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Avicii will release new album and single 12 months after his death as family reveal unheard music and new clips of DJ
Swedish DJ had almost finished a new album before he took his own life aged 28 last year
AVICII's family are releasing a new album and single of the DJ's work a year after his death.
The DJ – who took his own life aged 28 – was working on music before he died and had almost finished a new album.
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His family will now release the unheard music and new clips of the DJ to mark a year since his death.
Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, battled anxiety in the years prior to his death.
The proceeds from the album will go towards a foundation set up in his name to prevent mental illness and suicide.
A statement from his family reads: "When Tim Bergling passed away on April 20, 2018, he was close to completing a new album.
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"He left behind a collection of nearly finished songs, along with notes, email conversations and text messages about the music.
"The songwriters that Tim was collaborating with on this album have continued the process to get as close to his vision as possible.
"Since Tim's passing, the family decided not to keep the music locked away – instead they wanted to share it with his fans all around the world.
"The single 'SOS' will be released on April 10 and the album, titled 'TIM', on June 6.
"Avicii's net proceeds from the album will go to the non-profit Tim Bergling Foundation and the purposes it will work for, among other things, to prevent mental illness and suicide."
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Talking about the new album, Per Sundin, president of Universal Music Nordic Region, says Avicii had narrowed it down to 16 tracks, and he last spoke to him on the night he arrived in Oman for what would be his final trip.
His body was found in Oman in April.
“Two months after he passed away, we started to say OK, how can we do this, how can we honour him as much as possible with these 16 songs,” Per says.
Avicii's dad Klas Bergling added: “Tim’s mother and I decided Tim’s music should be released to his fans and to people who want to listen to it. We don’t want it to be locked in.”
Avicii’s rise to fame saw him crippled with health battles and struggling with anxiety
The album was finished, and label bosses worked with Avicii’s collaborators, using texts and conversations they’d had with Avicii when he was alive.
Carl Falk, songwriter, says he went back to the music he’d made with Tim before, and other collaborators drew on the things ‘he’d told you he loved and hated’ at the time.
“It’s been the toughest thing, I won’t say we’ve done it perfectly, but we’re trying to keep it as close to what Tim would have done. We’re not trying to create the biggest hits, but keep it as close to what Tim would have wanted,” says Per.
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Last year, DJ Pete Tong said Avicii's death was a wake up call to the music industry after his struggle was revealed in a documentary.
Speaking at the International Music Summit [IMS] in Ibiza, Pete said: “His death puts the spotlight firmly back on our industry.
“Ten years ago when we started IMS, we talked about how electronic music was going to break America and take over the world.
"To a large extent those things happened and still are.
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“But we weren’t supposed to die chasing the dream. This is a wake up call.”
Referencing the struggle Avicii went through before his death, Pete said: “We’ve lost one of the most talented and successful artists of his generation.
“He was the first to make music influenced by his peers and then join them within 12 months.
“It was all so soon, so young, he had no training, there was no introduction, there is no manual for this. He had never even had a proper job.”
His family have also spoken about his struggles to find peace.
They described his as "a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers for existential questions".
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