FRENCH DJ KAVINSKY, NIGHTCALL COMPOSER, DIES AGED 50

French electronic musician Kavinsky, real name Vincent Belorgey, has died aged 50. He was found dead at his home in Paris on Tuesday, 28 July. A police source indicated to French newspaper Le Figaro that the suspected cause of death was a stroke, after Belorgey had reportedly complained of headaches in recent days. Parisian authorities are investigating his death but said "no suspicious elements" were found at his home.

Belorgey achieved international recognition through Nightcall, released in 2010 and co-produced with Daft Punk member Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. The track, featuring Brazilian singer Lovefoxxx on vocals, was included in the opening credits of the 2011 film Drive, starring Ryan Gosling, and has accumulated over half a billion streams on Spotify and 350 million views on YouTube. Born in Paris in 1975, Belorgey began his music career in the mid-2000s as part of France's electronic music scene, releasing five EPs and two albums on the label Record Makers. His debut album Outrun reached No. 2 in the French album charts.

In 2024, Belorgey performed Nightcall at the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, accompanied by Belgian singer Angèle and French band Phoenix. The song reached No. 3 on French charts following the Olympic performance. Emmanuel Macron was among those paying tribute to him, calling him "a source of French pride forever".