Photo of Martin Rev and Alan Vega of Suicide. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.
Alan Vega, the frontman of electronic protopunk act Suicide, passed on Saturday morning at age 78. Vega reportedly passed peacefully in his sleep. Punk icon Henry Rollins announced the news on a website with a statement from Vega's family."Alan was not only relentlessly creative, writing music and painting until the end, he was also startlingly unique," his family wrote. "Alan Vega was the quintessential artist on every imaginable level. His entire life was devoted to outputting what his vision commanded of him."Suicide formed in 1970 and remained active to this day. Throughout the course of the group's career, Vega and fellow band member Martin Rev created a unique sound that combined simplistic keyboards and synthesizers, minimalist drum machines and Vega's deep, sometimes unnerving vocals. Suicides albums released during the 1970s and 1980s would go on to be highly influential for the rock, industrial, punk, and dance music scenes. Acts such as New Order, Air, Daft Punk and Aphex Twin have all cited the group as a musical influence. In February, Noisey interviewed Vega about his career.