Veteran Auckland club DJ Soane mourned

Soane Filitonga, pictured in 2001.

Family, friends and fans are mourning the passing of local dance music legend DJ Soane after his death at the weekend.

Pioneering Auckland DJ and dance music producer Soane is being mourned by family, friends and fans after his death at the weekend of a heart attack.

The house music specialist went from onetime bouncer to internationally released artist in his near 25-year career and he became a fixture on the Auckland nightclub scene in the 1990s and noughties.

Auckland nightclubbers first encountered Soane Filitonga, later Watkins, outside venues when he first worked as a gentle, genial giant of a doorman in the late 80s and early 90s at High St's Roma and Box/Cause Celebre establishments.

His duties at the interconnected clubs influenced his musical approach when he first went out as a DJ under the moniker Big Daddy.

"I've often said that the defining moment was when I was working the door of The Box/ Cause Celebre and standing at the top or the bottom door between the two rooms," he told New Zealand Musician in 2004.

"There would be this 'oomph oomph' coming out of The Box but every now and again, someone would walk out of Cause Celebre and they'd be tinges of jazz filtering through over the top of the 'oomph oomph.' I'd be like 'this is amazing!' I was exposed to some really great music and great musicians."

After DJ-ing on tour with an early incarnation of Pauly Fuemana's Otara Millionaires Club - Soane is "brother Pele" in the lyrics of How Bizarre - Soane moved to Sydney in the mid 90s where he began DJ-ing fulltime and returned two years later to become resident DJ at Calibre in K'Rd.

He eventually branched out into producing his own music, and a run of singles released though Manchester label Paper Recordings led to DJ mix albums. In 2004, he released his own original TonganChic album which featured vocals from Boh Runga and rapper Tha Feelstyle among others.

The album might have aimed at the dancefloor but it also contained evidence that Soane was a family man - its cover by his father-in-law, print artist Denys Watkins, the track Not Without You composed for his wife, Esther Watkins and a song was written for then one year-old daughter, Sesilia.

In his studio career, Soane also remixed local tracks by DLT, Che-Fu, King Kapisi, Annie Crummer and more recently Fat Freddy's Drop.

Soane was born in the Tongan village of Vava'u and raised in Auckland. His passing is being marked on social media by friends and fans.

Comedian and onetime DJ Dai Henwood: "RIP Soane. Legend DJ. Was iconic to me when I moved to Auckland and started cutting shapes. You will be missed and remembered."

DJ Sir-Vere: "RIP to my friend Soane ... .devastated ... .love you bro - if he was here now he would say #oooosh."

MC Tali: So sad to hear of the passing of one of Auckland's most well loved DJs - Soane. Our music scene has truly lost a legend."

King Kapisi/Bill Urale: "I was brother B, Manuel Bundy was brother M, and he was brother S. Over 20 years ago, I arrived in Auckland and met one of the most nicest poly brothers on the door with Rosetti (rip), Siaosi Junior Tagaloa down at the box. All of my Gifted & Brown Welli family will always love our brother Soane for all the good times, fond memories and solid "poly brothership" that we found from a young Tongan when we were so far from home. Rest in peace my uso. Manuia Lou Malaga. You will be missed "Brother S""!! ofa atu uso!! Love u brother!!

Scribe: "Late teens when I was experiencing & experimenting with the underground chch 90s electronic drumnbass/jungle/house/hip hop scene, he was already legendary. I'm so lucky to have played gigs alongside him.He always looked happy dj-ing, always smiling & good vibrations all round. Love & Respect to Soane. R.I.P brother."

Che Fu: "Rest easy brother Soane."

Peter Wadams (P-Money): "RIP Soane Filitonga. Will miss your big smile bro."

Read more about Soane at Audio Culture.

Watch the video for Soane's 2004 track All I Need.