DJ Randall dead at 54: Considered the ‘godfather of breakbeat,’ what was the cause of his death?

DJ Randall’s (whose full name was Randall McNeil) death was confirmed by his representatives. Before joining Centreforce in 1989, he appeared on pirate radio stations such as Rave FM and Rinse FM. 

Many DJ Randall’s colleagues and fans have taken to X to share their shock at his passing. Award winning DJ Bassline Smith said: “I met Randall when he first came onto the scene around 91/92, we became good friends. He worked the ‘Wheels of Steal’ in his own unique way. Some call him the Dj’s Dj and others the Goat- to me he’s simply Too hot To Handle- DJ Randall. Rest Easy.”

Another fan wrote on X that she was “Heartbroken. Fly high DJ Randall, too hot to handle. The best to eer roll out a mix. A huge hole has been ripped from the D&B foundations. Your music lives on.”

Fans also expressed their upset at DJ Randall’s passing on Instagram and one fan wrote: “Such sad news today. Randall was one of the guys that got me into jungle. I taped this on my 21st birthday and thought it needed listening today. Condolences to all his family and friends. God bless. 

After experiencing acid house at the Notting Hill Festival in 1987, he established his own sound and along with musicians such as Goldie, was a regular at The Blue Note Club. He along with Cool Hand Flex co founded the record label Mac2 Recordings in 1996, 

At the time of writing, no official cause of DJ Randall’s death has been confirmed.