S Poddar
Scotland’s DJ and producer, Jack Revill-popularly known by his alias, Jackmaster-is dead. He died when he was 38 years old.
According to his family, Revill died from complications involving an accidental head injury in Ibiza on Saturday morning.
“With great sorrow as deep as we can say, we report the premature passing away of Jack Revill, or Jackmaster to all who know him. Jack sadly died in Ibiza at 9am on 12 October as a result of an accidental head injury that turned out complicated. His family – Kate, Sean, and Johnny are devastated. Touched by the fabulous response from friends, colleagues, and fans alike, the family asks for privacy during this time of such overwhelming grief.”
Born in Glasgow, Revill learned his trade at the hallowed shop of Rubadub, an electronic music institution from which emanated a swathe of acts and styles that would change the shape of the electronic music landscape.
It was at Rubadub that his interest in music really took off-she collaborated on setting up the groundbreaking record label Numbers, which would shape and define the sounds coming from electronic music.
Revill was an artist in the purest form. He was so much more than just a DJ-more like a tastemaker and curator of sounds shaping nights out for untold thousands of clubgoers. Recently, he spoke with Electronic Groove magazine about his inspiration behind his new single, Nitro, featuring Kid Enigma. He said, “It’s about feeling hyped and inspired in the club.” However, he confessed to a little frustration over the way things have changed: “Sadly, those moments are rare now. Blame the phones and people who don’t dance. I am so grateful for my fans, but I got into music because I love dancing. It’s a lost art form at the moment, I think.”
In talking about club culture, Revill spoke to the depth of his love for music and the community around it. DJing became about the right atmosphere that allows one to lose himself in the record rather than just playing records. It is this passion that has made him one of the most loved figures in electronic music.
Tributes have rolled in all across the music world to his deep impact on so many. Here’s what the electronic duo Disclosure posted on their Instagram account, saying: “Can’t believe this. Heart broken. Thank you for all the amazing memories & inspiration Jack. This is just awful awful awful.”.
Another emotive tribute came from CamelPhat in their posting on Revill’s Instagram page: “Can’t believe what I’m reading… in an industry full of Ego you were hands down one of the nicest fellas we ever met along the way. Our thoughts are with family & friends. RIP my friend x.”
Revill’s death has left a hole in the hearts of those who knew him personally and through his music as an artist. He was not just a DJ; he was a pioneer and a storm that knew how to evolve DJing into such a great scope of art. What he has done for electronic music, working and through the work at Numbers, will outlast him for many years to come.
For the time being, it is his family and his fans who are living with the grim reality of losing someone who, by all accounts, was both a remarkably talented artist and genuinely kind and generous human being.
Jackmaster made people dance, inspired others to create, and brought joy to countless nights in clubs across the world. His love for the craft and dedication to his fans will see him remembered more than his influence on the electronic music scene globally, which is vast.
The music world may have lost one of its brightest stars, but the legacy of Jack Revill will live on in the memories of those whose lives he touched on and off the dance floor.
