Legendary producer, engineer, and musician Ingmar Kiang died suddenly at his home on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. His family was by his side, according to his obituary. Kiang, whose career spanned nearly five decades, worked with iconic artists including U2 and Bob Marley, as well as Britpop bands Suede and Pulp.
Band Announces Death on Instagram
Kiang's current band, Skanger, shared the news in an emotional Instagram post. Alongside a black-and-white photo of the Irish star, they wrote: '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.'
Early Career in Dublin's Punk Scene
According to a blog post on Dublin history site Come Here To Me!, Kiang was a Trinity College student when he co-launched 'Dublin’s first mobile punk rock disco' with friend Mark Ryan in early 1978. That year, they told the Sunday Independent they were fed up with 1970s disco music as they launched a DJ night called Snots in TCD’s New Library, playing punk, new wave, and 1950s rock.
Kiang gained further footing in the music industry fronting The New Versions, who released the single 'Like Gordon of Khartoum' produced by Donal Lunny on Mulligan Records in 1981. The new wave single was finally uploaded online in 2014, 33 years after its release.
Production Work with U2 and Bob Marley
A prolific producer and engineer, Kiang worked under Chris Blackwell and Stephen Street at Island Records. He worked on U2's 1991 album The Fly. He was also credited on Bob Marley's enduring classic 'Iron Lion Zion,' recorded in the 1970s but not released until 1992 on the Songs of Freedom box set.
Tributes from Collaborators and Friends
Rock band Power of Dreams posted: '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 band mates 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 said: '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 recalled: '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.'
