Phil Asher

British DJ, producer, label owner. Born: 1966 in London, England, UK. Died: 22 January 2021 in Brighton, England, UK (aged 55). Asher was a record collector, music aficionado, with a knowledge spanning soul, jazz, and disco. Like his father, who worked at a branch of Harlequin Records in the 1960s-1970s, giving his son an interest in music, Asher followed suit working in both Quaff Records and Vinyl Solution records shops in London. Infusing all of this understanding into his house music productions and DJ sets, he was regarded as one of the finest DJs to emerge from the UK, playing a pivotal role in bridging the gap between 4/4 and broken beat, winning widespread admiration for his smooth mixing. He was leader of the west London Restless Soul crew, but also recorded under a plethora of other names including Basic Soul, Demonstration, Phlash, and E & E Sound, and across his own Koldhouse Music and Restless Soul labels, along with others such as Strictly 4 Groovers, Versatile Records, 4 Lux, Houseology, and Rekids. Co-founding very influential west London "Co-Op" club in 2000, alongside Dego, Demus, G Force, and IG Culture, which became the hub for the the broken beat sound and scene. Also co-hosted the radio program "R Solution" with Kirk DeGiorgio, and 4hero's Dego and Marc Mac on Kiss FM in London. He passed away from a heart attack in his sleep. Father of Marvin Asher.