Freekill, the French DJ and electronic music producer known for his quirky, heavy-hitting sound, has died. The beloved EDM producer, real name Kyllian Modeste, passed away in August, French dance music site Guettapen confirmed on Facebook. Although Freekill’s cause of death remains unknown, the site said the producer had been battling “a long illness.”
Freekill’s music career began back in 2016 when he dropped his remix of Kiiara’s world pop hit “Gold,” according to EDM.com. He released several more songs in the following year, with 2019 being among the most successful years of his career. It was during that year that the French beatsmith not only released “DTL (Drop That Low)” through the iconic dance label Spinnin’ Records, but also “Bomb.” That track, signed by Yellow Claw’s venerated Barong Family imprint,” went on to receive support from Skrillex, Major Lazer, and RL Grime, as well as many other dance music superstars.
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Amid news of his passing, many of Freekill’s colleagues have reacted, sharing tributes online. DJ Snake, who invited Freekill to DJ at his 2020 hometown show in Paris, led the tributes, writing on Twitter, “This one really hurts. Lost my buddy. A guy that made everyone smile and brightened every room he walked into… Rest In Peace Freekill.” Fight CLVB wrote, “I can’t believe I’m typing this but we are truly at a loss for words. Freekill was not only an incredible producer, DJ, but he was also an amazing friend. When we were down he picked us up and kept us going. We will miss you our French brother. Rest in power.”
Many fans have also shared their condolences. One fan wrote online, “rest in peace freekill. an inspiration to so many, including me. may your legacy live on forever.” Another person said that “Freekill was a staple in all my sets when I started DJing and even used their songs for promo vids often. They were an inspiration and truly showed that music didn’t have to be in a box,” adding that “Freekills legacy within their music will forever be immortal to me.”
Freekill’s passing coincides with the six-year anniversary of Big Makk’s death. The Orlando-based DJ and electronic music producer was killed in a car crash in Casselberry, Florida in 2016. He was just 25 at the time. Reporting on his passing at the time, Orlando Weekly, per Billboard, cited Big Makk “as an “early innovator of the moombahton EDM sub-genre.”
