Kirk Degiorgio, legendary UK techno DJ, announces retirement from DJing

Storied UK techno artist Kirk Degiorgio is retiring from DJing. 

Degiorgio, also known as As One, shared the health-related career development in a statement to Resident Advisor Monday, 10th July. The 56-year-old UK DJ and producer said he's going to be fitted for a pacemaker after learning his heart rate was "​​dangerously low" when he was admitted to A&E over the weekend for a kidney stone.

"Pacemakers are wonderful things and hopefully once it's all fitted I'll feel a lot better", he said. "However they do place some restrictions on lifestyle. These are mainly around keeping a small distance away from electro-magnetic devices." Degiorgio explained that headphones in particular are "problematic" when used in close proximity to pacemakers, "as a DJ I am often moving around in the booth and close to large monitors".

"So for now I'm cancelling my forthcoming gigs and announcing my retirement from DJing", Degiorgio said. "I will be focused on my studio work where I can easily manage keeping a safe distance from monitors... So I'm bowing out at 56. Not bad. It's been a wonderful ride where I've travelled the world and met so many amazing people — some of whom remain dear friends."

Degiorgio said the heart issues stem from damage sustained from contracting "severe" Covid in early 2020, from which he said he suffered "fainting episodes" and feels he never "100 percent" recovered.

Kirk Degiorgio has been active in the UK electronic music scene since the early 1990s when he began releasing under the alias As One. He's also put music out under the monikers Blue Binary, Future/Past, Offworld, Esoterik and more, and been a member of groups like The Beauty Room, Beetlejuice and Critical Phase. He founded record labels A.R.T. Records and Op-Art Records. His most recent albums are March's 'Robe Of Dreams' for Neroli and May's 'Modal Forces / Percussive Forces' for BBE. 

Read Degiorgio's statement in full via Resident Advisor.