Influential Kuala Lumpur dance music DJ Gabriel Chong has passed away at the age of 48.
Malaysian publication UNRESERVED reported that Chong had suffered an asthma attack as well as kidney issues, and that he slipped into a coma thereafter.
“I would like to thank him for introducing me to a world of music that made a substantial difference in my sound when I was a radio broadcaster back in the ’90s,” wrote UNRESERVED Editor-In-Chief Kassandra Kassim in her tribute to Chong. “He is symbolic of the ’90s in KL where there was a confident vibe, and attitude was everything.
“Time Out UK once voted KL the fourth best place to party in the world in the late ’90s,” she continued. “I like to think he played a big role in that.”
Chong also produced and performed under aliases Gabriel Mustaqim, DeepHouseSociety, and Jeneral Kai. He was known to many as a key figure in the Southeast Asian club circuit in both hip-hop and turntablism, as well as house and techno.
Gabriel Chong represented Kuala Lumpur in the 1998 DMC World DJ Championships in London. He was also an influential promoter who brought many international artists to Kuala Lumpur for the first time, as well as founding the city’s first record store, Singles Shoppe.
