Mark Gemini Thwaite

from Mark Gemini Thwaite website

22ND OCTOBER 2007
R.I.P PAUL VINCENT RAVEN

The body of Paul Raven — who played bass for seminal post-punk/ industrial outfit Killing Joke before later working with Ministry, Prong, Godflesh and most recently Mob Research with Mark Gemini Thwaite — was discovered Saturday 20th October in a home in Geneva, Switzerland. Early indications are that Paul, 46, died of a heart attack whilst asleep.

Raven was in Geneva working with French industrial band Treponem Pal, who are reuniting for a new album with singer Marco Neves and Prong/Jesu drummer Ted Parsons. Raven was to return to the USA a week later to continue work on the Mob Research debut album 'Holy City Zoo'. Paul was a great friend to Mark and Mission founder Wayne Hussey and a legendary bass player. We shall all miss Paul incredibly. Our condolences go to Paul's family and friends at this time.

Wayne Hussey: "Raven was one of the good guys. He became a good friend of Mick Brown first and then gradually I got to know him and we got on very well. He was always encouraging, loved music, talking about it and playing it. The last time I heard from him was a month or so ago. Ironically he emailed me to tell me that it was 'a very nice thing to do to post a news message on MWIS about the death of a fan (Ashira)'. He also went onto say that he loved the idea of the Shepherds Bush shows and was gonna try to get to at least one or two of them. I shall miss him. I liked him a lot."

Mark Gemini Thwaite: "Although I'd known Paul for nearly 20 years, I had really gotten much closer to him as we started work on Mob Research earlier this year. He was so excited about the future of the band and we hoped to have the record out by Spring 2008.. His enthusiam and determination to make things happen was infectious and I shall miss him greatly. His sense of humour was priceless and, both hailing from the same part of the midlands in England, we shared many a brummie and black country joke together.. His last words to me - just a couple of days before he died - were 'Stay Positive'. That says it all about Paul.. the rock world has lost one of its most shining sons, may he have gone to a better place".

Mark Gemini Thwaite (The Mission UK, Mob Research) website
http://www.markthwaite.com/

also The Mission UK website