Grandmaster Flash and Nine Inch Nails drummer and producer Keith Le Blanc has died

5 April, 2024

NME News

Keith Le Blanc, producer and drummer for the likes of Grandmaster Flash and Nine Inch Nails, has died.

News of Le Blanc’s passing, who was also a member of the bands Tackhead and Little Axe, was announced yesterday (April 4).

Dancefloor duo Optimo (Espacio) were one of the first to pay their respects writing: “So sad to hear Keith Le Blanc has left us. Master of the beats! The 1st live human drum machine he, played on tons of my fave records. From Grandmaster Flash to Tackhead & far beyond his discography is insane!”

They also shared one of his earliest releases, his 1983 single ‘No Sell Out’.

Le Blanc started his career at hip hop label Sugar Hill Records recording with Grandmaster Flash.

He was also the session drummer at the label for four years and was a studio musician for Tommy Boy Records.

Later in his career, he featured on several tracks from Nine Inch Nails’ debut album ‘Pretty Hate Machine’ including ‘Head Like A Hole’, ‘Down In It’, ‘Sin’ and ‘The Only Time’.

Le Blanc also released several solo albums, his most recent being his 2005 LP ‘Stop The Confusion (Global Interference)’.

His death comes shortly after Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross opened up about their plans for a new album, music festival and more. Reznor and Ross have been working on scoring films such as Luca Guadagnino’s forthcoming erotic film Queer, as well as the 2024 Zendaya-starring Challengers and 2022’s Bones And All.

The duo also revealed that they are working on a TV series with The Bear creator Christopher Storer and a movie with horror director Mike Flanagan.

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