Ryan Karadzija, the central figure of the group Low Roar and the musician responsible for most of Death Stranding's idiosyncratic soundscapes, has died at the age of 40. The news was announced on the band's Instagram page:

"Ryan Karadzija, frontman and driving force behind Low Roar, has passed away at the age of 40.

"His beautiful music and lyrics sung in his haunting voice touched the lives of many people around the world and will continue to do so. He was a kind and beautiful soul and our world has been shattered by his loss.

"May we honor his memory through his art and embrace him forever in his songs."

Karadžija spent the early years of his life and career in California, where he fronted the band Audrye Sessions from 2002 to 2010. Initially a solo project, the group's eponymous debut was released in 2011, and the group has released five albums to date.

Although Law Roar was not a huge commercial success, game designer Hideo Kojima stumbled upon the band's music in a Reykjavik record store. Kojima recognized that this charming, sometimes dissonant, oddly constructed music captured something of the essence of the mood of Death Stranding. A sense of loneliness, a sincere struggle to survive, a wail against a world in which we all indulge.

Kojima responded to the news on social media, stating that without Karadžija's contribution, Death Stranding would not have been created.

"Ryan's songs are sensual and the sounds he creates are unique," Kojima told Rolling Stone in 2016.

"His goal is not to make money, but to make art, and even something like an album cover shows a very original sense of style."

Death Stranding is a game of moments. Long moments of solitude, eventually broken by a distant view or a sense of accomplishment that is within one's reach. These moments are almost without exception soundtracked by Low Roar, which provides 18 of the 22 tracks on the soundtrack, and seem to symbolize Sam's inner life. Few games use such music tracks and thereby create such an effect.

Interestingly, Death Stranding was such a top-secret project that when Kojima approached Sony about using Low Roar's music, Sony did not tell the band what the music was for.

"Sony contacted us via an obscure e-mail offering a certain amount of money for the use of the song 'I'll Keep Coming. We were at rock bottom at the time, so we accepted." And it turned out it was for 'Death Stranding.'"

The use of Low Roar's music in Death Stranding helped the band find a new audience and tour.

According to a later update from the band, Karadžija died of complications from pneumonia. Lawlor's statement concluded that work on the sixth album was already underway and would be "completed and released as soon as it is ready." Please respect his family's privacy during this incredibly difficult time.