Purple Disco Machine takes hiatus from touring citing “sudden” hearing loss
He’ll pause performing for a month while dealing with “severe” tinnitus and hearing issues
Purple Disco Machine has announced a short hiatus from touring and performing as he deals with sudden hearing loss and “severe” tinnitus.
He revealed the news on Instagram last week (June 18), explaining that he’s made "the difficult decision" to cancel all scheduled shows over the following month.
The German DJ and producer, real name Tino Piontek, said that he has been suffering with tinnitus for 25 years, though it has never been "this severe" before.
Read this next: “My life changed overnight”: Dealing with sudden hearing loss and tinnitus
He explained that he's been suffering with hearing issues for the past three weeks, and must now follow his doctor’s advice to "give my body the time it needs to recover".
Piontek cancelled all of his forthcoming club and festival shows until mid-July, when he’s due to begin a Thursday night residency at Pacha Ibiza for the remainder of the summer.
"Trust me when I say that I haven’t taken this decision lightly," he said. "Being unable to honour my commitments is one of the hardest things for me, especially knowing that so many of you were planning to come and see me."
Piontek was due to perform in Mexico City tonight, June 23, and again in California at Day Trip Festival on June 27. He’s cancelled both appearances.
Read this next: 9 ways to make living with tinnitus easier
"The response from all of the promoters, teams and partners involved has been nothing but kind and understanding, and I’m incredibly grateful for the compassion and support I’ve received," he said.
"The good news is that this is a temporary setback, and I’ll be back on the road from mid-July. Right now, the most important thing is giving my ears the rest they need so I can recover properly and return at 100% for the long-run. Turns out I’m not a machine after all!"
To find out how to protect yourself from tinnitus, how to spot the signs, and much more, revisit our Tinnitus Awareness Week features here.
Read Purple Disco Machine's full statement below.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor