Kenny Hawkes – RIP

Written by Manu Ekanayake Saturday, 18 June 2011 22:51

A UK house music original, pirate radio pioneer, club promoter and most importantly a genuinely lovely guy, Kenny Hawkes sadly died on Friday 10th June after a short illness.

In a scene that likes to remember its roots, Kenny Hawkes was as much an originator as anyone; for example he was the station manager of Girls FM, a 90s pirate station that kept London househeads happy in what Kenny called ‘the fluffy bra era’ of handbag house and increasingly commercial tracks.

It was while running Girls FM that met Luke Solomon (Music For Freaks / Rekids / Crosstown Rebels), who became a close friend as well as his partner in Space (no connection to the Ibiza superclub – as Kenny once had to point out hurriedly when confronted with its owner); a Wednesday-night session at Bar Rhumba in London’s West End. Space ran from 1995 to 2002 and in that time it played host to some amazing talents, including: Ralph ‘2020’ Lawson, Francois K, Ian Pooley, DJ Sneak, Steve 'Silk' Hurley, Kenny Carpenter and especially Derrick Carter, who became a resident and even ended up moving in with Luke (with whom he founded the pivotal Classic label, which has recently reactivated digitally).

Space also boasted its share of techno DJs that dropped by to play a different sound: Weatherall, Coxy, Dave Angel and even Derrick May included. Tom Middleton even named his track Summer In Space after the club – and Keith Reilly has gone on record as saying that Space’s vibe (which could just as easily involve disco as deep house or even melodic techno) was what he wanted for his own club (fabric, which was then just a pipe dream), but at the weekends and for 2000 people, rather than the 200 who could squeeze into Bar Rumba. Kenny's Fridays R Firin' residency at the original Plastic People on Oxford Street is also well-remembered as being a haven for real house music in the West End during this era.

Production-wise, Kenny was most known for his 2003 deep house track Play The Game, which Joris Voorn remixed last year. Sleaze Walking from late 90s label Paper Recordings is also one of his best, but more recently he was happier collaborating with others, for example the Obama-sampling Amabo with Joshua Iz from 2008 and his tracks with his Brighton cohort David Parr of Stompa Phunk (Gemini is a highlight here). Bill Brewster put his final track, Green Grass, on Soundcloud, which, along with a mix from the Girls FM days, is a fitting tribute to a man this author was proud to know. Whether it was coining another ‘Kenny’s Law’ on the Faith messageboard or rocking it at various gigs and being an absolute gent in person, the House Nation is a sadder place without Kenny Hawkes. RIP.

KENNY HAWKES & DAVID PARR - Green Grass (Vocal Mix) by Bill Brewster

In Memory of Kenny Hawkes - Kenny live on Girls FM 15th April 1995 by Miles Simpson

 

 

 

 

 

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