Bass and Drum Pioneer Mark Goodings Passes Away
Mark Goodings, one half of the Drum and Bass outfit Hidden Agenda, died last night after a battle with illness. Goodings and his brother Jason, the other half of Hidden Agenda, are credited as being pioneers of the Drum and Bass genre. While his brother Jason fronted the duo, Mark Goodings specifically focused on the studio production and the inclusion of nontraditional sounds in UK’s underground music scene. Under the name Hidden Agenda, the duo released their first 12” on Goldie and Kemistry & Storm’s prolific drum and bass record label Metalheadz in 1995. After releasing a dozen 12”s and EPs through the mid-to-late-90s, Goodings moved to Switzerland to launch his own label and record new music under the name Max Fresh. (FACT)
Rush Win Prolific Humanitarian Award, Donate $40,000 to Brain Cancer Research
Earlier this month, Canadian rock legends Rush were presented with the Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award by Canadian Music Week. The group received the honor in recognition for all they’ve done throughout their nearly 50-year career for causes like Doctors Without Borders, United Way, and their local Toronto Food Bank. As part of the prize, the group was given the opportunity to make a $40,000 to any charity of their choosing. This week Rush announced they will making the donation to the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research. Gord Downie is the co-founder and frontman of the alt-rock outfit The Tragically Hip and was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer this May, embarking on a final tour this past summer. Rush affirms their decision with recognition that Downie’s diagnosis and research charity is doing monumental work in raising awareness for the terrible disease, adding “As a fellow musician and friend, it’s our turn to help support his efforts to fight brain cancer now.” (CoS)