Kavinsky, the French producer behind “Nightcall”, has died aged 50

Kavinsky, the French producer, DJ and actor who became famous worldwide thanks to “Nightcall”, the track that opened the film “Drive” by Nicolas Winding Refn, has died at 50. According to CNN, the artist was found dead on Tuesday at his home in Paris. French authorities are investigating the cause of death: the BBC reports that in recent days Kavinsky had been complaining of severe headaches, and the leading theory is that he suffered a stroke.

Born in Paris as Vincent Pierre Claude Belorgey, Kavinsky began his career as an actor in the early 2000s. In 2007 he appeared in Steak, a film by his friend Quentin Dupieux, the director and musician also known as Mr. Oizo. Around the same time he established himself as one of the most original figures on the French electro scene, right in the middle of the blog-house boom.
His musical project revolved around an imagery heavily influenced by the soundtracks of 1980s films. In his videos he appeared as a blue-skinned, red-eyed zombie, building a mythology in which the protagonist had died in 1986 at the wheel of a Ferrari, only to return to life as a supernatural creature.

His recording debut came in 2006 with the EP Teddy Boy, which contained the track “Testarossa Autodrive”, which quickly became an online hit. He went on to open Daft Punk's celebrated Pyramid Tour and shared the stage with other leading figures of the French scene such as Justice.
International recognition, however, came in 2010 with “Nightcall”, made together with Lovefoxxx of CSS. Featured in the opening credits of “Drive“, the song became a symbol of synthwave aesthetics and reached the top ten in France, turning into the most representative track of his career.

In 2013 he released his debut album, “OutRun”, which also included “Odd Look”, made with The Weeknd. After a long period of artistic silence, he returned in 2022 with Reborn.
“Nightcall”'s popularity surged again in the summer of 2024, when Kavinsky performed it at the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics alongside Phoenix and Angèle. The performance went viral around the world, and the new version of the track reached number three on the French chart.

The news of his death has prompted numerous messages of condolence. French President Emmanuel Macron called him a source of “French pride forever”, while Culture Minister Catherine Pégard recalled that “from Drive to the Paris Olympics, the whole world vibrated to the notes of 'Nightcall'. Danceable and nostalgic at once, his music will continue to resonate across generations and borders”.

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