AVICII: TRUE STORIES
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
According to our friends over at Wikipedia, Avicii, translated into English, is defined as “interminable” or “incessant,” referring to suffering without periods of respite, although it is believed to be ultimately impermanent.
Where to Watch: BBC (UK Only)
Documentary Website
In retrospect, this stage name, chosen by the once little-known Swedish DJ Tim Bergling, would come to define the life and death of the man himself.
TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH, AVICII IS DEFINED AS SUFFERING WITHOUT PERIODS OF RESPITE
Incessant touring, incessant alcohol, incessant money, incessant creativity, incessant drive, and incessant passion while suffering without periods of respite. Like some flash of energy, he was impermanent for this world.
In some channeled or prophesized way, maybe he understood that this stage name would be his legacy, a nod to how quickly his art would consume him.
AVICII’S STRENUOUS TOURING SCHEDULE, ANXIETY, AND ADDICTION CAUSED HIM TO BOTH PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY DETERIORATE
In “True Stories,” director Levan Tsikurishvili followed Bergling for over a period of four years, capturing fly-on-the-wall footage of his experiences and the announcement that he would retire from touring. Avicii pleads with the world to understand that his endless touring schedule combined with his anxiety disorder, alcoholism, and addictions have caused him to physically and spiritually deteriorate.
In this documentary, Bergling credits famed analytical psychiatrist Carl Jung with helping him understand that Tim Birgling and Avicii were not one and the same. Tim is an introvert, a creator, an innovator, someone who feels most comfortable in his own space creating and inventing. It was his raw talent that thrust him into that global spotlight, a spotlight that would eventually lead him down a path of anxiety and ill health.
AVICII GAVE A TREMENDOUS PIECE OF HIMSELF TO THE WORLD THROUGH HIS MUSIC. IN THE END, IT SEEMS HE HAD LITTLE LEFT FOR TIM…
Avicii gave a large piece of himself to the world through his music. He gave a piece of himself to everyone. In the end, it seems he had little left for Tim Bergling. We have watched this scenario play out in various iterations over the years, yet we still never seem to fully grasp the dangers of such excessive fame and pressure before it’s too late.
AS I AM: THE LIFE AND TIME$ OF DJ AM
Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video (Showtime), Vudu, Vimeo, Google Play, Just Watch, Xfinity Stream, Direct TV
“As I AM”  is an inside look at the life of Adam Goldstein, aka DJ AM,  the DJ of choice in the early aughts of Hollywood. This film, authorized by the estate of DJ AM, focuses on AM’s frenetic rise to fame while trying to battle his addiction and mental health issues, which he could not seem to shake.
Goldstein established his reputation in Philadelphia before moving to Los Angeles in the 1990s, where he became renowned for his signature deejay style, the mash-up—the method of combining different music samples into one. His reputation as the “mash-up pioneer” led him to become so successful that he became the first DJ to demand upwards of $1M a gig. From his pure talent, DJ AM changed the deejay game.
But that is the thing about success; it does not make one’s demons disappear. No matter how high up the ladder you go, your thoughts, fears, and anxieties still live within you. In fact, the argument can be made that it makes these symptoms more severe. That seems to be the case in this scenario, and AM’s demons always managed to catch up with him.
In September 2008, Goldstein survived a plane crash alongside fellow musician Blink 182’s Travis Barker. Out of the six passengers on board, AM and Barker were the only survivors.
Within a year of the plane crash, Goldstein would die of an overdose.