'90s rave legend Eamon Downes, of Liquid fame, loses battle with brain tumour
Liquid's Eamon Downes has passed away following a hard-fought battle with brain cancer.
Eamon Downes, of Liquid fame, has passed away - following a five-year battle with a brain tumour.
Best known as the co-founder of the breakbeat duo - which he formed under the alias Ame with Shane Heneghan (DJ Model) in the early '90s - the pair's biggest hit, Sweet Harmony, reached number 15 in the UK.
The song, which featured CeCe Rogers' house classic Someday, first dropped in 1991 on the Liquid EP. However, upon its re-release on XL Recordings the following year, it attracted a wider audience.
Downes' DJ friend Billy Daniel Bunter shared the heartbreaking news of his death.
In a lengthy tribute on Instagram, accompanied by a selfie of the pair in front of the House of Parliament in London, he penned: "It’s with heartbreaking sadness that I’m letting the world know we’ve lost Eamon Downes, devoted husband to Stella, proud dad to Bea, and one of my closest friends ever. This one really hurts.
"We started out in a record shop in ’89, before I was DJing. Before “Sweet Harmony.” From curry and chips in Stepney, to Labrynth, to him dropping me at Kings Cross chewing my lips off, some of the best memories of my life with Eamon.
"I still remember him playing me “Sweet Harmony” down the phone before it got cut. When XL signed it, he was buzzing. Sending dubplates by bike to Pete Tong and then straight to me at Labrynth, he loved that side of things."
Heneghan quit the duo after their first couple of releases, with Downes continuing Liquid as a solo act for three decades.
After the success of Sweet Harmony, the pair released The Future Music EP, which included the track Liquid Is Liquid.
Bunter recalled: "Even when he was topping charts, our friendship run deep. “Liquid is Liquid” came from our shared love of Balearic and dub, and him wanting to make music that could be played at Labrynth at 530am.
"We spoke every day. Even when he moved to Italy, 5, 10, 20 times a day. The laughs, the wind-ups, the mugs, the posters, the stupid quotes he turned into gifts. I’ll miss that so much.
"He fought so hard the last five years. I’m thankful me and Sonya got to visit, to laugh, to sit with him, to just be together. I’m thankful he got our message before he passed, his family said he waited for it.
"Every time I play a tune from ’89–’92, he’s with me. Every time I look at Bea or speak to Stella, he’s with me. Every rave, every radio show, every moment.
"I miss you already, Eamon. I love you always."
XL shared the following tribute: “XL has had the great pleasure of releasing Eamon’s music and working with him across different decades. With eternal classics like ‘Sweet Harmony’ and ‘Liquid is Liquid’, Eamon helped define the sound of ’90s rave and beyond. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and everyone touched by his music.”
XL Recordings is now home to huge artists including The Smile, Peggy Gou, CASISDEAD, Fontaines D.C. and Danny L Harle.
