PARIS — French DJ Kavinsky, best known for the electro track “Nightcall,” has died at age 50.The artist, whose real name was Vincent Belorgey, was found dead at his home in Paris on Tuesday.French newspaper Le Figaro reported Kavinsky had been complaining of headaches for several days, and authorities think he may have had a stroke.No suspicious items were discovered at the scene by the first responders and Paris prosecutors have now opened an investigation to determine the cause of death, the outlet said.French culture minister Catherine Pégard confirmed his death in a post on X on Wednesday.“With Kavinsky’s sudden departure France loses one of its most unique voices,” she wrote. “From the movie ‘Drive’ to the Paris Olympics, the whole world enjoyed ‘Nightcall.’ Danceable and nostalgic at the same time, his music will continue to resonate across borders and different generations.”French President Emmanuel Macron posted a tribute on his official Facebook account. “Kavinsky, French pride forever,” he wrote.The star enjoyed a slow-burning cult hit with his 2010 track Nightcall, which soundtracked the opening credits to the stylish neo-noir crime movie Drive, starring Ryan Gosling.After being performed at the Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony, the modern synthwave hit became the most Shazamed song in a single day of the music identifying app’s history.Self-taught pianist Belorgey, who was born in Seine-Saint-Denis, just outside of the city of Paris, launched his career in the early 2000s, opening for French electro pioneers Daft Punk.Kavinsky, his red-eyed zombie DJ alter ego, was part of the second wave of influential “French Touch” artists including the likes of Justice and Sebastian.Nightcall was produced with Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, mixed by Sebastian and sung by Brazilian singer Lovefoxxx.At Paris 2024, though, Belgian singer Angèle took on lead vocal duties, performing a memorable version of the track alongside Kavinsky and French band Phoenix.
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