The DJ Guru Josh, who has died aged 51, having apparently taken his own life, made an enduring mark with his electronic rave anthem Infinity. The song was an enormous hit on its first release in 1989, becoming a celebrated part of the soundtrack to the dance culture sweeping Europe at that time. In 2008 the track was reissued by the Guru Josh Project as Infinity 2008, and enjoyed a spectacular second life, reaching No 1 in several European charts.
Josh was born Paul Walden in Jersey. His father, Harold, was a dentist, and Paul initially studied dentistry, while also taking the first steps towards a musical career by performing at the Sands nightclub, Jersey, first as Syndrone and, later, as Animal and his Crazy Organs. In 1983 he left for the US to pursue his musical interests, but ended up working for a chauffeur company at night and as a decorator by day. The driving and painting was lucrative, but as he was not making much progress on the musical front, he decided to return to London. “I took a grand and left to seek fame in the city lights of London town,” he wrote.
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