Luis Vasquez, the electronic music singer, songwriter and producer who performed professionally as the Soft Moon, died Friday from undisclosed causes. He was 44.
Vasquez was one of three found dead in a home in Los Angeles. The bodies of techno DJ John “Juan” Mendez, 46, and Mendez’s partner Simone Ling, 43, were also in the home. A cause of death has not been released.
The Facebook page for the Soft Moon confirmed Vasquez’s death in a post. “It is with great sadness that we announce our dear friend, Luis Vasquez has passed away,” the group wrote. “Our hearts and thoughts are with his family, friends and extended music family.”
The statement continued, “We ask to respect their privacy during this difficult time. If you have a memory of Luis, no matter if you were a close friend of his or not, please feel free to share. This is a huge loss and our hearts are broken.”
Mendez’s management company, Triangle Agency, confirmed his death to the Resident Advisor.
In 2014, Vasquez told the music site Post-Punk that he started his first band at the age of 15 after his grandfather gifted him a guitar three years earlier. He also said the Soft Moon was a “personal project” and that he wrote all of the band’s songs for that reason.
“Everything about the project is about self-discovery, growth, emotional healing, battles with my inner demons, my biology, and digging up the past. I started The Soft Moon as a means of therapy for myself,” Vasquez explained. “It’s the live shows where the other members come in. I feel the live show is a separate entity of The Soft Moon. With the live aspect the other members can contribute their own unique interpretation giving it new life.”
Vasquez also listed Prince, Michael Jackson, Brian Eno, and Madonna as artists that he loved, but clarified, “I’m mainly influenced by existence. Music is the tool in which feels most natural for me to express myself.”