LENZMAN8
My friends,
I probably should have addressed this sooner, but it’s been hard to talk about. Some of you may already know, some may have heard rumours, and others might have no idea… but in January 2023, I was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Within a week, I had major surgery to remove a kidney. Unfortunately, it had already spread and isn’t curable. With a wife and two young kids, I was devastated.
After recovering from surgery and canceling shows, I eventually returned to DJing—what I love and rely on. Things seemed “under control.”
But leading up to Phonox and Boomtown in August 2023, I started feeling unwell with severe headaches. Two days after playing with Fox and LSB at Boomtown, I fell out of bed and became unresponsive. My wife called an ambulance. Emergency brain surgery saved my life, though doctors said I likely wouldn’t survive—and if I did, I might suffer brain damage.�
Miraculously, I made it. No brain damage. But I lived with part of my skull missing for nine months, wore a protective helmet, and couldn’t travel. My confidence was shattered, and my memory faded. In February 2024, I finally had reconstructive surgery, and by May I was back playing gigs. Immunotherapy helped, and for a while, life felt good again. (continued…)
By the end of 2024, the treatment stopped working as it should. Walking grew difficult. A new medication helped but had horrible side effects. Then, a few weeks ago, I suffered an epileptic seizure triggered by the cancer. I spent three weeks in hospital, underwent radiotherapy, and had a titanium pin inserted in my leg to help me walk.
There’s much more I could say, but this has easily been the hardest thing my family and I have faced. I’m forever grateful to my wife—my rock—and this is nothing like the life I imagined for us and our kids.
While I recover from this setback, I still hope to play more shows. The medication is working—and after surviving a brain tumour, I know it’s possible. But I also know it can’t go on forever. No one is promised tomorrow. For now, I’m taking it day by day with my family. And if all goes well, I’d love nothing more than to return. Music has helped me stay positive—working with The North Quarter artists, or remembering those early teenage days discovering incredible sounds. To have made a life out of it is a true blessing. Thank you for that. (continued…)
I’ve found inspiration through all of this and have been writing a lot of music. I hope to finish some and share it with you soon. I’d love to see you out there again—please be patient.
Lastly, if you have any doubts about your health, go see a doctor. Had I gone earlier, things might have been different. And to my fellow artists: get insured. Think about the future. I know we’re in this for the art, but please take care of yourselves too.