinski proving without doubt that dance and electronic music brings together the best and that Ajax was the best.

We pass on well wishes to his friends and family.

RIP Adrian Thomas 1972 – 2013, you will be sorely missed.

Words from Rave Doss or Wow

Adrian – Back in 2006, 1 year before I started Stoney Roads with Cotties, I heard one of your sets. Coming from a world of rock music, to say the least, I was fucking confused. But the more I listened to your mixtapes, rocked out at your parties you were playing at, discovered songs through your sets, the more it all made sense to me. In fact it made so much sense that I fell in love with dance music and am trying to now make it my career like you have done so well.

The level of fame and accolade you and the bang gang boys created in Sydney back then was too intimidating for a gromit like myself at the time to even approach you for a chat. You oozed cool, I oozed pimples, a wobbly voice, some tacky fluoro gear and an iTunes collection. I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be cool one day be doing a job I loved as much as you. With these thoughts and a growing trend of blogging, Stoney Roads began.

Fast forward to 2012, I’m in a suit and tie about to go for a job interview as the PR and communications manager at Sweat It Out. One of the most nerve racking lead ups to an interview in my life. I’d spent the last 5 years idolising you and working hard to get my foot almost in the door in a company like yours. My first proper chat to you in this interview was strangely calming. We were about to start but you had a phone call from Fuzzy, they were trying to get a hold of Parachute Youths new material to decide whether they should be on the Parklife tour. From this point, everything suddenly became casual. The moment you got off the phone you knew more about me than I realised. In a way, I’d spent so much time working towards being able to have the courage to speak to you that I had only wish I’d spoken to you sooner.

My favourite moment with you was at New Years Eve this year at Cargo Bar. Your USB went into emergency loop and I train wrecked the shit out of our transition. You didn’t judge me, you just grabbed me by the balls, laughed and went out for a boogie and enjoyed the rest of your night. To me and all the chats we had, this characterised who you were! A happy go lucky dude with a genuine talent for dance music and mi casa su casa attitude!

You have a huge legacy that I can’t help but wonder what is going to happen to. So many talented artists have gone through your label and are on it right now. you will be more than missed RIP Adrian Thomas

 

 

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