Kavinsky death: French DJ behind Drive’s Nightcall dies at 50
French media say Kavinsky was found dead at his Paris home; prosecutors opened an inquiry and reported no suspicious elements at the scene.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
Kavinsky death news has hit the electronic music world: the French DJ, producer and artist whose track “Nightcall” opened Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 film Drive, has died at 50, according to French media.
French outlets reported that Kavinsky was found dead at his home in Paris on Tuesday evening, July 28. The Paris Prosecutors Office said an investigation into the cause of death has been opened and said first responders found no suspicious elements at the scene.
How did Kavinsky die?
A cause of death has not been announced. The Paris Prosecutors Office said it has opened an investigation and reported that first responders did not find suspicious elements at Kavinsky’s Paris home.
Kavinsky was born Vincent Belorgey in Paris on July 31, 1975. He became one of the recognizable names in the French Touch electronic scene, part of the same broad movement associated with acts including Daft Punk.
His global breakthrough came through “Nightcall,” a 2010 track produced by Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. A year later, Winding Refn placed it at the start of Drive, the stylish crime drama starring Ryan Gosling as a Hollywood stunt driver who also works as a getaway driver, with Carey Mulligan co-starring.
The song’s icy synths and noir mood became closely tied to the film’s opening moments, sending Kavinsky’s name far beyond club circles and into pop-culture shorthand for neon-lit, late-night cool.
Who was Kavinsky?
Kavinsky was a French electronic musician, DJ, producer and occasional actor whose retro-futurist sound drew on 1980s pop culture. According to the artist, his work was shaped by video games from that era, police shows such as Miami Vice, and the films of Dario Argento.
His film links began before Drive. He had a long creative friendship with Quentin Dupieux, the musician and DJ who became a director, and appeared in Dupieux’s 2007 film Steak, which also used Kavinsky’s music.
More recently, Kavinsky made a cameo in the French-language Netflix original Banger, which starred Vincent Cassel as a worn-down DJ.
Across his recording career, Kavinsky released two albums: OutRun in 2013 and Reborn in 2022. Those releases cemented the persona and sound that made him one of the better-known faces of French electronic music abroad.
One of his most visible recent performances came at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games. Kavinsky performed at the Stade de France during a celebration of French electronic music, placing him on one of the biggest stages of his career.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.