Legendary New York DJ Jason Jinx Has Passed Away

We received word on Sunday that Jason Zambito – better known to a generation of American ravers as Jason Jinx – passed away on March 9, 2019.

Jason Jinx was resident at the legendary New York “sonic temple,” NASA, along with DB, On-E, Soul Slinger and Odi. Their flyers were inventive and somehow made it to the furthest flung areas of the United States and Canada, prompting many pilgrimages from flyover country to the “Nocturnal Audio Sensory Awakening.”

Jason was also one of the original STORMrave DJs. Frankie Bones paid tribute on the evening of March 9th as the news spread.

Dedicated in memory of Jason Jinx, Jason was from the original line-up of STORMrave DJ's going back to 1990 when we first opened up Groove Records in Brooklyn. This track in its original form was known as a STORMrave anthem back in 1991. https://t.co/JyXylvjN3J

— Frankie Bones (@djfrankiebones) March 10, 2019

Jason also made music ranging from Drum’N’Bass to deep house (the discogs page is highly incomplete). Here’s a track from 1997 on Yoshitoshi Records under the alias “Joystick”:

And some funkier shit under the name “Rubber Souls” on Chicago’s seminal Moody Recordings:

The first time I ever heard breakbeats outside of what was being called “The West Coast Scene” was on a mixtape from Jason Jinx. Simon Reynolds in Energy Flash described the music as “a different version of hardcore than either Storm or Future Shock offered – NASA’s DJs favored the breakbeat-and-piano driven tunes that were peaking in England that summer…

“DB and his fellow DJs like Soulslinger [sic] and Jason Jinx were pushing the proto-jungle tunes from UK labels like Reinforced, Formation and Moving Shadow. The first time I went to NASA, I was thrilled to hear tunes I recognized from the London pirate stations.”

Jason was a beloved figure among his peers, and people touched by Jason’s kind spirit and his music have offered an outpouring of support for his family. A GoFundMe was established yesterday and quickly blew past its $10,000 goal to assist Jason’s family.

“We lost a titan of creativity who’s kindness touched many here in NYC and who’s music had a far reach the world over,” the page’s organizers wrote. “We’d like to extend this gofundme page to help his family in this very difficult time to cover funeral expenses and as a communal gesture for his family who he loved and cared for so dearly. We’re sure this is what he’d really want us to do right now.”

Photo via SoundCloud.