Vincent Belorgey, the French electronic musician and DJ known by his stage name Kavinsky, died at his home in Paris on July 28. He was 50 years old. The Paris prosecutor’s office reported that authorities found him unresponsive and said the cause of death is under investigation. Emergency responders did not observe any evidence of foul play at the scene, according to officials.
Kavinsky rose to international prominence with the 2010 single “Nightcall,” a collaboration with Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, one half of the iconic French duo Daft Punk. The song gained widespread recognition after featuring in the opening credits of the 2011 film “Drive,” starring Ryan Gosling. Since then, “Nightcall” has been covered and sampled by various artists, including London Grammar, Childish Gambino, and Phoenix. In 2024, Belorgey performed the song alongside Phoenix and Belgian pop singer Angèle during the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
Belorgey was born on July 31, 1975, in Barbès, a neighborhood in northern Paris. He began producing music in 2003 after receiving an old Macintosh computer from a friend, sparking his interest in electronic composition. Over the next decade, he developed a synth-heavy electro-pop style heavily influenced by 1980s cinema and video games.
Like several electronic artists, Belorgey created a fictional persona for his music. Kavinsky is a character depicted in his 2013 album “Outrun” as a teenager from the 1980s who died in a car crash and came back decades later as a zombie intent on making electronic music. Belorgey described the alter ego as a somewhat more confident version of himself, one that allowed him to explore musical ideas in a distinct artistic framework.
His second and final studio album, “Reborn,” was released in 2022. Although it did not reach the same level of acclaim as “Nightcall,” Belorgey said in interviews that a lengthy hiatus before the album’s production helped him rediscover creative joy and experiment with new sounds. He acknowledged the pressure and fear following the sudden success of “Nightcall” but described returning to music creation as “a real joy” and “my best time.”
French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Belorgey on social media, calling him “a source of French pride forever.” Culture Minister Catherine Pégard also expressed condolences, noting that Belorgey’s music resonated worldwide and would continue to cross generations and borders.
Details regarding surviving family members or funeral arrangements have not been released. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.