Updated April 27, 2018 09:13:07

The family of Swedish DJ Avicii, who was found dead last week in Oman at the age of 28, said he struggled with life and "could not go on any longer".

Avicii, whose real name is Tim Bergling, was one of the biggest stars of electronic dance music (EDM) in Europe, known for international hits like Wake Me Up and Hey Brother.

In their first comment on his death, the cause of which has not been disclosed, the family said in a statement: "He really struggled with thoughts about Meaning, Life, Happiness. He could not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace."

Swedish producer and DJ Avicii's dance music garnered a mass appeal by bringing out the physicality of his audience and drawing different kinds of music fans together, writes Paul Donoughue.

The statement appeared to suggest the musician and producer took his own life.

His US publicist, Diana Baron, declined to comment further.

He was found dead in Muscat, Oman, last Friday but no cause of death was released.

"Our beloved Tim was a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions. An over-achieving perfectionist who travelled and worked hard at a pace that led to extreme stress," the family's statement said.

"When he stopped touring, he wanted to find a balance in life to be happy and be able to do what he loved most — music."

Avicii announced in 2016 he was retiring from touring for health reasons, but he kept making music and was nominated for a Billboard music award in the week before he died.

Three years earlier, he underwent surgery for a ruptured appendix and a blocked gall bladder and in 2012, he was hospitalised with pancreatitis.

Avicii's death shocked the music world, particularly in Europe.

Church bells played one of Avicii's biggest hits in the Swedish capital Stockholm on Tuesday.

Reuters

Topics: arts-and-entertainment, music, community-and-society, suicide, dance-music, oman, sweden

First posted April 27, 2018 08:03:37