French electronic producer and DJ Kavinsky, known offstage as Vincent Belorgey, has passed away at 50. He was discovered at his Paris home on Tuesday evening. While authorities have launched an investigation, no suspicious circumstances have been reported. Born in Paris in 1975, Belorgey rose from the city’s vibrant electronic underground, collaborating with Justice and SebastiAn before joining Record Makers. He crafted a striking alter ego: a zombie race car driver brought back to life after a fatal 1980s Ferrari crash, a character that infused his music, visuals and live shows with cinematic flair. His albums OutRun (2013) and Reborn (2022) cemented his place at the heart of synthwave, weaving together retro-futurist soundscapes and vivid storytelling.
Kavinsky’s global breakthrough came with ‘Nightcall‘, his 2010 single featuring Lovefoxxx and co-produced by Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. When the track featured in Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 film Drive, it brought his synthwave and electro style, rooted in the neon glow of 1980s electronics, to the world stage. Later collaborations, such as a reimagined ‘Odd Look‘ with The Weeknd, propelled his sound into gaming, fashion, and film, placing him at the forefront of synthwave’s resurgence throughout the 2010s.
In his later years, Kavinsky took center stage at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, unveiling a fresh version of ‘Nightcall‘ with Phoenix and Angèle and passing the torch to a new generation. Tributes have flooded in from across the music world and beyond. Fans and fellow artists remember him as a trailblazer whose creative vision shaped modern synthwave and inspired producers around the world.
Watch DJ Kavinsky live @ THE PLAYGROUND
