Eric Livingston, a member of Mamaleek and artist for bands like Dead Cross and Mr. Bungle, has passed away at 38 years old. Livingston performed with Mamaleek since 2015, contributing percussion to Via Dolorosa, and became a full time member with the band starting in 2019. As a full time member, Livingston played on both Come & See in 2020 and Diner Coffee in 2022 (to which he also created the cover art).
We wish Livingston's friends and family all the best at this time. The following is a statement from Mamaleek, who note they'll be dedicating their upcoming appearances at both Roadburn and Oblivion Access to Livingston's memory. And if you're unfamiliar with Mamaleek, check 'em out here.
"It is with the heaviest of hearts to report the death of one of our members. Eric Alan Livingston was a close friend to each of us, long before he joined Mamaleek. He was my best mate in middle and high school, which we endured together through the shared love of music. He showed me Devo, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Naked City, King Crimson, and Kraftwerk for the first time, and I was forever changed by its power.
"Eric had a lot of power that flared within him, which he was able to channel in any medium, whether skateboarding (nollie flips on lock!), art, design, performance, stage production, fashion, activism, comedy…you name it. He dripped personality, as anyone who met him would know immediately. He looked out for us and was extraordinarily generous with his time. We would walk for hours in the evenings and pour our guts out, laughing all the while. It was better than any therapy I ever experienced, and I never wanted those nights to end. I still can’t believe that we took our last walk together, an excruciating reality to bear.
"In Mamaleek, Eric played keyboards, saxophone, violin, bells/percussion—anything that he could get his hands on, really. His intuition and free-form style elevated our sound and created an unbridled dynamism that would be hard to behold anywhere else. Eric also designed the celebrated artwork for Diner Coffee. This was a boon to the record, animating it in a visual mode that we previously thought impossible.
"For those of you who appreciated Eric’s unique voice, amplified in his extraordinary art and ferocious playing, Eric felt that, and it meant the world to him and to us. Our upcoming performances at Roadburn and Oblivion Access will be in homage to the life and memory of our dear brother and fellow musician, in that order. In the meantime, we encourage you to love and support one another in as many ways as humanly possible.
"Rest in power, Eric."
