Mira Calix, the electronic music producer and composer who released a number of records through Warp Records stretching across more than two decades, has died.
The news was confirmed by Warp Records in a statement which didn’t reveal a cause of death. "Mira wasn’t only a hugely talented artist and composer," Warp’s statement said. "She was also a beautiful, caring human who touched the lives of everyone who had the honour of working with her."
The statement also noted that the artist, real name Chantal Passamonte, was one of the first women to have been signed to Warp Records, in the mid-’90s. "We are so proud of her immense creative output; her artwork, videos and music were a true reflection of what an innovative, pioneering and wonderful soul she was.
Passamonte was born in Durban, South Africa in 1970. She later moved to London in 1991, and started working at a record shop. From there, she began organising parties and DJing. She later started working for 4AD and Warp Records as a press officer, and ultimately signed to the latter to release a single in 1996, called Ilanga.
Her debut album, one on one followed in 2000, and she went on to release five further studio albums. The most recent, a̶b̶s̶e̶n̶t̶ origin, came out in November 2021. In 2010, she also released an album with Seefeel’s Mark Clifford, called Lost Foundling, through Aperture Records.
In addition to her EPs and albums, Passamonte’s work as Mira Calix spanned video, artwork and various audiovisual forms. She also regularly dipped into the classical music world, creating scores for film, theatre and dance performances. Two such works were soundtracks for 2017 productions of Julius Caesar and Coriolanus by The Royal Shakespeare Company.
Concluding its statement, Warp Records said: "She pushed the boundaries between electronic, classical music and art in a truly unique way. She will be terribly missed by everyone at the label, staff and artist alike."
