Avicii documentary maker: ‘The industry never really understood him’
“You were, and always will be the most intelligent and loyal person I’ve ever got to know”
The filmmaker behind Avicii’s True Stories documentary, Levan Tsikurishvili, has penned a heartfelt Instagram post in tribute to the late EDM star who passed away last month.
Tsikurishvili, who directed the deeply honest documentary about the young Swedish superstar’s meteoric rise to fame, described Avicii as “the most intelligent and loyal person I’ve ever got to know in this superficial industry. An industry that was not smart enough for you and that never really understood who you were”.
“I admire and will severely miss your genuine and humble behavior,” he added. “Which I’ve never seen in any other person. Never did I see you judge a person based on the opinion of others, and never did you let others judge someone that wasn’t there in person to defend themselves. These are few of many things that always pops up in my head when I'm thinking of you."
Tsikurishvili’s documentary on Avicii – real name Tim Bergling – gave a candid insight into the immense pressure and burnout that the DJ/producer faced in his career. It had been released on 31st March this year but was taken down from Netflix shortly after news broke that Avicii had been found dead in his hotel room in Muscat, Oman last month.
Tributes have been pouring from across the global electronic music community since it was reported that the artist had passed away. In the wake of a statement released by his family that implied Avicii had died by suicide, Armin van Buuren described his death as a “wake up call” for the industry.
Chic legend Nile Rogers described Avicii as one of his "favourite people in the world to work with” mentioning his ability as a “great natural melody writer”.
Tiesto said, “He was a huge example for everyone in the world of dance music — every kid wanted to be the new Avicii. (He went) from bedroom producer to No. 1 in the world”.
DJ Mag’s digital editor Charlotte Lucy Cijffers reflected on the young DJs enormous influence on the global EDM community and on how his openness surrounding struggles with fame, touring and alcoholism gave a troubling, if necessary, insight into a side of dance music the world often does not see.
You can read Levan Tsikurishvili's Instagram post below.