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Colin Faver (24 December 1951 – 5 September 2015) was a British club and radio DJ, best known for his 1990s cutting-edge show on London's Kiss FM, and an important role in the development of British club culture.

Biography

[edit]

Colin Faver was born in East London, and originally started out working in the Small Wonder record shop in Walthamstow. He became a big fan of punk rock, post-punk and new wave.[1] His first 'DJ break' was when he asked to stand in for the regular DJ at London's Marquee Club.

In the late 1970s/early 1980s, he was part of Final Solution with Kevin Millins, a concert promotion company which presented bands including Throbbing Gristle, New Order, Joy Division, Echo & the Bunnymen, Thompson Twins, A Flock of Seagulls, Bauhaus and Culture Club.[2][3]

Nightclub Residences

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Between 1982 and 1988, Faver was resident at Camden Palace (with Mr. C and Evil Eddie Richards), where he played a heady mix of soul, disco, hip hop, Hi-NRG, electro and early house music and at the Hedonism parties in early 1988. At that time he was one of the founder members of then pirate radio station Kiss FM, where he brought the same selection of music onto the radio.[4] Faver held down residencies at clubs such as Pyramid and Rage at Heaven, The Wag, as well as regular guest slots at clubs such as Shoom (run by fellow Kiss DJ Danny Rampling), Nude at The Haçienda in Manchester, and increasingly travelling around the UK to play at raves especially during the acid house and Second Summer of Love period of 1988/1989.

Kiss 94 & 100 FM

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Faver was one of the original founding presenters of Kiss FM, once a pirate station from 1985 which became legal in 1990. His show was focused on techno, house and breakbeat hardcore. Both his and fellow DJ Colin Dale's groundbreaking early 1990s shows on the station are regularly credited as being an important education and influence.[5][6]

His Demo DAT section on the show became increasingly important to showcase new and unsigned British material, and it was through this that both Digeridoo by Aphex Twin,[7] and the debut EP by Force Mass Motion would first get played. Both would also be released on the Rabbit City Records label that he and DJ/producer Gordon Matthewman (aka DJ Edge) started in 1991. The first release on the label was their own production Cutter Mix / Beyond Control.

Between 1992 and 1993, Faver ran the midweek London techno clubnight Knowledge at the SW1 Club with Jane Howard, partner Brenda Russell, and Colin Dale.[8]

After Kiss 100

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Faver departed Kiss in June 1997. From 2006 to 2012, he hosted regular shows playing house and soul on Solar Radio. His most recent radio broadcasting was on the London station Mi-Soul in 2014.

Death

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Faver died of multiple organ failure on 5 September 2015.[9]

Discography

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  • Cutter Mix / Beyond Control (as Razorboy & Mirrorman with Gordon Edge) (Rabbit City, 1991)
  • Techmix: On the Decks with Colin Faver (DJ Mix) (Kickin Records, 1998)
  • Rewind: The Classics Volume 2 (DJ Mix) (UCMG, 2000)

References

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Colin Faver

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Colin Faver (24 December 1951 – 5 September 2015) was a British DJ, radio presenter, promoter, and record label co-founder known for his pioneering contributions to the development of underground dance music and club culture in the United Kingdom, particularly through his influential 1990s radio shows on Kiss FM and his co-founding of the seminal techno club night Knowledge.[1][2] His career began in the late 1970s at Small Wonder Records, where he designed sleeves and helped sign influential post-punk acts including The Cure and Bauhaus. In the early 1980s, he co-founded the live promotions agency Final Solution, booking major performers such as Joy Division, New Order, Bauhaus, and others. Faver then became a prominent club DJ, with a warmup role at the Marquee Club and a long-term residency at Camden Palace from 1982 to 1988 during the New Romantic era.[1] In the late 1980s, he held residencies at landmark acid house venues including Shoom, the Wag Club, Asylum, and Pyramid at Heaven, as well as international spots like the Hacienda in Manchester and Paradise Garage in New York. As a co-founder of the original pirate station Kiss FM—which later became a legal broadcaster—he hosted twice-weekly late-night shows alongside Colin Dale, introducing UK listeners to house, techno, trance, gabber, hardcore, ambient, and industrial music through eclectic mixes and interviews with artists such as Larry Heard, Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, and Baby Ford. His calm, knowledgeable presenting style and deep record selection made these broadcasts essential listening for young ravers, many of whom taped the shows and were inspired to enter the scene themselves.[1][2] In the 1990s, Faver co-founded the Wednesday night party Knowledge at SW1 Club, widely recognized as one of the UK's first dedicated techno nights and a foundational space for hard techno and acid sounds that influenced global DJs and producers. He also co-founded Rabbit City Records, releasing notable early works including Analog Bubblebath Vol 2 by Richard D. James (Aphex Twin). Faver remained active on Kiss FM until 1997, later presenting on stations such as Mi-Soul with more soulful selections.[1] Described as a hardworking, ego-free "DJ's DJ," Faver played a key role in bridging post-punk, new wave, and early electronic genres into the house and techno movements that transformed British club culture. He died of multiple organ failure on 5 September 2015 at the age of 63.[1]

Early life

Background and entry into music

Colin Faver was born on 24 December 1951 in East London, United Kingdom.[3] After leaving school, he initially worked as a commercial artist.[3] In the late 1970s, he was persuaded by his friend Pete Stennett to join Small Wonder record shop in Walthamstow, coinciding with the explosion of punk.[4] Small Wonder served as a central hub for the British post-punk scene, where Faver designed sleeves for the associated label's releases and played a key role in signing acts including The Cure and Bauhaus for their debut singles.[3][4] This immersion in the shop's environment deepened his engagement with contemporary music scenes, fostering interests in punk rock, post-punk, and new wave.[3] Faver's first DJ opportunity arose when he warmed up for shows at the Marquee Club in London, marking his initial transition into performing behind the decks.[4] His work at Small Wonder naturally progressed toward concert promotion as he sought to further connect with emerging artists and audiences.[3]

Concert promotion and early DJing

Final Solution and club residencies

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Colin Faver co-founded and operated Final Solution, a concert promotion company, alongside Kevin Millins. [5] [1] The venture focused on post-punk, new wave, and alternative acts, presenting performances by Throbbing Gristle, Joy Division, New Order, Echo & the Bunnymen, Bauhaus, Culture Club, Thompson Twins, and A Flock of Seagulls, among others. [5] [1] [6] Faver transitioned into club DJing during the 1980s, securing a prominent residency at Camden Palace from 1982 to 1988, where he performed on multiple nights each week. [5] His sets featured an eclectic mix of soul, disco, hip hop, Hi-NRG, electro, and early house music, contributing to the venue's reputation during the New Romantic era and the emergence of electronic dance sounds. [5] He shared the residency alongside Mr. C (who served as resident rapper and MC) and Evil Eddie Richards. [7] He maintained additional residencies at Pyramid and Rage at Heaven, as well as The Wag Club, where he continued to blend genres and build on his reputation in London's club scene. [5] [1] Faver also made guest appearances at influential nights, including Shoom (hosted by Danny Rampling) and Nude at The Haçienda in Manchester. [5] [1] These engagements positioned him as a key figure in bridging alternative music promotion with the evolving club and dance culture of the period.

Role in the acid house and rave scene

Club performances and events

Colin Faver actively participated in the UK's acid house movement and associated rave culture during the late 1980s, particularly in 1988 during the period widely known as the Second Summer of Love. [8] In early 1988, he played the main room at all four Hedonism warehouse parties (26 February, 26 March, 9 April, and 29 May), serving as the central DJ for these events that helped introduce and popularize house and acid house sounds in the London scene. [8] These performances overlapped with his involvement in pirate radio broadcasting on Kiss FM and other London acid house venues. [1]

Radio career

Founding and work at Kiss FM

Colin Faver was a founding member of the pirate radio station Kiss FM in the late 1980s, contributing to its early development as a platform for house and emerging dance music in London. [5] The station transitioned to legal status in September 1990 as Kiss 100, allowing Faver to continue his broadcasting on a wider scale. [5] [1] During the 1990s, Faver established himself as a key presenter on Kiss FM, hosting long-running shows that emphasized cutting-edge techno, house, and breakbeat hardcore. [9] [10] Working closely with fellow DJ Colin Dale, his programs were regarded as influential and educational, introducing British listeners to advanced electronic music styles and helping shape the rave and club culture of the era. [11] He maintained a focus on futuristic and industrial sounds, often blending them in extended mixes that highlighted underground developments. [11] A notable feature of Faver's programming was the "Demo DAT Pressure" segment, which gave airtime to demos from unsigned British artists and played a crucial role in exposing new talent. [12] This section provided some of the earliest radio plays for tracks like Aphex Twin's "Digeridoo" in 1991, submitted as a DAT demo, and the debut EP from Force Mass Motion. [13] [10] [14] Faver continued his work at Kiss FM through the mid-1990s before leaving the station in June 1997. [15] His parallel involvement in the Knowledge club night from 1992 to 1993 extended his techno advocacy from radio into live events. [11]

Later radio broadcasting

After his departure from Kiss FM in 1997, Colin Faver returned to radio in 2006, hosting regular shows focused on house and soul music on Solar Radio until 2012. [16] In his later broadcasting period, Faver's musical tastes shifted from the harder-edged techno sounds he was known for earlier to more soulful and melodic material. [1] He broadcast on the London digital station Mi-Soul in 2014, where he featured this soulful and melodic content heavily, as evidenced by preserved shows playing tracks from artists such as Andy Compton, Kenny Bobien, and Harley & Muscle. [1] [17] This represented his final documented radio work before his death in 2015. [1]

Record label and music production

Rabbit City Records and releases

Colin Faver co-founded Rabbit City Records in 1991 with producer Gordon Matthewman, also known as DJ Edge.[18][19] The label's inaugural release was a collaborative production by the pair under the alias Razor Boy & Mirror Man (also styled as Razorboy & Mirrorman), featuring the tracks Cutter Mix and Beyond Control.[18] Rabbit City specialized in hardcore-influenced techno that later shifted toward purer techno forms, and it provided an outlet for several emerging artists discovered through Faver's radio airplay.[18] Notably, the label issued an early white-label pressing of Aphex Twin's Analogue Bubblebath Volume 2 in late 1991, which included the track Digeridoo (titled Aboriginal Mix), following its initial broadcast from a DAT on Faver's Kiss FM show.[20] Force Mass Motion also released material on Rabbit City after submitting demo tapes to Faver's program, contributing to the label's role in showcasing new talent from the UK rave and techno scenes.[18] Outside his label work, Faver produced DJ mix compilations that documented the era's sounds. These included Techmix: On the Decks with Colin Faver, a continuous mix of mid-1990s European techno and tech-house tracks released on Kickin Records in 1996.[21] He later compiled Rewind: The Classics Volume 2, a 2000 CD mix on UCMG UK featuring 21 classic techno productions from artists such as Hardfloor, Underground Resistance, and Jeff Mills.[22]

Media appearances

Television and documentary credits

Colin Faver made occasional on-screen appearances in television programs and documentaries, primarily as himself reflecting his pioneering role in British dance music and acid house culture. In 1993, he appeared as Self - DJ in episode 6 of the Channel 4 television series Hypnosis.[23] The episode, set in Belfast, included his DJ mix alongside contributions from other figures in the emerging rave scene.[24] In 2009, Faver featured as himself in the documentary They Call It Acid, directed by Gordon Mason, which examines the late 1980s emergence of acid house in the UK.[25] He provided interview material detailing his experiences in the movement, with outtakes from his contributions later shared publicly.[26] These credits underscore his status as a key historical figure in documenting and shaping early rave and electronic music narratives.

Death and legacy

Passing and influence on British dance music

Colin Faver died on 5 September 2015 at the age of 63 from multiple organ failure.[27] He was widely recognized as a pivotal figure in the development of British dance music, with his influential Kiss FM shows in the early 1990s playing a key role in introducing techno, house, and breakbeat hardcore to UK audiences. [3] [2] These broadcasts, often taped and shared widely, shaped the tastes of a generation of ravers, many of whom later became DJs, producers, and promoters themselves, by presenting obscure cuts and maintaining a broad, exploratory approach to the emerging acid rave sound. [2] Faver supported new British producers through dedicated airplay on his programs and via his label Rabbit City Records, which released early works including Richard D. James's Analog Bubblebath Vol 2. [1] His contributions helped foster the broader evolution of British club culture, the rave scene, and early UK techno, cementing his legacy as an important architect of the country's electronic dance music landscape. [3] [28]

References

  1. https://www.insomniac.com/magazine/remembering-colin-faver-a-life-in-the-mix/
  2. https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-colin-faver-and-his-kiss-fm-show-influenced-an-entire-generation-of-ravers/
  3. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11851373/Colin-Faver-DJ-obituary.html
  4. https://mixmag.net/read/rip-colin-faver-our-obituary-
  5. http://energyflashbysimonreynolds.blogspot.com/2015/09/rip-colin-faver.html
  6. http://cannibal-picabia.blogspot.com/2013/10/final-solution.html
  7. https://tailored-communication.com/artists/mr-c
  8. http://hedonism1988.co.uk/history/
  9. https://mixmag.net/feature/best-90s-techno-dj-mixes-listen-online
  10. https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2015/09/rip-colin-faver/
  11. https://www.residentadvisor.net/features/3860
  12. https://lannerchronicle.wordpress.com/tag/demo-dat-pressure/
  13. https://soundcloud.com/kelp7/colin-faver-playing-aphex-twin-digeridoo-as-a-demo-dat
  14. https://www.youtube.com/@ForceMassMotion
  15. https://www.discogs.com/group/thread/523537
  16. https://acidted.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/f-is-for-colin-faver/
  17. https://www.mixcloud.com/MiSoul/colin-faver-mi-soul-radio-thu-7pm-9pm-17-05-2014/
  18. https://www.discogs.com/label/2033-Rabbit-City-Records
  19. https://www.discogs.com/artist/12796-Gordon-Edge
  20. https://lannerchronicle.wordpress.com/2021/11/07/30-years-of-digeridoo-under-construction/
  21. https://www.discogs.com/master/80773-Colin-Faver-Techmix-On-The-Decks-With-Colin-Faver
  22. https://www.discogs.com/release/105737-Colin-Faver-Rewind-The-Classics-Volume-2
  23. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11864328/
  24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exR5xFBZjuc
  25. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1499964/
  26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fasAPwaxaY
  27. https://dancingastronaut.com/2015/09/legendary-british-dj-colin-faver-passes-away/
  28. https://djmag.com/content/pioneering-uk-house-techno-dj-colin-faver-dies
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