Biography
Kavinsky serves as the stage persona adopted by French DJ Vincent Belorgey, whose fusion of French house, 16-bit video games, and especially '80s synth soundtracks played a key role in sparking the synthwave movement; the name of his 2013 full-length OutRun even functions as another label for the style. Frequently depicted in illustrated form on the covers of the Teddy Boy and 1986 EPs, the character bears a striking resemblance to Belorgey, even though the elaborate backstory attached to the alias stands in sharp contrast to the artist's own understated past. According to the tale, Kavinsky resurfaced as a zombie in 2006 after wrecking his Testarossa in 1986, prompting him to start making electronic music. Belorgey found that this zombie narrative lent itself well to a music video, a point he illustrated with the early single "Testarossa Overdrive." His long-awaited debut album OutRun reached number two on the French album charts. Following a prolonged absence, the second full-length Reborn surfaced in 2022.
Belorgey, born in 1975 in Seine-Saint-Denis, France, first pursued acting prior to entering the music industry. His introduction to electronic production came when Quentin Dupieux, better known as Mr. Oizo, passed along a discarded Apple computer. The loaded machine prompted Kavinsky to start crafting his own tracks, while appearances in several Mr. Oizo music videos and the film Steak allowed him to connect with record-label figures. A contract soon materialized once Belorgey shared his initial material with Record Makers chief Marc Tessier du Cros. Under the Kavinsky pseudonym, Belorgey issued Teddy Boy in 2006, an effort created solely on a Yamaha DX7. The 1986 EP arrived the following year, after which Kavinsky toured alongside Justice, SebastiAn, and Daft Punk. He put out a third EP, Blazer, on the Fool's Gold label in 2008, and in 2011 his "Nightcall" appeared in the opening credits of the film Drive. That track later featured on the 2013 album OutRun, titled after Sega's hit video game that included a Testarossa. The single "Odd Look" followed from the same project, this time with the Weeknd.
After an extended break, Kavinsky resurfaced in 2021 via the Gaspard Augé- and Victor Le Masne-produced "Renegade" featuring Cautious Clay, which served as the lead single for his sophomore album Reborn. The record arrived in March of 2022 and included further contributions from Sébastien Tellier, Kareen Lomax, and Morgan Phalen.
Belorgey, born in 1975 in Seine-Saint-Denis, France, first pursued acting prior to entering the music industry. His introduction to electronic production came when Quentin Dupieux, better known as Mr. Oizo, passed along a discarded Apple computer. The loaded machine prompted Kavinsky to start crafting his own tracks, while appearances in several Mr. Oizo music videos and the film Steak allowed him to connect with record-label figures. A contract soon materialized once Belorgey shared his initial material with Record Makers chief Marc Tessier du Cros. Under the Kavinsky pseudonym, Belorgey issued Teddy Boy in 2006, an effort created solely on a Yamaha DX7. The 1986 EP arrived the following year, after which Kavinsky toured alongside Justice, SebastiAn, and Daft Punk. He put out a third EP, Blazer, on the Fool's Gold label in 2008, and in 2011 his "Nightcall" appeared in the opening credits of the film Drive. That track later featured on the 2013 album OutRun, titled after Sega's hit video game that included a Testarossa. The single "Odd Look" followed from the same project, this time with the Weeknd.
After an extended break, Kavinsky resurfaced in 2021 via the Gaspard Augé- and Victor Le Masne-produced "Renegade" featuring Cautious Clay, which served as the lead single for his sophomore album Reborn. The record arrived in March of 2022 and included further contributions from Sébastien Tellier, Kareen Lomax, and Morgan Phalen.
Albums
Singles
