Bay Area DJ and Producer Joshua Olds Passes Away at Age 43

In addition to his DiscoPill artist project, Joshua Olds was the founder of Gold Bloc Records and DJ TechTools‘ global sales manager.

Joshua Olds, a beloved figure in the Bay Area nightlife community, has passed away at age 43. No cause of death has been given at the time of writing.

Starting on June 7, social media tributes for Olds came pouring in, especially on his Facebook Timeline. His son, Gavin Olds, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover “his cost of living and education in aerospace engineering” without his father in the picture.

“Josh was a wonderful father, a loyal friend, an incredibly talented musician, and a gifted chef,” reads the GoFundMe description written by Gavin. “His absence leaves an unimaginable hole in so many lives.”

Joshua Olds started DJing in San Lorenzo, California at age 15. He initially focused on scratching in the late ’90s, but his exposure to electronic music during visits to San Francisco and Oakland led him to work in the club circuit, eventually participating in tours organized by Red Bull.

The early 2010s saw Olds launch the DiscoPill project, which remained his primary mode of delivery for music up until his untimely death. In addition to releasing heavily under Gold Bloc Records, which he founded in 2022, he had recently been enlisted to remix “Do You Want It” by DJ Dan and Mike Balance.

Olds also worked as the global sales manager of media outlet and gear retailer DJ TechTools. In April, he had participated in a demonstration with SKAAsound in which he played music that was wirelessly transmitted to speakers being carried on the backs of skiers in Northeast California’s Sugar Bowl Resort during an event called Silver Belt Classic.

We here at EDM Identity express our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Joshua Olds during what can only be a difficult time.