Angel Moraes, the 55-year-old Brooklyn-born DJ, producer and co-founder of the Hot ‘N’ Spycy imprint, died suddenly on February 27th, 2021. No cause of death has been given at the time of writing, though his family said he died surrounded by his loved ones.

After discovering disco in the late ’70s through local block parties and roller rinks in his native Brooklyn, Moraes made his way to early ’80s underground clubs like The Fun House and Paradise Garage, where he discovered and fell in love with house music.

By 1993, he’d quit his day job and sold his sports car to help launch Hot ‘N’ Spycy, where he worked as a producer, mixer, and remixer for acts like The Pet Shop boys, KD Lang, Jamie Myerson, Jocelyn Brown, and Loleatta Holloway. Though his 1995 house hit “Welcome to the Factory” helped launch his DJ career, which brought him more widespread recognition.

In 1998, Moraes co-founded popular Montreal nightclub Stereo, a two-story venue (now owned by Tommy Piscardeli) that was voted as the best in North America by DJ Mag in 2017, and regularly hosts international house and techno artists like John Digweed, ANNA, Joseph Capriati, and DVS1.

According to his family, Angel Moraes will be memorialized in New York and Montreal. Read the full update on his passing below.