The drum & bass community is mourning the loss of Lenzman, the Dutch producer, DJ, and founder of The North Quarter label, who passed away on July 11 at the age of 47. His family confirmed the news in an Instagram statement over the weekend, revealing that Lenzman, born Teije van Vliet, died after a three-and-a-half-year battle with kidney cancer, first diagnosed in January 2023. Signed by his wife Ashanti and daughters Riva and Nya, the statement described how he faced his illness with resilience, adding that his family will forever be proud of having walked that road beside him.
Lenzman built his reputation on a soulful, jazz- and hip-hop-inflected take on liquid drum & bass that set him apart in a genre often defined by harder edges. He released his debut album Looking At The Stars on the legendary Metalheadz imprint in 2014, cementing ties to the label that would remain close throughout his career. Two years later, he launched The North Quarter, turning it into a home for artists like FD, Note, Fox, and Objectiv, and helping shape a corner of the scene built around melody and feeling as much as low-end weight.
Remarkably, Lenzman continued making music even as his health declined, saying in 2025 that writing and producing helped keep him grounded through treatment. Recent output included the collaborative single ‘We Blessy’ alongside Fox and Satl, plus two tracks made with longtime collaborator Redeyes, material expected to surface later this year as part of a joint LP on The North Quarter. Earlier this year, the label confirmed that his treatment had ended, and the community responded with fundraising events in both London and Amsterdam, drawing support from artists across the scene. 
