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Iconic Ibiza DJ Jose Padilla Dies At 64

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

The Spanish island of Ibiza is known for wild parties, scored by the latest electronic dance music. But the DJ Jose Padilla, who died of colon cancer Sunday at the age of 64, helped make Ibiza home to a very different style of electronic music.

(SOUNDBITE OF JOSE PADILLA'S "WALKING ON AIR")

SHAPIRO: Mellower than a lot of house and techno, Padilla helped define the electronic genres of chillout music and Balearic beat.

TONYA MOSLEY, HOST:

Early in his career, Padilla's DJ sets often started at sundown at a bar called Cafe del Mar. They could run over 10 hours long and were full of eclectic voices, from left-field pop music...

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MOSLEY: ...To the precursors of smooth jazz...

(SOUNDBITE OF BOB JAMES' "WOMEN OF IRELAND")

MOSLEY: ...And even ambient music.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MOSLEY: ...All united under the umbrella of chill and heard as the sun disappeared into the Mediterranean Sea.

SHAPIRO: On Monday, a post from Jose Padilla's official Instagram page read, now he has gone, and the sunset in Ibiza will never be the same without him. But the beautiful music of Jose Padilla will stay with us forever.

(SOUNDBITE OF JOSE PADILLA SONG "ADIOS AYER") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.