Sophie, one of the most important figures in the last decade of underground pop and dance music, has died. A statement tweeted by their Future Classic label on Saturday morning (Jan. 30) confirms the artist's passing, explaining, "Our beautiful Sophie passed away this morning after a terrible accident. True to her spirituality she had climbed up to watch the full moon and accidentally slipped and fell." They were 34.
Born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, Sophie Xeon inherited an interest in dance and electronic music from their father, and started recording their own music at a young age. In the early '10s, they struck up an association with a few artists on the PC Music label, soon to be at the experimental pop vanguard, and released their debut single "Nothing More to Say" in 2013. It was the follow-up single, the double-sided "Bipp"/"Elle," that first drew wide notice for its alternately jarring and alluring combination of elastic, abrasive beats, irresistible pop melodies and pitched-up vocals.