Please note, this article contains a suicide mention and mental health discussion.
The Prodigy‘s frontman Keith Flint has passed away at age 49. He was found at his home near London, England and the local authorities have deemed his death not to be suspicious. Flint’s bandmate Liam Howlett disclosed in an Instagram post that Flint had committed suicide. In the same post, Howlett wrote that he felt “I’m shell shocked, fuckin angry, confused and heartbroken.”
Flint’s on-stage presence and formidable talent rightfully secured him a spot in dance music history. Originally taken on as a dancer for the group, he was introduced as the face and voice of the group in 1997’s The Fat Of The Land. Flint cross-pollinated punk rock and PLURR culture into what can only be described as one of the most iconic music groups of the 1990s.
Many artists throughout the music expressed extreme sadness over the loss of Flint and forces the conversation, again, about mental health in the music industry. Mental health is still a hushed subject and fraught with socialized shame and silence. In recent years the tide has started to turn, with grassroots and government campaigns alike making headway. Plus, a younger generation more open to talking about mental health has raised awareness and lessened the stigma somewhat.
In electronic music circles, a great deal of discourse was sparked by Avicii’s death and efforts such as Proximity‘s S.A.V.E campaign. But there is still a great deal of improvement to be made and a long way to go.
On a personal note from myself as a person who has lived with severe depression most of her life and has many loved ones in the industry, I would address this thought to them: No matter your contributions to your art and the scene at large, your health and safety is paramount.
The pressures of a tour schedule or making another album up to the scratch of the previous one is not worth your sanity or life. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or take a break, and you are most definitely not alone.
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