James Ellis Ford of Simian Mobile Disco has been diagnosed with leukemia.
The renowned electronic producer, composer, and one-half of the longstanding dance duo shared the news of his diagnosis with acute leukemia on Instagram last week, after his health “took a turn for the worse” during the holiday season.
“I had a scary few weeks where I was very ill and they didn’t know what was wrong with me, but finally I got a diagnosis,” Ford wrote. “I have AML (Acute Leukemia). It’s a huge shock and while it’s very clear in my mind how serious this is, it is curable, and as of today I’m starting pretty aggressive chemo to treat it.”
After receiving initial treatment at Canterbury Hospital in Kent, England, Ford was moved last week to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, which, he wrote, “are world leaders in leukemia treatments.” He expects to complete his first round of chemotherapy in the next eight months.
“I’m very aware that it’s gonna be a bumpy road ahead but I’m confident, upbeat and ready to fight and I hope to be out the other side of the initial treatment in 6-8 months time,” Ford’s statement continued.
The British musician and founding member of the electronic band Simian, who would split off with bandmate Jas Shaw to form the nu-rave-era DJ duo in 2003, went on to thank his family, friends, colleagues, and NHS caregivers, and confirm that his many musical projects will be on hold for the foreseeable future.
“Whilst this is a massive shame, I know they will go on to deliver great records with whoever takes the reins, and I wish them all the best,” he wrote. “I am really looking forward to getting back into the studio in my own time so that I can once again work on the music that is dear to me.
In addition to his career exploits with Simian Mobile Disco, who helped define the sound of bloghouse with their anthemic 2006 Justice collaboration, “We Are Your Friends,” among other tunes, Ford has produced for bands like Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Gorillaz, Foals, Florence + The Machine, and more. His latest release, a solo album titled The Hum, arrived in 2023.
Read Ford’s full statement below.
View this post on Instagram
Featured image from James Ellis Ford. Credit: Pip Bourdillon.
