Kavinsky, French Producer and DJ Behind ‘Drive’ Opening Song ‘Nightcall,’ Dies at 50

Kavinsky, the French electro music producer and DJ whose hypnotic anthem “Nightcall” became a cult classic after opening Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 film “Drive,” died on Tuesday. He was 50.

The artist was found dead at his Paris home on Tuesday evening. Authorities have opened an investigation into the circumstances of his death, though no foul play has been reported. French media said the musician had complained of headaches in the days leading up to his death, according to Reuters.

While Kavinsky had long been a respected figure on France’s electronic music scene, “Nightcall” transformed him into an international cult favorite. Produced with Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk and featuring vocals from Lovefoxxx of Brazilian band CSS, the song helped define the film’s aesthetic and became one of the signature electronic tracks of the 2010s.

Kavinsky most recently performed the song alongside Phoenix and Angèle at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games closing ceremony, which was broadcast globally, introducing it to new audiences over a decade after “Drive’s” release.

Born Vincent Belorgey in Seine-Saint-Denis in 1975, he came to music relatively late after first working as an actor and appearing in films by longtime friend Quentin Dupieux. Inspired by 1980s action movies, arcade games and sports cars, he developed the fictional persona of Kavinsky, a mysterious, undead driver said to have returned from a fatal Ferrari crash to make electronic music.

He emerged in the mid-2000s through the influential French label Record Makers, releasing the EPs “Teddy Boy,” “1986” and “Nightcall” before touring alongside artists including Daft Punk and Justice. His debut album “OutRun,” released in 2013, expanded on the retro-futuristic sound that would become synonymous with the growing synthwave movement. After a long hiatus, he returned with a second album, “Reborn,” in 2022.

Although he never achieved the mainstream commercial profile of fellow French electro artists such as Daft Punk or Justice, Kavinsky had a large influence on a generation of producers drawn to nostalgic, cinematic electro music, and helped popularize the synthwave genre well beyond France.