Cassius’ Philippe Zdar dies in accidental fall

Cassius star Philippe Zdar died in an accidental fall in Paris, France, on Wednesday (19Jun19).
His agent Sebastien Farran confirmed the tragic news, revealing Zdar “made an accidental fall, through the window of a high floor of a Parisian building.”
Zdar, also known as Philippe Cerboneschi, was one half of French dance duo Cassius, which he formed with Hubert Blanc-Francard, aka Boom Bass, in 1996 under the name La Funk Mob. They released their debut album as Cassius, 1999, that year, and enjoyed further success with records Au Reve and 15 Again, in 2002 and 2006 respectively. Their last album, Ibifornia, was released in 2016, and featured a line up of stars including Pharrell Williams, Beastie Boys’ Mike D and Cat Power. Cassius’ latest record Dreems – their first album in three years – is set for release on Friday.
Away from Cassius, Zdar also found success producing records for stars including Phoenix and Kanye West.
Following his untimely death, Zdar’s peers flocked to social media to offer their condolences, with producer Rostam Batmanglij, formerly of Vampire Weekend, calling him a “huge inspiration”.
Fellow producer Black Madonna remembered Zdar as “a visionary and tectonic force who shaped the geography of modern dance music”, while Australian electronic band Cut Copy described the late musician as “a true original and unique talent who was involved in making our first album, as well as so many amazing records. Your energy and generosity will be sorely missed.”