I can't tell where the journey will end
April 20, 2018 12:04 PM   Subscribe

RIP Tim Bergling, Swedish DJ and producer better known as Avicii. Levels. Wake Me Up. True Stories - trailer.
posted by fearfulsymmetry (45 comments total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
 
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posted by Bovine Love at 12:09 PM on April 20, 2018


I was never a fan, but I thought his hybridization in Wake Me Up was either pretty groundbreaking or a sequel to Cotton Eyed Joe, and anybody who can do that for me gets a modicum of respect. I had no idea of his health issues.

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posted by rhizome at 12:12 PM on April 20, 2018 [3 favorites]


Oh hells to the no! Gone far too soon. RIP, man.
posted by Lynsey at 12:23 PM on April 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


He was a very talented producer and astonishingly good at making music a huge cross section of people related to and enjoyed. My family have very different "favourite" genres, but something like The Nights is a such a well crafted "feel good" summer track, I can remember so many happy road trips with that playing. Looking at the huge list of songs he released (as compared to two "studio albums") ... just really well made pop.

It sounds like he had a lot of health problems in recent years and which really limited his ability to perform live. Very sad, we'll miss him.

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posted by samworm at 12:32 PM on April 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


Ooof, he was only 28. Cause of death wasn’t given, but apparently he struggled with severe alcoholism. So sad. Honestly he was only on my radar as an example of this new (to me) class of DJs who make major league sport star money, but he seems to have been respected by people who know something about that kind of DJing.
posted by mrmurbles at 12:46 PM on April 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


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posted by bouvin at 12:49 PM on April 20, 2018


Whoa. I listen to him and similar artists all the time. I didn't know anything about him as a person, including his age. This is sad.
posted by AFABulous at 12:50 PM on April 20, 2018


apparently he struggled with severe alcoholism

They mention pancreatitis, which when a friend had it I looked it up and learned that it's: a) very serious; b) commonly associated with alcoholism; and c) hard to survive a second bout.
posted by rhizome at 12:54 PM on April 20, 2018 [3 favorites]


Oh my god, far too young. Wake Me Up was released at a horrible period in my life, and that plus Wake Me Up When September Ends got me through it.

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posted by ellieBOA at 12:54 PM on April 20, 2018 [2 favorites]


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posted by Freeze Peach at 1:05 PM on April 20, 2018


Oh no, that's really shit. The guiltiest of pleasures, but one of those middle eights would always really hit me. Far, far too young. Damn.

And presumably outlived by the father he sung about in that most famous single. Devastating.

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posted by ominous_paws at 1:19 PM on April 20, 2018


o/` Wake me up when it's all over, when I'm wiser and I'm... oh shit
posted by I-Write-Essays at 1:26 PM on April 20, 2018 [3 favorites]


Damn. I hadn't ever heard of this guy, and I just listened to the linked songs, and wow, he made some awesome stuff. I almost never dot but I will dot for Avicii.

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posted by JanetLand at 1:29 PM on April 20, 2018


So young. So much talent. I'm glad we were given the gift of his music. :(

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posted by Fizz at 1:29 PM on April 20, 2018


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posted by Thorzdad at 1:41 PM on April 20, 2018


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posted by get off of my cloud at 1:57 PM on April 20, 2018


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posted by Cpt. The Mango at 2:00 PM on April 20, 2018


Oh man. I'll carry his brilliance on my running playlist. What a goddamned shame, this life.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 2:27 PM on April 20, 2018


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Only 28. How AWFUL.
posted by Ziggy500 at 2:27 PM on April 20, 2018


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posted by capricorn at 2:28 PM on April 20, 2018


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posted by gucci mane at 2:34 PM on April 20, 2018


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posted by So You're Saying These Are Pants? at 2:36 PM on April 20, 2018


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posted by Pendragon at 4:03 PM on April 20, 2018


This is horrible news. Avicii had a fantastic ear for transcendent, wistful melodies. “Hey Brother” is wonderful. Immersive, soulful music like that is a gift.

I feel that he is an old soul. May he rest in peace.

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posted by delight at 4:21 PM on April 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


Far too young. I was never that familiar with his whole catalog, but Levels alone belongs in the pantheon of history's most floor-packing dance bangers.
posted by subocoyne at 4:26 PM on April 20, 2018


The lyric video for “Waiting for Love” with the dog in it: still gets me every time. RIP, Avicii.
posted by faineg at 4:29 PM on April 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


His remix of Armin Van Buren's Drowning Was one of the first songs where I was like "hey who produced this anyhow, who is this AVICII guy?" And so I went and checked out the original by AVB... Weird thing is, the original sounds like someone took Avicii's version and tried, unsuccessfully, to remix it. To me there was something special about that, because AVB is no slouch.

I've many fun memories of fun adventures in far away lands where you could hear his music at least once at every club you hopped into if you would just wait a little while. I thought Levels was his most popular song what with the car commercials and whatnot licensing it around the frikin globe, but I guess Wake Me Up was even moreso.

I'm really bummed out by this news. I guess I'll raise a glass to his memory tonight :)

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posted by some loser at 4:52 PM on April 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


for the record I did NOT watch the video i just posted so sorry for that... I just played it now and yeah... I would have chosen a non-video youtube link if I could edit my link.
posted by some loser at 5:08 PM on April 20, 2018


"Found"! So he was alone, oh no. The poor young man.

I enjoyed Wake Me Up, too, and had no idea who'd done it. So young!


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posted by droplet at 5:15 PM on April 20, 2018


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posted by JoeXIII007 at 6:55 PM on April 20, 2018


I thought the entire album True was a delightful revelation, and the breadth of his global influence cannot be overstated. 28 is awfully close to 27.

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posted by hippybear at 7:11 PM on April 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


Just so young.

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posted by Going To Maine at 8:37 PM on April 20, 2018


Poor kid, this GQ piece from 2013 is definitely worth your time.

I've been around DJs all my life and seen more than one die exactly like this. Pancreatitis, specifically.

In fact, a friend of mine now is touring to an insane degree, though I hope his wife and young son can keep him grounded. It's literally breakneck the travel schedule they keep, and raising three children. Definitely a challenge, even if you're sober, traveling and playing that much.

I can't imagine living in 3 different countries for 3-4 months at a time to play gigs in all countries/territories in the area, then moving onto the next continent, which many DJs do. Avicii went just a little bit harder and burned his poor body right out. :(
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 9:24 PM on April 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


I teach Les Mills group fitness classes, and Les Mills puts heaps of EDM in their playlists, so I've taught to a lot of Avicii's music. Dear Boy made people do work and like it, that drop was one of my favorites ever. He'll be missed.
posted by danielleh at 10:44 PM on April 20, 2018


Avicii – a life in pictures Obviously a mistake to read to much into a single photo, but that last one...

Avicii: the poster boy for EDM who struggled with the spotlight
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:52 AM on April 21, 2018


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posted by filtergik at 4:18 AM on April 21, 2018


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posted by james33 at 4:47 AM on April 21, 2018


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posted by mmoncur at 4:55 AM on April 21, 2018


Anyone dying at 28 is too young for what ever reason. For that a
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I'm not a part of the community but have a close connection to Teddy Cream (Facebook link) and I've seen, second hand, the excessive aspects of their tours. It's an intense, travel and alcohol heavy, health abusive, experience. I've been assured by the family connection he's smartly avoiding the alcohol part, but everything else is still seriously draining.

I'm sure TC are devastated by Avicii's death. 28, too young.
posted by michswiss at 6:41 AM on April 21, 2018 [1 favorite]


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posted by one teak forest at 7:53 AM on April 21, 2018




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posted by Ilira at 9:17 AM on April 22, 2018




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How sad and terrible.
posted by daybeforetheday at 9:33 PM on April 27, 2018


BBC's latest Essential Mix (currently link, to expire in a month) is a re-airing of Avicii's debut mix for the show from 2010 (Soundcloud link, should live on longer), with a new preamble by Pete Tong, removing his original self-introduction, which is a bummer. Thank goodness for Soundcloud and the people who re-post Essential Mixes ;)
posted by filthy light thief at 11:06 AM on April 28, 2018


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