SOPHIE, the Glasgow-born artist widely credited for making some of the most innovative pop and electronic music of the last decade, has died, aged 34.
The producer passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning (January 30) in Athens. An official statement shared by the artist’s team says SOPHIE died following a sudden accident.
The statement reads: “It is with profound sadness that I have to inform you that musician and producer SOPHIE passed away this morning around 4am in Athens, where the artist had been living, following a sudden accident. At this time respect and privacy for the family is our priority. We would also ask for respect for her fanbase, and to treat the private nature of this news with sensitivity.
“SOPHIE was a pioneer of a new sound, one of the most influential artists in the last decade. Not only for ingenious production and creativity but also for the message and visibility that was achieved. An icon of liberation.”
Transgressive and Future Classic, the labels that released SOPHIE’s debut album, also released a statement which reads: “Tragically our beautiful Sophie passed away this morning after a terrible accident. True to her spirituality she had climbed up to watch the full moon and accidentally slipped and fell. She will always be here with us. The family thank everyone for their love and support and request privacy at this devastating time.”
A number of music figures have paid tribute to SOPHIE on social media this morning, including PAN label boss Bill Kouligas, Christine And The Queens, Nile Rodgers, collaborator Danny L. Harle, and Colin Self.
SOPHIE debuted in 2012 on Scottish label Huntleys & Palmers with the Nothing More To Say 12-inch. The artist followed that with a run of singles via another Scottish label, Numbers, with tracks such as ‘BIPP’, ‘Lemonade’ and ‘Just Like We Never We Said Goodbye’ earning numerous fans and critical plaudits alike. These singles were later packaged together alongside a number of new tracks on 2015 compilation PRODUCT.
Closely affiliated with the PC Music label, SOPHIE kept a fairly anonymous profile through that early run of singles. This changed in 2017 on the release of a music video for ‘It’s Okay To Cry’, when the artist appeared front and centre of a music visual for the first time.
The unveiling of ‘It’s Okay To Cry’ was followed by the release of debut album Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides in 2018, and in press surrounding the release of the album, SOPHIE came out as trans. The record was widely lauded and went on to be nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album in 2019.
Later in 2019, SOPHIE debuted new music and visuals, including a remix album for Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides. The artist had also produced music for the likes of Madonna, Charli XCX and Let’s Eat Grandma in recent years. Earlier this month, Numbers released a new remix of ‘BIPP’ by Autechre, who the label revealed were the only act SOPHIE had allowed to produce an official remix of the artist’s music.
