According to reports today, veteran DJ-producer Shem McCauley, aka Slacker, passed away in Bangkok, Thailand, over the weekend. Regarded as one of the foremost champions of the progressive sound in the UK, Slacker was behind a string of standout records over the years.

Back in 2006, Slacker visited Australia for a round of club dates, appearing as the feature guest on inthemix’s weekly radio show on Sydney’s FBi 94.5FM. “I have mostly lived to work,” he remarked to ITM of his industrious studio turnout, “but you need balance in life to keep sane and stay happy. So what I am finding fresh right now is seeking things outside music to establish the balance.”

In the early days of his career, McCauley was a key player in the UK hip hop scratch scene as DJ Streets Ahead, ticking off remix and production credits for artists like Public Enemy and James Brown. His first big splash in the progressive house world was with his third single Scared, and there was nothing slack about the years to come. His own Jukebox in the Sky imprint became a flag-bearer for the progressive sound, with its records hammered by a broad range of DJs.

When the music biz began to wear him down, McCauley relocated from the UK to Bangkok. After a stretch of downtime, in 2010 Slacker released the album Start A New Life, spanning downtempo and broken beat territory. You can take a listen to this Slacker mix on ITM-FM, recorded live in 2006.