Some news just hits differently. Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, founding member of boundary-pushing UK band Black Midi, has died at the age of 26. The announcement was confirmed by Rough Trade, the band’s label, and it lands heavy across the alternative music world.
In a statement shared by the label, Kwasniewski-Kelvin’s family revealed he died following a long battle with his mental health. “A talented musician and a kind, loving young man who couldn’t make it despite all efforts,” the statement reads. “Matt was 26. He will always be loved.” No official cause of death has been made public.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DTaf9tJiAoL/?igsh=czA5YWFpMGlzYzJm
The family also included a message that cuts straight to the point. “Please take a moment to check in on your loved ones, so we can prevent this from happening to our young people.” It is a painful reminder that behind the noise, the hype, and the chaos of modern music culture, artists are still human first.
Kwasniewski-Kelvin co-founded Black Midi in 2015, helping shape one of the most exciting and confrontational bands to emerge from the UK in the late 2010s. Blending math rock, noise, jazz, punk, and pure controlled madness, Black Midi quickly became a cult obsession. Their early shows were infamous. Loud, disorienting, unpredictable. The kind of gigs that rewired expectations of what a rock band could be.
Matt left the band in 2020, shortly after the release of their debut album Schlagenheim. Even though his time with Black Midi was relatively short, his contribution was foundational. The band’s sharp angles, abrasive textures, and refusal to play it safe were baked in from day one.
For fans, his departure was quiet. No drama. No spectacle. Just distance. In hindsight, that silence now feels heavier.
Black Midi went on to release acclaimed albums like Cavalcade and Hellfire, pushing further into theatrical and experimental territory. But the original spark, the raw chaos that made the band impossible to ignore, came from that first lineup and from Kwasniewski-Kelvin’s presence within it.
The reaction online has been immediate and emotional. Fans, musicians, and writers are sharing memories, clips, and gratitude for the music that helped define a generation of experimental rock listeners. The grief feels collective, especially among younger fans who saw Black Midi as proof that guitar music could still be dangerous, weird, and alive.
Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin’s death is a tragic loss. Not just for Black Midi, but for a scene that thrives on pushing limits while often ignoring the cost of doing so. His legacy lives in the noise, the risk, and the refusal to conform.
Check on your people. Seriously.