Ken Downie: A Rememberance

"It's just a matter of changing state" — Jhonn Balance (speaking about Death)

Ken Downie , the founder/member of The Black Dog, passed away on 12-20-25. He was 67 and I do not know if he had been sick or if there was other strife. Perhaps it doesn't matter, Ken Downie is gone and the world is not better for it.

I first discovered The Black Dog when Ryan, a friend, gave me a spare copy of the release, Spanners. For reasons I don't remember, I slept on it. I think there was something about the cover that bugged me. It was a bit amateurish but I am not one who should talk. As I released this.

Eventually, I got around to it and I was floored. For the first time, I started to get why my friends were rapidly getting into electronic music. At the time, Black Dog was a trio, Ken Downie, Ed Handley and Andy Turner (Ed and Andy eventually left and carried on as Plaid). I was hooked and I started tracking down earlier releases, remixes and anything I could get my hands on. Over time, The Black Dog would morph and bring in the Dust Brothers as full time members. However, this was just an evolution, as Ken Downie was always at the center and if you are wondering, the music that has been released post Ed/Andy is top notch and rivals their "Classic Era".

Ken Downie infused music with both mystery and the esoteric. The net effect is that "Dance Music" was elevated and something new had burst on the scene. Which in turn inspired other artists and listeners. This was not disposable music - it mattered and it motivated me (and others) to explore the esoteric and subversion within my own life.

I never met Ken Downie but I did trade some correspondence with him. Around the turn of the century, I contacted Ken Downie to see if he would contribute to a project/website I was working on. The website revolved around millennium tension and it never got created. Anyhow, I told Ken that the website was about (dis)information and it would be great to get his take on the millennium. His reply was basically, there was already too much disinformation and that he was not interested in furthering that.

I was not disappointed in the least and he was right. I am glad he pointed this out and since then, I have come to realize that subversion is the key. Which is something the Black Dog excelled at. They could hold up a mirror and provide the non sanitized truth wrapped in beats and melodies.

I do not think I would be making music today and have a love for all things electronic if it wasn't for the Black Dog. Which has lead to a lifetime of pleasure and exploration. I cannot thank Ken Downie and the other members enough.

Ken Downie will be missed and I know that death is the last great mystery. Something we all will face alone. Wherever Ken is, I hope he knows he is a legend and that his legacy will live on.

Post Script

I encourage folks to check out Loud Ambient by The Black Dog. It was released shortly before his death and it is just stellar (and a near perfect album)

Photo by Daniel De Los Santos, Round Rock Texas.