Mira Calix Has Died
The South African electronic and classical artist Mira Calix has died. Warp Records, Calix’s label, reported her passing on Twitter earlier today. No cause of death has been reported, and Calix’s exact age is unclear, though she was reportedly in her early fifties.
Calix was born Chantal Passamonte in South Africa, and she moved to London in the early ’90s, where she DJed and worked at labels like Warp and 4AD. When Calix started making music, her jittery and intense form of electronic music fit right in at Warp. Calix released one on one, her debut album, in 2000. As her career went on, Calix experimented more and more with classical instrumentation, and she went on to work with ensembles like London Sinfonietta, Ligeti Quartet, and Bang On A Can.
Over the years, Calix performed alongside artists like Radiohead, Autechre, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and she also collaborated with arts entities like the Royal Shakespeare Company, which commissioned several of her works. Calix presented mixed-media installations that were exhibited in Australia and China, and she collaborated extensively with Seefeel’s Mark Clifford. Last year, Calix released her album absent origin.
Below, listen to some of Calix’s music.