Avicii 678

Tim Bergling, better known as Avicii (b. September 8, 1989 – † April 20, 2018), was a Swedish record producer and DJ who took the EDM scene by storm and arguably redefined the entire genre with releases “Levels” and “Wake Me Up.” Melodically gifted, he infused new sounds into the world of electronic music and transformed it into a universally recognizable genre.

Avicii’s name was derived from a discussion with his friend, who explained to him that Avichi was the lowest level of Buddhist hell. He chose the name because he liked the sound and his government name had already been taken on Myspace. Bergling collaborated with a wide array of artists in genres that touch every aspect of music. His musical success was proven with numerous multi-platinum releases as well as several number-one spots across charts globally.

Shortly after playing his 2016 Ultra Music Festival set, he announced that he would retire from live performances after the calendar year was up. Avicii’s sound was unique and his drive was untouchable, infusing his unique sound into his music.

On Friday, April 20th, 2018, Avicii committed suicide, with his family issuing a statement saying that he “could not go on any longer.” Several years before his death, Avicii had struggled with pancreatitis due to excessive drinking. In 2014, he had his gallbladder removed as it had ruptured and he vowed never to drink alcohol again. Avicii also frequently overworked by spending more than 60 hours at a time within a studio as well as performing 220 DJ sets within 261 weeks, which may have led to his unfortunate death.

On April 5, 2019, it was announced that some of Avicii’s unfinished projects would be released as a posthumous album titled TIM on June 6 with his first posthumous single, “SOS,” being released on April 10. It was followed by “Tough Love” which was released on May 9, 2019. The rest of the album was released on June 6, 2019.