Brooklyn-Born DJ, producer and nightclub owner Angel Moraes has died at the age of 55.
The revered house music DJ and producer died “abruptly” on February 27th “surrounded with the people that loved him unconditionally” according to a statement released on his Facebook page. Born in 1965, Moraes came up in the New York scene of the late ’80s and early ’90s, establishing himself as one of the premier DJs and producers in the Big Apple in that era.
He ran the Hot ‘N’ Spycy label alongside Jeffrey Rodman, which became influential in that era. He was a prominent remixer, doing remixes for the likes of Pet Shop Boys, K.D Lang, Kings Of Tomorrow and Jaydee, among others. Some of his biggest records included “Release Yourself,” “Welcome To The Factory,” “The Cure” and “I Like It (I Like How You’re Lov’in Me).”
In 1998, he cofounded the Stereo nightclub in Montreal. He has been eulogized by those who knew him and were influenced by his work online over the past day.
Angel Moraes built these speakers for a loft that he owned in Barcelona and he invited me to play for a private party with him there. It was amazing and it's one of the lasting memories I have of us enjoying each others company. pic.twitter.com/Qp3a2DIEr0
— DJKenny Carpenter (@KennyCa77908790) February 28, 2021
RIP Angel Moraes, a cornerstone of the NYC house music scene. X https://t.co/kx3Q45DkBX via @YouTube
— Carl Loben (@CarlLoben) February 28, 2021
And now we've lost another legend of the house scene. This is so sad. Another great producer, remixer, and DJ, and of course a lovely guy who I had the pleasure of hanging out with many times back in the day. RIP Angel Moraes. You will be missed ???? pic.twitter.com/Cl7BdVZkp5
— CJ Mackintosh (@cjmackintosh) February 28, 2021
Thank you for the music Angel Moraes https://t.co/HmQhgwMiDL
— DJ Heidi Lawden (@DJHeidiLawden) February 28, 2021
Played this every week without fail when @backtobasics91 was at The Pleasure Rooms – house music perfection. There were so many others as well.
Thank you Angel Moraes.
Thoughts going out to his family, friends and fans. We’ve lost a great..https://t.co/DKv5UhNy9L
— Ralph Lawson (@Ralph2020Vision) February 28, 2021
Sad to hear Angel Moraes has passed. His iconic tracks like Welcome To The Factory, Deep Deep Down and many others were ground breaking in the early/golden days of house music and represent a moment in time that will alway be special and inspiring for me. #RIP #angelmoraes
— Sharam (@DJSHARAM) March 1, 2021
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— Paul Woolford (@PaulWoolford) February 28, 2021
I’ll never forget the first time I heard Welcome To the Factory by Angel Moraes.
A simple hi hat lures you in. Layered white noise adds to the tension, washing through a relentless build. A throbbing bassline. Modulation. The sound design. The vocals. The breakdown. The journey. pic.twitter.com/4Xhf9rPsvP— Simon Dunmore (@SimonDunmore) March 1, 2021
