Maxi Jazz, singer of the influential UK dance group Faithless, has died on the age of 65.
“We’re heartbroken to say Maxi Jazz died final night time (December twenty third),” the group introduced in a Fb publish. “He was a person who modified our lives in so some ways. He gave correct that means and message to our music. ”
“He was additionally a beautiful human being with time for everybody and a knowledge that was each profound and accessible. It was an honour and, after all, a real pleasure to work with him,” the assertion added. “He was a superb lyricist, a DJ, a Buddhist, a powerful stage presence, automobile lover, limitless talker, stunning individual, ethical compass and genius.”
A separate assertion posted to Instagram mentioned Maxi Jazz “died peacefully in his sleep,” however a reason for dying was not instantly disclosed.
Maxi Jazz — whose actual identify was Maxwell Fraser — was born in Brixton in 1957. He shaped Faithless in 1995, alongside Rollo Armstrong, Jamie Catto, and Sister Bliss. The group launched their debut album, Reverence, the next yr. It went platinum on the energy of two prime 10 singles, “Insomnia” and “Salva Mea.”
Faithless’ sophomore album, 1998’s Sunday 8PM, boasted one other prime 10 single in “God is a DJ,” and earned the band a Mercury Prize nomination for album of the yr within the UK. With the discharge of their third album, 2001’s Outrospective, Faithless cemented their standing as one of many UK’s hottest acts, culminating in a headlining look at Glastonbury in 2002.
Faithless earned their first and solely No. 1 album with the discharge of No Roots in 2004. It contained common singles like “One Step Too Far” that includes Dido, and “Mass Destruction,” which Dave Grohl famously cited because the one music he want he wrote himself.
Over the following half decade, Faithless launched two extra albums, 2006’s To All New Arrivals and 2010’s The Dance, in addition to a best hits compilation referred to as Ceaselessly Faithless. The latter launch proved to be the best-selling dance album within the UK in 2005, going 5 instances platinum. Additionally they headlined Glastonbury for a second time in 2010.
Faithless went on a seven-year hiatus starting in 2011. When the group lastly returned, they had been with out Maxi Jazz, who as an alternative selected to give attention to a brand new undertaking referred to as Maxi Jazz and The E-Kind Boys.
