Alan Vega, who along with Martin Rev, was a member of the pioneering electronic musical duo Suicide has died in his sleep at the age of 78.
The group's aggressive synth rock was cited as an influence on R.E.M., Radiohead, U2, New Order and Depeche Mode.
French electronic act Daft Punk and Aphex Twin were also influenced by the New Work act and Bruce Springsteen covered their song Dream Baby Dream on his 2014 album, High Hopes.
Former Black Flag and Rollins Band vocalist Henry Rollins broke the news via his website, with a statement from Vega’s family.
“Alan passed peacefully in his sleep last night, July 16,” the statement said. “He was 78 years of age.
“Alan was not only relentlessly creative, writing music and painting until the end, he was also startlingly unique. Along with Martin Rev, in the early 1970s, they formed the two-person avant band known as Suicide.
“Almost immediately, their incredible and unclassifiable music went against every possible grain. Their confrontational live performances, light years before punk rock, are the stuff of legend. Their first, self-titled album is one of the single most challenging and noteworthy achievements in American music.”
Just remembering how Alan Vega would sing his Je T’adore (spelling?) to me & Perri Lister when we attended his solo gigs early 80’s…RIP
— Billy Idol (@BillyIdol) July 17, 2016
Suicide recorded five studio albums, Suicide (1977), Suicide: Alan Vega and Martin Rev (1980), A Way of Life (1988), Why Be Blue (1992) and American Supreme (2002).
In 2012, Vega suffered a heart attack and a stroke and eventually undergoing surgery, which wasn’t initially thought to be viable. However, he recovered and the duo continued to perform.
Alan Vega. He knew. Major dude. 'America, America is killing it's youth' All-fuckin'-right. RIP.
— luke haines (@LukeHaines_News) July 17, 2016
“One of the greatest aspects of Alan Vega was his unflinching adherence to the demands of his art,” his family said on Rollins’ website. “He only did what he wanted. Simply put, he lived to create.
“Alan is survived by his amazing family, wife Liz and son Dante. His incredible body of work, spanning five decades, will be with us forever.”
