The sad news was confirmed by Anticon, as the label posted a tribute message alongside a photo of Whitney with his family. His collaborator Sage Francis confirmed that Whitney had died of a heart attack.
Hailing from Maine, Whitney moved to California and co-founded Anticon in 1998. He went on to have a productive career, releasing numerous albums and EPs in addition to racking up production credits. He eventually moved back to East Coast and settled in Portland, ME.
Below, read tributes from some of his friends, collaborators and peers.
Just received news of a major loss - the passing of our dear friend and Anticon co-founder @AliasAnticon. We will always remember him for his incredible heart and talent, and the support he gave us all. Rest in peace Brendon Whitney. pic.twitter.com/vJ3pULqwgJ
— anticon records (@anticon) March 31, 2018
There's no proper way to say this or deal with this, but so I want to put this out there and then step away for a while. Our great friend and longtime collaborator Brendon Whitney (@AliasAnticon) passed away of a heart attack yesterday. No one was nicer. No one. We love you, Bren pic.twitter.com/4TxOCPJo2z
— Sage Francis (@SageFrancis) March 31, 2018
RIP @AliasAnticon, to whom I'll always be indebted. Helped give the Son Lux dream its start. New ears for this now 💔 https://t.co/uEfC7h35im
— Son Lux (@sonlux) March 31, 2018
I am beyond saddened by this news. Bren was a human of the highest quality. We love and miss him so much. https://t.co/mRf9UQoy2r
— Yoni Wolf (@YoniWolf) March 31, 2018
Bren was the first Anticoner to make me feel like I was part of the family and not a wide-eyed worshipper. I met Jen the same night and it was clear that they were true sweethearts and a source of indescribable warmth within a wild world of jagged edges and mind-boggling art. https://t.co/s61Zl1uBSo
— Chris Martins (@chrismartwits) March 31, 2018