# French DJ Kavinsky, who created Nightcall from Drive, dies aged 50

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/kavinsky-french-producer-and-dj-behind-drive-opening-song-nightcall-dies-at-50/
- Published: 2026-07-29T12:32:07+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-29T18:47:35+00:00
- Original publisher: Variety
- Original article: https://variety.com/2026/music/global/kavinsky-dead-french-dj-nightcall-drive-1236823180/
- Topics: Art, Culture

## Key points

- French DJ Kavinsky, creator of "Nightcall," has died aged 50
- Found dead at his Paris home; investigation opened, no foul play suspected
- Performed at Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony; helped popularise synthwave

## Summary

Kavinsky, the French producer and DJ behind "Nightcall," the track that opened Nicolas Winding Refn's 2011 film "Drive," has died at his Paris home aged 50. His death, discovered on Tuesday evening, prompted an investigation by French authorities, though no foul play is suspected; local media reported he had complained of headaches in the days beforehand. While already respected on France's electronic scene, "Nightcall" made him an international cult figure, and he went on to perform it alongside Phoenix and Angèle at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Born Vincent Belorgey in Seine-Saint-Denis in 1975, Kavinsky came to music after working as an actor, including in films by his friend Quentin Dupieux, before creating his "undead driver" persona inspired by 1980s action films, arcade games and sports cars. "Nightcall" was produced with Daft Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and featured vocals from Lovefoxxx of CSS. He rose through the Record Makers label in the mid-2000s, released his debut album "OutRun" in 2013 and a follow-up, "Reborn," in 2022, and though never as commercially prominent as peers such as Daft Punk or Justice, he was highly influential in popularising the synthwave genre.

## Coverage

- [Variety: French DJ Kavinsky, who created Nightcall from Drive, dies aged 50](https://variety.com/2026/music/global/kavinsky-dead-french-dj-nightcall-drive-1236823180/)
- [Deadline: Kavinsky Dies: French DJ Whose ‘Nightcall’ Track Opened Nicolas Winding Refn’s ‘Drive’ Was 50](https://deadline.com/2026/07/kavinsky-dead-french-dj-nightcall-winding-refn-drive-1237006467/)
- [BBC World: French DJ ​and electropop ‌musician Kavinsky dies aged 50](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c204n74xyv3o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.