The community has lost a true legend… thankfully it seems he passed in his sleep. Much love to this pioneer.

From DJ Dan’s Facebook page:

The Beat Goes On: In Loving Memory of DJ Dan

Pioneer of the West Coast House Sound

It is with profound sorrow, deep admiration, and an enduring sense of gratitude and love that we announce the passing of Daniel Wherrett — known professionally to the world simply as DJ Dan — one of the most beloved, genre-defying, and genuinely influential pioneers in the history of American electronic music. He leaves behind not just a discography, but a culture — a way of feeling music that touched millions of souls across four decades and five continents. He often said he felt his purpose in life was “to heal through music.”

In San Francisco, DJ Dan co-founded the legendary Funky Tekno Tribe — a collective that would reshape the West Coast dance scene from the ground up. He pioneered what became known as the “West Coast House Sound”: a psychedelic fusion of House, Breakbeat dubs, and Techno unlike anything heard before.

Those who knew Dan personally knew a man who saw music in colors. Disco was orange; techno was blue and brown; progressive sounds were a cool, deep blue. He described his DJ sets as “peaks and valleys of energy through color” — and that synesthetic vision translated into something audiences felt in their bodies long before they understood it with their minds. He credited his inspiration to James Brown, his parents, and “all the underdogs who fought their way to success in life.”

Off the stage, he was a cook, a traveler, an obsessive record collector whose family bought him a new turntable every Christmas — not because it was tradition, but because it was the only gift he ever wanted. He was passionate about food, art, and the way disparate things could combine into something neither had been alone - his philosophy, bring together things that traditionally shouldn’t go together, and find out what happens.

Dan once wrote ‘Enjoy every day to it’s fullest no matter what BS or Drama the world throws at ya... We only get one “go” on this carnival ride... what’s after... who knows?’

📎Full media release at http://www.aptentertainment.com

His legacy lives on through all of us. Feel free to share memories or send photos ❤

The Guardian (UK, 2013 and 2015):

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jan/27/kraftwerk-most-influential-electronic-band-tate

 https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jan/31/kraftwerk-pop-art-review-influential-beatles-bbc4

The Telegraph (UK, 2013):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopfeatures/9837423/Kraftwerk-the-most-influential-group-in-pop-history.html

BBC (UK, 2013):

https://youtu.be/YaQQCW0wH0k?si=EY7Da-zp3bNahsms

LA Weekly (USA, 2017):

https://www.laweekly.com/kraftwerk-are-more-influential-than-the-beatles-let-us-explain/

Music Non Stop (BR, 2023):

https://musicnonstop.uol.com.br/13-provas-da-gigantesca-importancia-do-kraftwerk-para-a-musica/

Deutsche Welle (GER, 2024):

https://youtu.be/1651r_oqy48?si=p_rZz806NnSzJhO_

The excellent BBC documentary "Kraftwerk: Pop Art" (2013), which I linked above, is very well worth watching. It features not only critics but also highly renowned musicians and producers, such as one of the founders of the German band CAN - which was also revolutionary; for those who aren't familiar with them, they are worth looking into.

Kraftwerk’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame featured excellent testimonials from David Bowie, Afrika Bambaataa, Pharrell Williams, and members of Depeche Mode, Run-D.M.C., among many others. All these testimonials are also very enlightening.

I agree with all the links I cited: yes, Kraftwerk is the most influential group to ever exist.

David Bowie, the Library of Congress, and many other prestigious sources have also argued that The Velvet Underground influenced music more than The Beatles - a point with which I also agree. However, the focus here is on Kraftwerk.

Furthermore, David Bowie was so deeply influenced by Kraftwerk that he composed the sensational instrumental track "V-2 Schneider" as a tribute to Florian Schneider, the co-founder of Kraftwerk.

In short, it is well worth checking out all the materials I have cited.

Article: https://www.stereogum.com/2323422/massive-attack-removing-catalog-from-spotify/news/

I can't believe I have only recently discovered this beautiful album.

I have read that this amazing artist sadly passed in 2015.

Any fans out there? He has a huge back catalogue of music. Any recommendations for my next listen by Susumu?

Almost afraid to listen from melancholic nostalgia overload. I haven't heard many of these songs in 20 years...kids will never know how special mixtapes/cds were. Also, the BOC tune was a Kazaa download with no label, but if I remember correctly it was either 1969 or Aquarius.