Liquid Star Eamon Downes Dies: Tributes for Rave Pioneer of ‘Sweet Harmony’

Rave pioneer Eamon Downes has died following a five year battle with cancer, his family confirmed on Tuesday. 

The talented producer, who was also known as Ame, enjoyed enormous success as one half of pioneering dance act Liquid in the early 1990s. 

Signed to XL Recordings – the label responsible for launching The Prodigy – Downes and band-mate Shane Heneghan, best known as DJ Model, scored one of the biggest hits of the era with Sweet Harmony. 

Originally released independently in 1991, the iconic track sampled heavily from the CeCe Rogers’ 1987 single Someday – notably its euphoric piano motif. 

Confirming his death on social media, fellow DJ Billy Daniel Bunter wrote: ‘It’s with heartbreaking sadness that I’m letting the world know we’ve lost Eamon Downes, devoted husband to Stella, proud dad to Bea, and one of my closest friends ever.This one really hurts.

‘I still remember him playing me ‘Sweet Harmony’ down the phone before it got cut. When XL signed it, he was buzzing. Sending dubplates by bike to Pete Tong and then straight to me at Labrynth, he loved that side of things.’ 

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Rave pioneer Eamon Downes has died following a five year battle with cancer , his family confirmed on Tuesday