On Christmas Eve, our celebration was marked by the news of the death of the lead singer of Faithless – Maxi Jazz. He has died at the age of 65, reports the BBC.
Sister Bliss said he died “peacefully in his sleep” at his home in south London on Friday night. A statement shared on her Instagram read:
“He was a man who changed our lives in so many ways. He gave the right meaning and message to our music. He was also a wonderful man, with time for everyone and deep, accessible wisdom. We were honored and, of course, it was a real pleasure to work with. He was a brilliant songwriter, DJ, Buddhist, great stage presence, car lover, endless talker, handsome man, moral compass and genius.”
The British electronic band, best known for their hits ‘Insomnia’ and ‘God Is a DJ’, released their first album Reverence in 1996. The group has seven studio albums, the most recent of which, All Blessed, is from 2020. Faithless also have a number of compilation albums and have headlined some of the biggest festivals in the world including Glastonbury in 2002. In memory of Maxi Jazz, we have decided to commemorate five iconic songs by the band, because thanks to the his music will live in our hearts forever.
Faithless – “A Step Too Far”
The track features vocals from Rollo Armstrong’s sister Dido. “One Step Too Far” was released on April 8, 2002 as the fourth and final single from Faithless’ third studio album Outrospective (2001). The song reached number six on the UK Singles Chart, number four on the US Dance Club Play Chart and number 21 on the Australian Singles Chart.
Faithless – “Don’t Leave”
It appeared on Faithless’ debut album Reverence (1996) and was released as the third single in March 1996, reaching number 34 in the UK Singles Chart.
In 1997, “Don’t Leave” was featured on the soundtrack of the 1997 romantic black comedy A Life Less Ordinary. The song was re-released in slightly remixed form and peaked at number 21 in the UK Singles Chart while also charting in Australia, the Netherlands and New Zealand.
Faithless – “Mass Destruction”
“Mass Destruction” is the lead single from Faithless’ fourth album, No Roots (2004). It was released on 31 May 2004 and peaked at number seven in the UK Singles Chart. In Australia, the song was ranked number 41 on Triple J’s Hottest 100 chart in 2004.
Faithless – “God is a DJ”
It was released on August 24, 1998 as the lead single from their second studio album, Sunday 8PM (1998). It reached number six in the UK and number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in September 1998.
Faithless won the Brit Awards for Best British Act in 1999 for their work on the song. Billboard claimed in an article in early 1999 that many dance music people believed “God Is a DJ” should have been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording of 1998. The song charted once again in 1998. UK in 2005 following the release of Forever Faithless and it peaked at number 66.
Unfaithful – “Insomnia”
There is hardly a person who has not heard “Insomnia”. Released as the band’s second single, it became one of their most successful. It was originally released in 1995 and reached number 27 in the UK Singles Chart, topping the UK Dance Chart in the process. When re-released in October 1996, the song reached a new peak of number three in the UK and topped the charts in Finland, Norway and Switzerland, as well as the US and Canadian music charts. It was also included on Faithless’ 1996 debut album Reverence.
“Insomnia” was voted by Mixmag readers as the fifth best dance record of all time in 2013. It was also certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2019.
