DJ Randall died suddenly on 31 July, writes Neandra Etienne

Randall McNeil, known as DJ Randall ‘the godfather of breakbeat’, died suddenly on 31 July. HIs passing was a shock to those who knew the DJ and record producer who was Newham born and started his career in Stratford and Leyton.

Local musician Paul Romane told Newham Voices: “DJ Randall used my studio, Shadowlands in Forest Gate during 1991/2. He was the founder of De Underground Record shop in Sebert Road Forest Gate along with Mikey, Lennie De Ice, Cool Hand Flex and Uncle 22. They started using my studio for mixing and adding samples from our Akai 900 and mixed one of the most important Dance tracks ‘We Are I.E’ at Shadowlands. As a rock studio we didn’t really realise the importance of the music being produced but fortunately someone did!! Rest in Peace DJ Randall.”

Katherine Green from Rendezvous Projects told Newham Voices: “We interviewed Randall as part of a project called Crate Digging: The Influence of De Underground Records in 2021.

“It was part of Newham Heritage Month and looked at the rich history of a record shop in Sebert Road, Forest Gate that Randall ran with Mike De Underground, Cool Hand Flex and Uncle 22. They all met on pirate radio stations in the local area.

“It was really hard to track him down, he was so busy but when we finally got to meet and undertake the interview, he was living in Bristol. He was incredibly generous, warm and infusive about growing up in Newham and about his time in the record shop, he was also really supportive of what we were trying to achieve and delighted when the Council erected a blue plaque where the shop was. Forest Gate and its multicultural community had a big influence on him, musically and socially. He seemed really proud to be from the area and still had an attachment to it.”

Randall spoke about his early life in Newham as part of the Crate Digging: The Influence of De Underground Records. The following quote is courtesy of Rendezvous Projects.

“It was like a multicultural kind of area. In the early 70s, it was like, you know, loads of Irish people where I was. When it got to ‘78 it became a lot more Indian influx at the time. And by the time like, it was like the 80s it was just like, it was just like a multicultural melting pot of people where I lived…”

Randall will feature in the Wanstead Park Underpass mural. The Newham Council-led project is part of its Colours of Newham programme.

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