Oliver Tree, the genre-defying singer-songwriter and producer known for blending electronic, pop, and alternative influences, has died at the age of 32 following a helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. According to reporting from CNN Brasil, Tree, born Oliver Tree Nickell, was among six people killed when two helicopters collided mid-air over the coastal neighborhood of Recreio dos Bandeirantes on Sunday morning. Authorities confirmed there were no survivors, and investigations into the cause of the incident are ongoing.
Best known within electronic music circles for his eccentric persona and boundary-pushing collaborations, Tree built a significant footprint in the EDM world despite never fitting neatly into a single genre. He worked with artists including Subtronics, Whethan, Getter, What So Not, and Robin Schulz, while simultaneously achieving mainstream success with tracks such as ‘Life Goes On’ and ‘Miss You’. His 2020 debut album Ugly Is Beautiful topped Billboard charts and earned Gold certification from the RIAA, helping cement his reputation as one of modern music’s most unconventional crossover artists.
At the time of the incident, Tree was in the midst of an extensive global tour spanning more than 70 shows across multiple continents. He had recently performed in São Paulo on June 6 and was scheduled to continue the run into Europe in the coming weeks, making the sudden loss especially striking for fans who had only just seen him return to the stage. 
Tributes from across the music industry have begun to surface. Diplo shared a personal message reflecting on their close creative relationship, calling Tree “a monumental, endless fountain of creativity” and describing him as “like a brother” who operated on a “biblical level” of confidence and imagination. He added that Tree’s presence was “on a mission to add more joy to this music scene,” closing with the sentiment that it still doesn’t feel real. As the investigation continues, the electronic music community has begun reflecting on Tree’s unusual but lasting impact on a generation of genre-blurring artists. See the original post shared by Diplo HERE
