Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, the founding guitarist of English rock group black midi, has died at the age of 26. The news was confirmed Monday via a statement from his family shared by the band’s label, Rough Trade Records, which said his death followed “a long battle with his mental health.”
Kwasniewski-Kelvin co-founded black midi in 2017 attending London’s BRIT School alongside Geordie Greep, Cameron Picton, and Morgan Simpson. His jagged, volatile guitar style was central to the band’s early reputation, honed during their ferocious residencies at the Windmill in Brixton and captured on their Dan Carey-produced 2019 debut album, Schlagenheim, which helped define a new wave of British experimental rock and established the group as a defining force in the South London scene.
In early 2021, Kwasniewski-Kelvin announced that he was stepping back from the band to focus on his mental health, writing that he had been “mentally unwell” and hoped to return. He did not appear on black midi’s subsequent albums, Cavalcade or Hellfire. The band later announced an indefinite hiatus in 2024.
In their statement, Kwasniewski-Kelvin’s family wrote: “A talented musician and a kind, loving man finally succumbed; despite all efforts. Matt was 26 years old. He will always be loved. Please take a moment to check in with your loved ones so we can stop this happening to our young men.”
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