DJ Ajax Dies In Accident

Australian DJ and producer Ajax died in the early hours of Feb. 28 after being hit by a truck in the Melbourne suburb of Parkville.

He had been celebrating his 42nd birthday.

Ajax, born Adrian Thomas, twice topped the annual dance music site inTheMix’s DJ poll.

He played a major role in bringing dance to the mainstream. The Bang Gang DJs collective, which he founded, played through Europe and Asia and landed a deal with Modular Records. In 2008, Ajax co-founded the Sweat It Out label. It landed its biggest hit two years later with Yolanda B Cool vs DCup’s “We No Speak Americano.”

A hit in Europe, Australia and Latin America, it entered the Top 40 in the United States where it sold 1 million downloads, and was sampled by Pitbull for his Spanish-language tune “Bon, Bon.”

“(He) was instrumental in shaping the landscape of Australian dance music,” said Sweat It Out in a statement. “He was a hugely talented individual and was highly respected by the local and international dance music community as a pioneer and innovator.”