Polish musician DJ Hazel has been found dead at the age of just 44.
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The body of the artist, real name Michael Orzechowski, was reportedly found on Wednesday, May 7, in a car parked near Skępe, located in Lipno County, Poland, per the Independent.
The U.K. outlet reports that TVP3 Bydgoszcz, a regional branch of Poland’s public broadcaster, has confirmed a police investigation is underway due to the unclear circumstances of Orzechowski’s death.
Hailing from Warsaw, Orzechowski, as DJ Hazel, began his career in the 1990s and quickly became a prominent figure in Poland’s electronic music scene. Over the years, he collaborated with numerous Polish artists and performed at hundreds of clubs across Europe.
A fan favorite for his dynamic sets, DJ Hazel mastered a range of genres, including techno, progressive house, trance, and hardstyle, earning a reputation as one of the most influential DJs in the region.
His fiancée, Zosia Zosiunia, confirmed the news of his passing on DJ Hazel’s Instagram page, sharing with his followers that it was music that initially brought them together.
“My sweet friend,” she wrote in Polish alongside snapshots of the couple. “My sweet fiancé, my partner in crime. No one and nothing is and will ever be able to replace you.”
“In one second, you made my heart beat faster after years, and in one second, it was shattered into a million pieces that could never be put back together,” she continued.
“I don’t say goodbye to you, my dear Bear, you just wait for me.”
The couple became engaged last year when Orzechowski orchestrated a sunset proposal on the beach in the picturesque city of Kołobrzeg.
Fans and Colleagues Pay Tribute to DJ Hazel
Of course, Zosiunia’s heartbreaking post was met with comments from colleagues and fans alike.
“I can’t stop thinking about Michala, his entire career, about meetings together on and off the console, and about what happened and why it happened,” fellow DJ C-Bool wrote. “A lot of strength to Zosia in these difficult times.”
“Forever in our hearts, 90’s kids raised on this music,” a fan added. “There has never been such a DJ in Poland, and there will never be. Hazel was one of a kind,” another fan wrote.