Alan Rankine, co-founder and guitarist of the Scottish post-punk band the Associates, has died. Rankine’s sons Callum and Hamish confirmed the news on their father’s Facebook page: “He died peacefully at home shortly after spending Christmas with his family. He was a beautiful, kind, and loving man who will be sorely missed.” Rankine was 64.

Born in 1958 in Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, Rankine formed the Associates with singer Billy Mackenzie in Dundee in 1979. Initially called the Ascorbic Ones, they changed their name to Mental Torture before settling on the Associates. They released three albums — 1980’s The Affectionate Punch, 1981 singles compilation Fourth Drawer Down, and 1982’s Sulk — before Rankine left the band in 1982.

Following his time in the Associates, Rankine produced albums for a number of prominent UK acts, including Paul Haig, Cocteau Twins, and the Pale Fountains. He also embarked on a solo career in 1986 and recorded three albums: The World Begins To Look Her Age (1986), She Loves Me Not (1987), and the instrumental The Big Picture Sucks (1989).

Later, Rankine taught at Stow College in Glasgow, where he helped launch Electric Honey, a record label intended to help teach students about releasing and promoting their own music. Electric Honey would go on to release Belle And Sebastian’s 1996 debut Tigermilk, Biffy Clyro’s 2000 debut EP Thekidswhopoptodaywillrocktomorrow, Snow Patrol’s debut EP Starfighter Pilot, and more.

Director Grant McPhee, who featured Rankine in his 2015 Scottish post-punk documentary Big Gold Dream, described the guitarist/keyboardist as a “true one-off maverick genius.” McPhee also told BBC Scotland: “He had an innate understanding of feel for a project, which can be clearly heard in the wonderful music he made. He also is probably the most naturally-gifted musician I’ve ever had the pleasure to speak to, and certainly one of the all-time greats. Kindness is a skill that is rare and Alan had that in abundance to his prodigious musical and storytelling talents.”