Renowned for his transformative contributions to music, Ingmar Kiang, the legendary producer, engineer, and musician, has passed away unexpectedly at his residence on Tuesday, July 14. Famed for his work with iconic artists like U2 and Bob Marley, and his contributions to Britpop pioneers Suede and Pulp, Kiang’s sudden departure leaves a void in the music world. The heartbreaking announcement was made by his current band, Skanger, through a poignant Instagram tribute. Accompanying a black-and-white photograph of the Irish musician, the band expressed, “We are devastated to bring you the sad news that our bass player and dear friend, Ingmar Kiang, died on Tuesday afternoon. Our thoughts are with his family.”
Delving into Kiang’s early days, a blog entry on Dublin’s cultural site, Come Here To Me!, shed light on his formative years. It revealed that Kiang was a Trinity College student when he co-founded ‘Dublin’s first mobile punk rock disco’ with Mark Ryan in 1978. Frustrated by the disco tunes dominating the era, the duo initiated a DJ night called Snots in TCD’s New Library, offering patrons a fresh mix of punk, new wave, and 1950s rock music.
Kiang further entrenched his roots in the music scene as the frontman of The New Versions, a band that released the single ‘Like Gordon of Khartoum’ through Mulligan Records in 1981. Produced by Donal Lunny, the single, a testament to his sound innovation, saw a renewed interest and was finally uploaded online in 2014, thirty-three years after its original debut.
Establishing himself as a prolific figure in production and engineering, Kiang worked alongside industry heavyweights Chris Blackwell and Stephen Street at Island Records. Among his notable works was U2’s 1991 album, ‘The Fly.’ He also contributed to Bob Marley’s timeless ‘Iron Lion Zion,’ a track recorded in the 1970s but only released posthumously in 1992 as part of the Songs of Freedom box set.
The music community has been quick to honor Kiang, with heartfelt tributes flooding in from those fortunate enough to have collaborated with him. Rock band Power of Dreams expressed their sorrow: “We are very shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of our friend and producer Ingmar Kiang. Ingmar produced our album ‘Become Yourself’ in London in the mid-90s. He was a brilliant producer/musician, and we had a wonderful time working with him on the album and remained friends with him ever since. We send our sincerest condolences to his bandmates in Skanger, and to his wife, Darina, and all his family and friends. Rest in peace, Ingmar.”
Another person added, “Saw them lots of times in the Dando and McGonagles. Great times. Ingmar/Iggy was cool and a great performer. RIP. Condolences to his family and friends.”
A third collaborator chimed in: “So sad to hear about the passing of Ingmar. He was such a lovely person and a great producer. I was very lucky to work with him a few years ago. God bless.”
A fourth recollected, “Sad news. I didn’t really know Ingmar, but great memories of him playing with the New Versions in The Dandelion and McGonagles when we were teenagers. Not just a typical punk band (if there was ever such a thing), but really inventive and melodic too. Very cool, and, of course, he went on to have a great career in music. This morning I was reflecting on how much we owed to those local bands, most of whom didn’t quite make the big time but who gave us regular gigs and somewhere to go. With a few notable exceptions, the British punk/new wave bands didn’t play here. RIP Ingmar/Iggy.”