Philippe Zdar’s tragic death

France Rocks team is saddened to announce the sudden death of groundbreaking artist Philippe Cerboneschi « Zdar ». 

Zdar was scheduled to perform at Central Park Summer Stage as part of the France Rocks Summer Fest on Sunday. We will honor his memory with a tribute and a shared listening of Cassius’ last album “Dreem” released today. 

A major figure of the French electro scene, Zdar is and will remain one of the most visionary artists of the French Touch generation. 

At Motorbass, his legendary studio in Paris, Zdar worked on many cult albums with outstanding French and international artists like the Beastie Boys, The Rapture, Cat Power, Chromeo, Tiga, M, Sons of Rafael, Franz Ferdinand, and Phoenix with whom he won a Grammy in 2009 for the album « Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix »

Zdar’s many collaborators all remember him as a master innovator and a kind and charming man, full of passion and enthusiasm. 

News of his death deeply moved the French music community and fellow artists all around the globe:

« Awful news about Phillipe Zdar, what an unbelievably lovely man with an incredible legacy,” tweeted DJ Calvin Harris.

“A true original and a unique talent who was involved in making our first album, as well as so many amazing records,” tweeted Cut Copy. “Your energy and generosity will be sorely missed.”

US DJ The Black Madonna described Zdar as “a visionary and tectonic force who shaped the geography of modern dance music.”

« Sad awakening here, wrote French DJ David Guetta,  🙁 I just heard Philippe Zdar passed away. I can’t stop remembering amazing parties we had all together. All my loving to your family, BoomBass and  Pedro. RIP »

Cassius’ first album in three years was wet to be released this Friday when the tragedy happened.

Zdar was scheduled to perform at Central Park SummerStage as part of the France Rocks Summer Fest on Sunday. We will honor his memory with a tribute and a shared listening of Cassius’ last album “Dreem” released today.
This week, the world of music lost a genius.

It’s from his studio in Montmartre (Motorbass) that the most sought-after French producer in the world worked on these gems:

MC SOLAR – Paradisiaque

SEBASTIEN TELLIER – La Ritournelle

PHOENIX – Wolfgang Amadeus

THE RAPTURE – How Deep Is Your Love

CASSIUS (With Hubert ‘Boom Bass’ Blanc-Francard) – The Sound of Violence

MOTOR BASS (With Etienne De Crécy) – Flying Fingers