Published
Thu, May 18, 2023, 15:00
- Penhallow founded the influential Volition Records label.
Andrew Penhallow, a pioneer of electronic music in Australia and the founder of Volition Records, has died.
Penhallow's passing was confirmed on Facebook yesterday, May 17th, by Boxcar, a band formerly signed to Volition. "Our hearts are absolutely broken," the post read. "Shocked to learn our friend, collaborator, Volition / So Solid svengali and all round dear funny man, Andrew R. Penhallow is gone."
Born in England, Penhallow relocated to Sydney as a child. He headed up the Australian wing of Tony Wilson's legendary Factory Records, before launching Volition in 1984. Joining the dots between post-punk, synth pop and the nascent dance music scene, the label would go on to release crucial records from the likes of Severed Heads, Boxcar and Itch-E and Scratch-E.
Penhallow later created the Boiler Room, the influential dance music stage at Australian festival Big Day Out, and started another label, Resolution Music, in the mid-2000s.
Speaking to Resident Advisor, Boxcar's Dave Smith confirmed that Penhallow died following a short bout of cancer. "It came as a great shock to many as his cheerful nature also had a stoic side," said Smith. "Andrew had many plans, he was ever positive, always enthusing, mentoring younger producers. He understood the history of post-punk, new wave and electronic music right up to the '90s dance and indie rock boom and beyond. He was just as happy waxing lyrical about a new Soulwax remix as he was a New Zealand hip-hop artist."
Smith continued: "Andrew had a keen ear for hearing talent and creating stunning art for his Volition artists. I don't know what we laughed about, but we always laughed a lot, his cheeky humour was infectious. Many of us have lost a mentor and supporter. His friends and colleagues intend to honour his pioneering spirit in some lasting unified way, but for the moment we're just shocked."
Read some more tributes to Penhallow.