US Techno Wunderkind i_o Has Died

In an announcement posted to his Instagram account, DJ-producer Garrett Falls Lockhart, better known as i_o, passed away at the age of 30 on November 23rd, 2020.

“This extremely talented spirit taught us that even if nothing matters, you can still lead with love,” the post reads. “Garret’s truth and soul lives on through the music he shared.”

Currently, the young artist’s cause of death is not public knowledge.

Having first produced music under the moniker Fawkes with releases on labels like Dim Mak and DOORN Records, Garrett Lockhart stunned the world of dance music when he premiered his i_o project with the track “Warning” on the 2017 mau5trap compilation We Are Friends, Vol. 7.

A slew of revered techno releases followed on deadmau5’s label, such as his celebrated Rave 444 and House Of God EPs. In addition to releasing big hits on mau5trap, he also pushed out a stunning mixture of techno, deep house, and trance via labels such as Anjunadeep, SPINNIN’, and Armada Music — the latter of which he had just signed to back in August and pushed out his last single, “Castles In The Sky,” only a few days ago. i_o will live on through his fantastic productions and always be remembered for wowing crowds at venues and festivals such as Ultra, Electric Zoo, Igloofest, Solaris Music Festival, Beyond Wonderland, and more.

On Twitter, a flurry of artists and fans alike have expressed their heartbreak at the news.