Ken Downie obit

The Black Dog Founder Ken Downie Has Died

 He was not on the list.

The Black Dog founder Ken Downie has died.

The Sheffield musician passed away on December 20th, no cause of death was given. In a note on the project’s social media channels, his band mates commented:

It’s with great sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Ken Downie on 20/12/25. Rest In Peace brother, you will be deeply missed and never forgotten. Our condolences to Sheena and his family.

Ken Downie emerged from the dense array of electronic activity that proliferated in Sheffield during the mid to late 80s. Initially forming The Black Dog as a vehicle for his home recorded ideas, he quickly drew like minds – such as Andy Turner and Ed Handley, later of Plaid – into his orbit.

Signing to Warp in 1993, The Black Dog’s evolution saw the group become a quietly influential part of the label’s lofty stable.

Becoming a sought after remixer, the departure of Handley and Turner saw Ken Downie continue The Black Dog as a solo project, before welcoming Steve ‘Hotdog’ Ash and Ross Knight (“thek1d”) to the fold for a solitary studio album, ‘Unsavoury Products’.

Richard and Martin Dust, owners of the label Dust Science Recordings, joined The Black Dog just after the Millennium, and this period saw the group embraced by a new wave of fans. Consistent releases saw the three-piece expand the lexicon of techno, absorbing everything from ambient textures to crunchy industrial tones.

Earlier this year The Black Dog released the album ‘Loud Ambient’.