French electronic music producer Philippe “Zdar” Cerboneschi died Wednesday in a freak accident . Philippe, an influential artist famed for being a part of the electric duo Cassius, accidentally fell through a window of a high building in Paris. According to a report in the New York Times , the death of the 52-year-old was confirmed by Zdar’s booking agent in an email to the outlet. “He accidentally fell through the window of a top floor of a Parisian building,” wrote the agent. The BBC further reports that the French police are investigating the cast as a routine accident. Philippe teamed up with his Cassius partner Hubert “Boom Bass” Blanc-Francard in 1988. A year later, the two released their debut album “1999” which went on to become a defining work of the electronic music genre known as “French Touch.” According to People , he worked with Phoenix on the French indie band’s album “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix”, which won a Grammy for best alternative music album. Zdar’s beloved studio, Motorbass, was even used as a recording site for musicians like Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. This tragic news comes right before Cassius’ next album “Dreems” was set to release this Friday — he was scheduled to perform at NYC’s Summer Stage festival series in Central Park on Sunday. Members of the music community who had worked with the late producer, or had been inspired by his work, are taking to social media to pay their tributes to the producer’s life. Calvin Harris tweeted a YouTube link to the extended version of “1999” along with a personal heartfelt message. “Awful news about Phillipe Zdar, what an unbelievably lovely man with an incredible legacy,” he wrote. “I was mesmerized by this record at 15 years old.” Fellow French producer David Guetta shared a photo of Zdar, captioning the post: “Sad awakening here. I just heard Philippe Zdar from @CASSIUSOFFICIAL passed away.” “I can’t stop remembering amazing parties we had all together,” he said. “All my loving to your family, BoobBass and Pedro. RIP dg.” Phoenix also chimed in on Instagram with heavy hearts. “Rest in Peace Zdar,” wrote the band. “I still remember watching the Wolfgang Diaries on YouTube.” “Still one of the best albums ever made,” said Phoenix, including a heart emoji. Producer Mark Ronson was “so f–king sad to learn about Philippe Zdar last night.” He tweeted that Zdar was a “true legend whose influence hangs over not just dance but indie, but hip hop, all of it.” “My condolences to his family and friends,” he wrote. Zdar leaves behind his wife Dyane Cerboneschi and three children. Our thoughts go out to his loved ones. View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2019: In Memoriam
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Philippe Zdar: Music Producer Dies After Falling Out of Window In Paris
