The world of jungle music is grieving as news breaks that Daren Ellis, a DJ and producer who also went by the names Undercover Agent, Splash, and Mts, has passed away. The reports were confirmed by a post on a GoFundMe page created by Ellis’ friend, which stated he had “peacefully departed in his sleep yesterday, after battling health issues in recent years”. Ellis was known for his work on Juice, Splash Records and Deejay Recordings, and his hits included ‘Barracuda’ and the 1995 jungle classic ‘Babylon’.
Ellis started DJing in 1983 using cassette decks and went on to found the pirate radio station Cyndicut FM, which helped bring through a wave of up-and-coming artists. Ellis had a lasting impact on the music world and his passing has been felt across the community. The GoFundMe page that initially announced his death has almost reached its funding target of £4,000, with more than 300 supporters having donated close to £2,000 to help cover funeral costs. Suburban Base Records boss Danny Donnelly has contributed to help the cause, explaining ” I have agreed to pay for the funeral, to ease the burden on his sister, Shana, as his next of kin.”
The messages of tribute have poured out from Ellis’ fellow artists and fans. Si2badmice tweeted that Ellis was “one of the originals” and messages shared on Facebook included “RIP to one of the best DJ’s around” and “Babylon takes its place among the big tunes of the era, as long as there is Jungle music there will be Babylon, as long as there is Undercover Agent, he will never die”. The outpouring of emotion in response to the news has highlighted the extent of his influence and the extent to which he will be missed
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