Photo courtesy Twitter @the_prodigy
British electronic band The Prodigy announced that its singer Keith Flint had taken his own life, found dead in his home of Essex, UK, on Monday.
The band released the following statement about Flint’s death:
It is with deepest shock and sadness that we can confirm the death of our brother and best friend Keith Flint. A true pioneer, innovator, and legend. He will be forever missed. We thank you for respecting the privacy of all concerned at this time.
Flint was iconic in the way that he glared at the camera menacingly through his thick black guyliner, dancing in a frenzy and boasting purple and green devil spikes and tons of piercings that would feel right at home in punk-rock circles.
Alongside bands like The Chemical Brothers and The Crystal Method, The Prodigy had a sound of rapid-fire beats and booming bass that would become emblematic of the electronica scene of the late ‘90s. It was a time when rave culture bubbled up from underground and shows like MTV’s AMP showcased The Prodigy and some of the many obscure types of electronic dance music, including trance, drum ‘n’ bass, and happy hardcore. The Prodigy broke through to the mainstream with their haunting music video for “Firestarter” in 1997.
The Prodigy’s other early hits included “Breathe” and the controversial “Smack My Bitch Up,” the latter of which experienced scrutiny because parents and women’s groups declared that it encouraged domestic violence. All three songs were breakout singles from the band’s 1997 award-winning album The Fat of the Land.
In fact, The Prodigy has a reputation for inspiring backlash. After the startling black-and-white video for “Firestarter,” featuring Flint headbanging and dancing violently, made its debut on the British music show Top of the Pops, parents called to complain that it frightened their children, prompting a ban by the BBC.
The Prodigy was given the high honor of headlining Lollapalooza that year, when the festival was still a touring one.
Liam Howlett, who formed the group in 1990, wrote on Instagram: “I can’t believe I’m saying this but our brother Keith took his own life over the weekend. I’m shell shocked, fuckin angry, confused and heart broken… r.i.p.”
Decidedly more popular in their native home of England, The Prodigy has released seven albums that have each reached the top of the UK charts, including No Tourists, released in November 2018 along with the single “Need Some1.”
In 1997, The Prodigy was invited to headline the massive outdoor English music festival Glastonbury — the first electronic dance music act to do so.
Flint joined The Prodigy as a backup dancer in 1990, before becoming the band’s lead singer. The electro-punk wasn’t afraid to speak his mind about the current state of the music industry.
“We were dangerous and exciting! But now no one’s there who wants to be dangerous,” he told British publication The Guardian in 2005. “And that’s why people are getting force-fed commercial, generic records that are just safe, safe, safe.”
In the mid-2000s, Flint struggled with painkiller addiction, but he got sober and married Japanese DJ Mayumi Kai in 2006.
The Chemical Brothers released the following statement on Instagram, along with a photo after Flint’s death:
The Prodigy live at Riot Fest in Chicago in 2015. Photo by Conor Bezane. The band headlined opposite Modest Mouse and played a decidedly higher energy set, stealing the show. RIP Keith Flint.
