UK Techno/ Trance Pioneer Dies Aged 33

Legendary British techno/ trance producer Caspar Pound died last week (April 30) after suffering from cancer for two years. Silver Planet Recordings chief Dave Conway, who worked with Caspar during his Rising High days in the early 90s, payed tribute to the legendarily colourful clubland character, on a statement posted on his site this week.

"Caspar Pound passed away last Friday at his home. Only 33, his life was cut short by a cancerous tumour on the brain," said Dave.

"Friends, lovers, acquaintances, even rivals and others will undoubtedly remember him fondly for the person that he was - rude but wonderful. One could not help but love him."

Dave also chatted to Skrufff about his old friend this week and revealed that Caspar had only discovered his illness two years ago when he needed emergency surgery after suddenly collapsing out of the blue.

"The last time I spoke to him he told me he was pissed off that he'd let people know about his condition," said Dave.

"After his operation, he rejected chemotherapy because he wanted to live his life as normally and fully as he could. He was fucking brave."

New York DJ Keoki, who also hung out extensively with Caspar in the mid-90, spoke affectionately of their relationship to Skrufff last year.

"Caspar really brought out the rebel in me," Keoki recalled, "he made me feel I could do anything."

Caspar Pound started his recording career scoring chart hits with Mark Williams as A Homeboy, A Hippie & A Funki Dredd, before setting up Rising High in 1991, when he was just 21. The label rapidly became one of the most influential and respected dance labels of the era, championing hardcore techno and the first wave of German trance (including Resistance D and Hardfloor's seminal trance anthem Acperience in '93).

"Rising High has been at the forefront, if not beyond it, in all the major developments of dance music in the 90s," The Guinness Book of Techno said in 1994, "yet Rising High has also retained an endearing self-mockery and unfettered approach to dance music."

"I like nosebleed techno," Caspar once said, "the more nose-bleedy the better." (Guinness Book of Techno)

Caspar will continue to live through his music and in the hearts of people who were lucky enough to know him. May he rest in peace SilverPlanetRecordings.com Tags

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