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nicolas_ 3 days ago [-]
I ran a fairly popular electronic music blog [1] in France between 2009 and 2014 and met him multiple times. I’m really sad he’s no longer with us. He was an icon of this bloghouse era with the Ed Banger crew. Rest in peace Vinco, you’ll be missed.
I can’t say I’m surprised though as most DJs during that era were known to abuse all kinds of substances and had to manage a non existent sleep schedule, long flights all around the world, and jet lag. It takes a toll on your body.
Definitely linked to you many times (I ran a blog called ilictronix in high school). Small world! Great posts over the years.
nicolas_ 3 days ago [-]
Thank you! Small world indeed! I’m glad the blog resonated with people as much as it did. I shared mp3 with friends back then and firmly believed that more people in France and around the world would love the same music as much as we did. Kudos for still posting on yours after all the years. That’s an insane feat! I really wished I kept going but starting my career in Paris in 2014 killed the momentum. I worked on the blog from 6pm to midnight pretty much every day after school and couldn’t do the same once I started working. I’ll bring it back one day! In the meantime, I’ll definitely check ilictronix. Thanks for sharing with the world. Love the MySpace like personal website with flat Eric!
JodieBenitez 3 days ago [-]
Ah ! So it was you... I have like 300 mp3s from your blog. Also, Fluokids.
nicolas_ 2 days ago [-]
Yes! I don’t know how many mp3s I shared on it but definitely a lot! It was wild to be able to do this with the support of the artists and the labels. I’m glad you still have them (I do too). The blog is still online if you want a trip down memory lane but sadly the download links are not. Thanks for being part of the adventure and sorry for messing up the ID3 tags of each mp3.
w23n 3 days ago [-]
Mais non ! J'ai toujours été attristé par la fin de Stop The Noise. Aucune intention de rallumer le flambeau ? :)
nicolas_ 3 days ago [-]
Haha le crossover HN improbable ! C’était une fin sans vraiment l’être. Je n’ai jamais vraiment fermé le chapitre. L’intention a toujours été la, plein de fois pour être franc. Encore plus récemment. J’ai envie de faire ça bien donc ça prendra un peu de temps mais l’envie est clairement là :)
nekooooo 2 days ago [-]
you and hypemachine helped fill my ipod and car stereo. thank you!
nicolas_ 2 days ago [-]
Oh I loved Hypem! I actually visited the website again yesterday and found a cool track within 10s. It’s still alive and kicking. For some reasons, they never accepted my submission to have STN on it. Thanks for being a part of the adventure and I hope you still have those mp3s.
_sys49152 2 days ago [-]
ed banger rules - cant go wrong with any of their catalogue
teroshan 3 days ago [-]
He's rightly credited as having participated in the popularization of the musical and visual "Synthwave" aesthetic:
Synthwave genre named after the video game Out Run.
bigfishrunning 3 days ago [-]
Is it possible that both the album and the genre are named after the video game? or it could be some kind of chain (genre->album->video game)
Now i just want to play outrun. I wonder if there's an arcade nearby...
toyg 3 days ago [-]
The videogame is from the '80s; it became iconic partially because it allowed players to choose the music to listen to "in the car", all of them synths (obviously), and one of the songs you could choose was called "Splash Wave".
Folks like Kavinsky later (re)popularized synths and made explicit throwbacks to the game, like the album name. I don't know where the term "Synthwave" came from, but it does look like one of those throwbacks.
where-group-by 3 days ago [-]
Synthwave name is more likely to be related various "wave" genres, like Darkwave or Coldwave.
I'm only just now realizing that Beach House [1] might also have picked up on that synth aesthetic because the lead singer's father is French and she was in Paris for school in the early 2000s before coming back to the states to go to Vassar (she went to school with some of my friends). It probably was percolating around Paris at that time.
But also 80s synths were just really cheap around then. I picked up a Juno 60 with a flight case for around $400, including shipping, in about 2002.
Interesting theory, but fwiw synths were quite popular among the Baltimore music scene throughout the 00s. Besides Beach House, there was Dan Deacon, Future Islands, Celebration, among others. Lake Trout was another example, although a few years earlier / different scene. Ditto with Cex.
throwforfeds 3 days ago [-]
Oh yeah, absolutely. There were tons here in Brooklyn as well, probably because you could pick up a DX7 or a Juno for a few hundred dollars. No one wanted them. I remember one guy gave me a Wurlitzer 200 for free when I went to pickup a Rhodes from him because he just didn't want it.
But yeah, I still wonder if she was aware of that scene when she was in Paris or not.
nicholasbraker 2 days ago [-]
Yes, especially his work own the movie 'Drive' was hugely influential on the popularisation of this genre. I think he was featured in the documentary "The Rise of the Synths" also (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rise_of_the_Synths)
RIP
creaghpatr 3 days ago [-]
Loved "Nightcall", shame to lose him. It was a was a happy surprise to see him get a feature at the 2024 closing ceremonies, RIP.
reedf1 3 days ago [-]
Nightcall was kind of the anthem of my life for my early 20s. Still captures a moment. RIP.
TacticalCoder 3 days ago [-]
I'm a big fan of french electro and Kavinsky is no exception: I discovered him and his Nightcall hit through the soundtrack of the movie Drive.
IIRC he got into electronic music late in his life after a friend gave him a long-outdated Atari ST running Cubase (DAW).
RIP.
technics256 3 days ago [-]
Same here! Any recommendations for newer french electro artists?
Nothing more to add here but lovely to see yours and the commentor above you's tastes. I got well into a few of these artists after playing Hotline Miami for far too many hours (followed by HM2, platinum on both).
Terrible shame about Kavinsky :(
noir_lord 3 days ago [-]
Wouldn’t say newer as have been around a while but French79 (start with Hometown) are brilliant.
iammjm 3 days ago [-]
+1 for French79, especially his album “Olympic” (2016)
NikolaNovak 3 days ago [-]
I enjoy Vitalic, not sure if he's newer but has decent body of work :)
nolok 3 days ago [-]
Newer is not specifically it since I'm getting a bit too "old / nostalgia" now, but here is a small list (songs chosen are not specifically their biggest but ones I like to come back to)
Also worth mentioning the game Haven that Danger did the soundtrack for, one of the few game soundtracks that are great independent of the game as well:
Floating around listening to music is nice once you get the hang of it (took me a while). With a bigger budget could have been one of the best games ever; as it is there are some significant limitations but I recommend it:
For French musicians (who haven't already been named), I'd also recommend Madeon, Laurent Garnier, and Noisy Freaks.
For an American musician in the synthwave genre (a bit like Kavinsky), I'd also recommend Com Truise
ricardobayes 3 days ago [-]
I really like ANORAAK
johnsutor 3 days ago [-]
Not exactly new but newer, Polo and Pan are great.
shaoner 3 days ago [-]
Adding Lewis Ofman, Sebastian and Paradis
3 days ago [-]
hypendev 3 days ago [-]
It really hit a specific vibe. RIP to a legend.
sha-3 3 days ago [-]
His Nightcall performance during the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony got me into Synthwave. Really sad to see him go :(
teroshan 3 days ago [-]
Between letting Kavinsky play at the closing ceremony [0] and Gojira play at the opening ceremony [1], I really can't applaud and thank Thomas Jolly enough for directing the 2024 Olympic ceremonies.
That Gojira opening has been the most EPIC ceremony I've seen anywhere.
I remember I got so excited that I started jumping on my couch and accidentally knocked over a stand with my collectibles and food. Five-second rule, so I still ate my nuggets afterward, hehe. My partner complained a lot, but... some of these things... only a few of us get. Gojira is definitely not for everybody. It's an acquired taste that only a select few of us get to enjoy.
mrtksn 3 days ago [-]
According to the BBC article, he was complaining of headaches since the last few days and authorities believe that he might have had a stroke
A huge loss for synthwave. Thank you for all of the trips back to a more hopeful time in technology.
NDlurker 3 days ago [-]
Oh man, I just started listening to him a few months ago after a recommendation from a colleague.
mikedd 3 days ago [-]
And here I thought today couldn't get any worse. :(
achenet 3 days ago [-]
look on the bright side, at least you still have internet!
(and here would be a great time for Murphy's Law to kick in and your router to decide to stop working all of a sudden)
slicktux 3 days ago [-]
He was a whole aesthetic and genre. Love his music!
Rest in peace.
nahimn 3 days ago [-]
RIP. Loved this mans music
xvxvx 3 days ago [-]
Terrible news. His retro-synth sound was amazing. Had tickets to see him live many years ago and he cancelled the tour.
KageFX 3 days ago [-]
is there any news or speculation on how ?
datakan 3 days ago [-]
"The Paris prosecutor's office said that "an investigation to establish the causes of death" had been opened, noting that no suspect was found at the scene on Tuesday evening."
Its a strange announcement.
n_e 3 days ago [-]
It's a mistranslation, the original quote is "Une enquête en recherche des causes de la mort est ouverte afin de déterminer l’origine du décès, aucun élément suspect n’ayant été découvert sur place par les services primo-intervenants. Les investigations sont en cours", which translates to "no suspicious element was found", not "no suspect was found"
datakan 3 days ago [-]
Thanks for clarifying
Zealotux 3 days ago [-]
Purely speculative but he's been known for his excessive drinking for a while now, sad news.
wonderwonder 3 days ago [-]
Authorities believe it was a stroke, he had been complaining of headaches for several days prior.
LightBug1 2 days ago [-]
RIP ... loved his work.
Glen Hansard gone too.
Shit day for music. But they'll always live on from their incredible contributions.
HHalvi 3 days ago [-]
[dead]
gizajob 3 days ago [-]
[flagged]
runjake 3 days ago [-]
> How is this hacker news?
If it wasn't, it would've been flagged or not voted up, and you wouldn't be here complaining about it. :-P
I can’t say I’m surprised though as most DJs during that era were known to abuse all kinds of substances and had to manage a non existent sleep schedule, long flights all around the world, and jet lag. It takes a toll on your body.
The entire industry is sharing stories about him today and The Toxic Avenger (Simon) shared a funny one about a set in Zurich https://x.com/toxavanger/status/2082434657300177372
[1] https://www.stopthenoise.fr/
https://aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/Synthwave
https://www.reddit.com/r/outrun/
Now i just want to play outrun. I wonder if there's an arcade nearby...
Folks like Kavinsky later (re)popularized synths and made explicit throwbacks to the game, like the album name. I don't know where the term "Synthwave" came from, but it does look like one of those throwbacks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpW3C_k0WMY
But also 80s synths were just really cheap around then. I picked up a Juno 60 with a flight case for around $400, including shipping, in about 2002.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_House
But yeah, I still wonder if she was aware of that scene when she was in Paris or not.
RIP
IIRC he got into electronic music late in his life after a friend gave him a long-outdated Atari ST running Cubase (DAW).
RIP.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9e7gmwejeGr7aqhn9A4h...
Maxime Dangles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsyQZip5xLI
Arnaud Rebotini
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKRfDdsPewQ
Terence Fixmer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqPzHloXppc
Mödern (6 & 7 are good too IMO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lbZzeBe_JQ&list=PLmmhQqegVx...
Lazerhawk - Redline (not french but my favourite Synthwave album)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYc-KHaHGswVjvp4UuqBY...
Gesaffelstein https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2vOHYbd5Gs
Terrible shame about Kavinsky :(
French79
- Hometown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAv5pLO37mE
NTO
- Invisible https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFIcEwCPWZ8
Worakls
- Trauma Worakls Remix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6QFfmwFT3k&list=RDf6QFfmwFT...
- Salzburg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tTber0f8qc&list=RD_tTber0f8...
Uppermost
- sooo many ... Dance is iconic to me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TeOByrJgak
- Flashback https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZAECHHJ8U4
- but his Revolution album gives a good walk around https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83zdpv_ovow
Gesaffelstein
- Hate or Glory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_NgkfRmUPk
- Viol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYtpobVmYY4
M83
- you probably already know them, but Outro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyjj8BgsBGU
Danger
- 4h30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVUo4W4XFiI (my personnal king of "you had to be there", thus a live music exemple)
Justice
- Stress (warning it and its clip are true to its name, it got awards, it got also banned from primetime) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWaWsgBbFsA
- D.A.N.C.E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy1dYFGkPUE
Or a ton more really, JM Jarre / Daft Punk / David Guetta really help breed an insane french electro scene each on their own way.
EDIT: in a Kavinsky thread I feel like I should include
Carpenter Brut
- Turbo Killer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er416Ad3R1g
- Le Perv https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYtVf0wvPpc
Pertubator
- Future Club (you know it from Hotline Miami) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY66fdMt4vc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBVK7Z9AyNM&list=RDZBVK7Z9Ay...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPpPRFEXWwQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZYw0MQp_fI
https://haven-game.bandcamp.com/album/haven-original-soundtr...
Floating around listening to music is nice once you get the hang of it (took me a while). With a bigger budget could have been one of the best games ever; as it is there are some significant limitations but I recommend it:
https://www.gog.com/en/game/haven
I'll add Lueur Verte:
https://lueurverte.bandcamp.com/album/crystalica-ep
For an American musician in the synthwave genre (a bit like Kavinsky), I'd also recommend Com Truise
[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSayp2tArqA
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8Iv5kq93K4
I remember I got so excited that I started jumping on my couch and accidentally knocked over a stand with my collectibles and food. Five-second rule, so I still ate my nuggets afterward, hehe. My partner complained a lot, but... some of these things... only a few of us get. Gojira is definitely not for everybody. It's an acquired taste that only a select few of us get to enjoy.
[0] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c204n74xyv3o
Sa musique est une source d’inspiration fantastique, c’est vraiment une triste nouvelle
Darn shame.
(and here would be a great time for Murphy's Law to kick in and your router to decide to stop working all of a sudden)
Rest in peace.
Its a strange announcement.
Glen Hansard gone too.
Shit day for music. But they'll always live on from their incredible contributions.
If it wasn't, it would've been flagged or not voted up, and you wouldn't be here complaining about it. :-P
> Hundreds of musicians died today.
Whom? With the status of Kavinsky?
source?