Lenzman, the Dutch drum & bass DJ, producer and founder of The North Quarter label, has died. His family confirmed the news on Sunday, 12 July, stating he passed away on Saturday after living with cancer for more than three years.
Family statement
In a post shared to the artist’s Instagram account, his wife Ashanti and daughters Riva and Nya wrote: “He fought with so much strength, courage, and love. He showed us what true strength means, and I will forever be proud to have walked this life beside him.”
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who has supported us, loved Teije, sent messages, visited, helped, and stood beside us during this difficult time. Your kindness and love have meant more than words can ever express. We are forever grateful to be surrounded by so many beautiful people.”
Living with cancer
Born Teije van Vlie, Lenzman released his debut album Looking At The Stars on Metalheadz in 2014 and maintained a close affiliation with the label. He went public with his diagnosis last year, revealing he had been living with incurable kidney cancer since January 2023, which had spread to other parts of his body.
Despite his illness, he remained prolific, writing in 2025 that music “helped him stay positive” as treatment made touring increasingly difficult. Recent releases included ‘We Blessy’ on 1985 Music with Manchester MC Fox and Satl, and two collaborations with regular partner Redeyes: ‘Heart Is So Heavy’ (featuring Pinty and Natacha Kanga) and ‘Out The Dance’ (featuring Danny Sanchez). Those tracks are expected to appear on a joint LP with Redeyes, due on The North Quarter later this year.
Label ethos
Lenzman founded The North Quarter in 2016, building a vital platform for artists such as FD, Note, Fox and Objectiv. In a 2023 interview, he explained his approach: “If I discover someone new, the most important thing for me isn’t if they already have a fanbase or if the music is gonna sell loads of units. It’s more, is the sound bringing something different to the table?”
He added: “When I first got into jungle and drum & bass, it was really varied. I like the idea of representing that and also being able to surprise people with the music that we release.”
Community tributes
Support for Lenzman intensified after news that his treatment had ended in May. A fundraising event at London’s Phonox in June featured sets from The North Quarter family, DJ Flight, LSB, Workforce and GLXY. Reflecting on the night, Lenzman wrote: “I was sitting at home watching things unfold and even lying in bed the emotions were tangible for me. I suppose part of it is that I won’t get to see you again or experience DJing anymore, the thing I’ve loved so much. I really struggle with it all and I can’t bear to think about it too much, but much of my life’s work was there in Phonox… All I can really say over and over is thank you, as I’ve been so grateful to have been able to do this for so many years. And it’s made me so incredibly happy.”
Tributes poured in from across the drum & bass community, with condolences shared by Metalheadz, Mantra, Jamz Supernova, Quartz, Martyn and many others. Goldie, founder of Metalheadz, wrote on Instagram: “I’ve seen him grow over the years ..and into one of the kindest and most beautiful people you could ever meet …he was a massive part of the Metalheadz family over the years and came into his ‘own’ with The North Quarter with the love that he shared with so so many. Our deepest condolences go out to his wife Ashanti and his beautiful children Riva and Nya.”
