Avicii’s death in 2018 was a shock to everyone. The suddenness of it all, the lack of any signs took everyone’s collective breath away in one swift moment — it was also a wake up call and a rallying cry for much of the music industry.
Since Avicii’s death, many DJs have been more open about cancelling shows or just taking time off to focus on mental health, or health in general. Speaking with Dutch publication Het Parool, Martin Garrix says it brought the DJ community closer together.
“It was weird what happened to him, but his death did trigger something in the scene,” he said. “There is much more awareness that we DJs are just people.”
The aftermath of Avicii’s death, as mentioned before, is plain to see. Even in other genres of dance music, Cookie Monsta, Kayzo, Flosstradamus and more are being wary of their mental state and are taking time to let their bodies and minds recover.
Read Martin’s full quote about Avicii below.
“I was really devastated by his death. I was a good friend of Tim and I often toured with him. That life was not for him, I saw that. His decision to stop concerts must have been difficult, but it was wise. We talked a little less because of that, but I thought he was fine. It was weird what happened to him, but his death did trigger something in the scene. There is much more awareness that we DJs are just people. That also applies to the members of the crew. They also have bizarre working hours.
“After Tim’s death I received not-how-many messages from other DJs: ‘Please Martijn, take it easy.’ DJs and producers have been paying more attention to each other: ‘Are you getting your rest?’ It has brought us closer together.
“Of course the load is not only physical but also mental. It is a bizarre life: one moment you are in front of a hundred thousand cheering people, the other you are in bed on your own. That does something to you. Fortunately I have a great team. Nowadays my family comes more often and there are almost always childhood friends with me. Nice, but they can also keep an eye on me. “