George Smaragdis, the influential electronic music producer known to fans around the world as Starcadian, passed away last week following a fatal biking accident in Manhattan.
According to the New York Police Department, Smaragdis, 44, was riding his e-bike on Broome Street around 10am when he slammed into the door of a parked Mercedes van that the driver had opened. The impact sent Smaragdis careening toward the street and into the path of a delivery truck, which ran over and crushed him.
The artist sustained severe head trauma and was ultimately pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital. The drivers of both vehicles remained at the scene and no arrests have been made at the time of this writing, although authorities are investigating the incident and the possibility of criminal charges.
Smaragdis was celebrated globally as Starcadian, a masked figure whose spellbinding, sci-fi-inspired music blurred the lines between fantasy and futurism. In an eerie Instagram post shared in January 2025, he wrote: “Hi I’m alive and working very hard on the best album I’ve ever made, I can’t wait to play it for you.”
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Starcadian’s debut album Sunset Blood, released on Halloween in 2013, became a cult classic in the synthwave community and had its music featured in HBO’s Vice Principals as well as commercials for ASICS and League Of Legends. The late producer, who often called his tracks “ear movies,” released four full-length albums in his career, building a mythos around the Starcadian persona that drew fans not just for the sound, but for the story.
“I am absolutely gutted to learn of Starcadian’s passing a few days ago,” fellow synthwave artist Robots With Rayguns wrote on X. “He was not only an extremely talented artist but a supportive friend and peer who inspired me and gave me invaluable advice over the years that I’ll never forget. We lost a musical titan and an incredible human being.”
We at EDM.com express our sincere condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of George Smaragdis.
