Kemistry

Valerie Olukemi A "Kemi" Olusanya (13 October 1963 – 25 April 1999), commonly known by her stage name Kemistry, was a leading English drum and bass DJ of the early 1990s, half of duo Kemistry & Storm, and co-founder of the Metalheadz record label.[1]

For the album by Kem, see Kemistry (album).

Kemistry
Born
Valerie Olukemi A Olusanya

(1963-10-13)13 October 1963
Birmingham, West Midlands, England
Died25 April 1999(1999-04-25) (aged 35)
M3 Motorway in Winchester, Hampshire, England
Cause of deathdislodged road stud
Other namesKemi
Occupation
Years activec.1991–1999
Known for

Career

Born in the West Midlands, Olusanya grew up in Kettering, Northamptonshire,[2] and began a career as a make-up artist before giving it up for DJing in the early 1990s. She was half of the DJ and recording duo, Kemistry & Storm, which she formed with an old friend when they both lived in London. They both started out playing on pirate radio stations Touchdown and Defection FM. With Goldie, they formed the Metalheadz record label.[2] After two-and-a-half years at the label, they moved on to concentrate on DJing and also released a widely distributed mix album, DJ-Kicks: Kemistry & Storm, which has been described as "paving the way for other, younger, female DJs".[3][4]

Death

At 2:30 am on 25 April 1999, Olusanya was a front-seat passenger in a car travelling on the M3 motorway in Hampshire, behind a van which dislodged a cat's eye in the road. The steel body flew through the windscreen hitting Olusanya in the face. She was killed instantly. The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.[5]

The track "Kemistry" by Goldie, originally released in 1992 when they were in a relationship together, and also featured on his 1995 album Timeless, is dedicated to her.

See also

References
  1. "Kemistry". Fuller Up, the Dead Musician Directory. Retrieved 2 December 2008.
  2. Lauren Martin (4 April 2019). "Kemistry & Storm – the tragic story of the drum'n'bass originals". The Guardian.
  3. Angus Harrison (10 May 2016). "Looking Back on the Life of Drum and Bass Pioneer DJ Kemistry". Vice (Thump).
  4. Potts, Diana. "Kemistry & Storm > Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2 December 2008.
  5. "DJ History: Kemistry". Mixmag.net. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
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