Roger McKenzie (22 July 1971 – 25 November 1995),[1] also known under his production aliases of Wildchild or DJ Wildchild, was an English musician and DJ.[2]
Roger McKenzie | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Wildchild, DJ Wildchild |
| Born | 22 July 1971 Southampton, England |
| Died | 25 November 1995 (aged 24) |
| Genres | Electronic, house |
| Occupation(s) | DJ, musician |
| Years active | 1988–1995 |
| Labels | Various |
Biography
editBorn in Southampton, England,[3] he released many singles on labels such as Hi Life Recordings, Ultra Records and Polydor.[2] The tracks "Jump to My Beat", "Renegade Master" (famously sampling "One for the Trouble" by A.D.O.R.) and the subsequent "Renegade Master '98" were his most successful. Fatboy Slim's 1998 Old Skool Mix is perhaps the most famous version of "Renegade Master". "Renegade Master" was Wildchild's first hit single in 1995,[2] peaking at No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart,[1] but was surpassed by the success of Fatboy Slim's remix "Renegade Master '98", which peaked at No. 3 in 1998.[1]
Just before his death at the age of 24 from an undiagnosed heart condition,[4] McKenzie formed his own record label, Dark & Black.[2] On 6 April 1996, his girlfriend Donna Snell gave birth to their son, Noir. His record label founded the Wildchild Music Foundation in his memory.[2]
Charting singles
edit| Year | Title | UK [1] |
Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 April 1995 | "Legends of the Dark Black Pt 2" † | 34 | Hi-Life Records |
| 9 October 1995 | "Renegade Master" † | 11 | Hi-Life Records |
| 11 November 1996 | "Jump to My Beat" | 30 | Hi-Life Records |
| 5 January 1998 | "Renegade Master '98" | 3 | Hi-Life Records |
| 13 April 1998 | "Bad Boy" ‡ | 38 | Polydor Records |
- † These tracks were identical, despite their different titles
- ‡ Wildchild featuring Jamalski
References
edit- ^ a b c d Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 602. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ a b c d e Colin Larkin, ed. (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 368. ISBN 0-7535-0252-6.
- ^ "Wildchild discography". Portland, OR: Zink Media, Inc. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
In the early 90s, Roger "Wildchild" McKenzie (born 1971 in Southampton, England) was acclaimed producer of the heavy sample-loaded "Wildtrax" series released through Loaded Records.
- ^ "The Dead Rock Stars Club 1994 - 1995". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
External links
edit- Roger McKenzie discography at Discogs
- Wildchild at AllMusic
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