By Prarthana Mitra
Celebrated electronic dance and music (EDM) artist and Grammy-nominated DJ Avicii died Friday night in Muscat, Oman, leaving a huge void in the millions of electronic and dance music fans worldwide.
While the cause of his death is not clear yet, the 28-year old hitmaker, producer and EDM’s poster boy had seen the insides of an operating theatre one time too many, besides dealing with a history of alcohol addiction. Filmmaker Levan Tsikurishvili directed a documentary called Avicii: True Stories, describing it as a “cautionary tale that explores the taxing nature and intensity of fame” from the artist’s perspective.
Here’s what happened
“We all reach a point in our lives and our careers where we understand what matters the most to us. For me, it’s creating music. That is what I live for, what I feel I was born to do,” wrote Avicii on his website. The quote bears testimony to Swedish born Tim Bergling’s incredible journey in the music industry despite battling numerous health and personal issues.
The hitmaker and producer, most famous for his songs ‘Hey Brother’ and ‘Wake Me Up’, rose to fame and entered the electronic dance circuit in 2011 with his loop-worthy number Levels. His break arrived at a moment in music history when EDM was just making its entry in the United States, and his successive hits had a clear influence of Swedish House Mafia and Daft Punk. He has collaborated with the likes of Madonna, Chris Martin and David Guetta deftly sampling his electronic skills to produce crossover pop and dance tracks. It was because of DJ’s like Avicii that EDM artists today get to enjoy a certain pay grade which wasn’t up for grabs before.
Commiserations and prayers came pouring in from fans, peers and music lovers alike. Friend and fellow DJ Calvin Harris tweeted, ”Devastating news about Avicii, a beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do. My heart goes out to his family. God bless you Tim.”
Why you should care
Avicii’s struggle with stardom and spotlight has always been apparent from his past interviews. His reticence and introverted nature made him look like he would be a lot more comfortable assembling tracks inside his studio than on the interviewer’s couch. So when Avicii decided to take a break from touring in 2016, mainly due to the stress, anxiety and exhausting lifestyle that come with performing live DJ sets to a fully packed stadium, it was him taking the opportunity to step away from the limelight. Avicii is also known to have suffered from a pancreatic attack as early as 21, possibly due to excessive partying and drinking, and had his appendix and gallbladder removed in 2014.
According to the Guardian, EDM was a collective catharsis, and Avicii was, for a time, the biggest artist delivering it. In the post 9/11 era, he offered millennials the perfect escapist music of celebration and unity. Just like him, his musical oeuvre too existed in an apolitical bubble of unforgettable beats and confetti, making his beats a sonic antidepressant for EDM lovers all around the world.