Kemistry
Quick Facts
Biography
Valerie Olukemi A "Kemi" Olusanya (13 October 1963 – 25 April 1999), commonly known by her stage name Kemistry, was a leading English drum and bass DJ of the early 1990s who also produced a number of records on the Metalheadz label, which she co-founded with other artists including Goldie, whom she had introduced to the drum and bass scene.
Biography
Having attended college in Northampton, Olusanya began a career as a make-up artist before giving it up for DJing in the early 1990s. She was half of the DJ and recording duo, Kemistry & Storm, which she formed with an old friend when they both lived in London. With Goldie, they led Metalheadz for two-and-a-half years before leaving the label and later releasing a widely distributed mix album, DJ-Kicks: Kemistry & Storm, which has been described as "paving the way for other, younger, female DJs".
Olusanya died in a road accident at 2:30 AM on 25 April 1999. She was in a car travelling behind a van on the M3 motorway in Hampshire, when she was hit by the steel body of a cat's eye, which had been dislodged by the van and flew through the windscreen of the car in which she was a passenger. The cat's eye hit Olusanya in the face and she was killed instantly. The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death. A question was asked in the House of Lords about the safety of cat's eyes in light of the incident, and the Highways Agency conducted an investigation into the "long-term integrity and performance" of various types of road stud.
The song "Kemistry" by Goldie on his album Timeless, is dedicated to Olusanya. The song was released originally in 1992, as Goldie was in a relationship with Olusanya.