Drive director Nicholas Winding Refn has paid tribute to French composer Kavinsky, who recently died, aged 50.
The pioneering DJ and electronic music star, real name Vincent Belorgey, was found in his home in Paris by authorities at around 10:30pm local time on July 28. Newspaper reports have said that the cause of death is thought to be a stroke.
His death has brought in tributes from fans of the 2011 film Drive, starring Ryan Gosling. Kavinsky’s song ‘Nightcall’ played over the famous opening to the film, becoming a highlight of the cult classic and setting the tone for the movie. Refn, the film’s director, paid tribute to Kavinsky on Wednesday (August 5) in a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter.
“To many people in America, Kavinsky will always be the artist behind the unforgettable opening of Drive,” he said. “In France, he was much more than that. He was an icon of French pop music, a cultural figure whose influence reached far beyond any one song.”
Recalling the process of search for the right song for the movie’s opening, he explained: “The moment we laid “Nightcall” over the opening sequence, everything clicked. It gave the film exactly what it had been missing.”
View this post on Instagram
He said that he had met the musician “occasionally” and stayed in touch via social media. “What struck me about him was how kind he was,” Refn said. “He was immensely successful as a DJ and producer, one of the defining voices of his generation, yet he was incredibly gentle. In fact, he was almost shy. There was nothing performative about him as a person.”
The filmmaker concluded: “His death is heartbreaking. Dying young is never how anyone’s story should end. My thoughts are with the family he leaves behind. But in the end, we are remembered for what we give. Kavinsky gave the world extraordinary music. “Nightcall” became part of the language of modern cinema, but more importantly, his work inspired countless musicians who came after him. You can hear his influence everywhere now. That is a remarkable legacy. His voice will continue to echo long after all of us are gone.”
In his last interview with NME, Kavinsky had revealed that another collaboration with The Weeknd was likely to arrive “soon”. The pair previously worked together on a version of ‘Odd Look’ in 2013
The post ‘Drive’ director pays tribute to late composer Kavinsky: “An icon of French pop” appeared first on NME.