New York — Music industry figures paid tribute Monday to Mark Hollis, the "genius" frontman of the British new wave group Talk Talk, after a former bandmate announced that the singer had died aged 64.

"I am very shocked and saddened to hear the news of the passing of Mark Hollis," bassist Paul Webb wrote on Facebook.

"Musically he was a genius and it was a honor and a privilege to have been in the band for him," Webb wrote, praising Hollis' "trailblazing musical ideas."

Representatives of Hollis did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and his cause of death remained unknown.

The group formed in London in 1981, rising to fame in the 1980s throughout Europe on the success of synth-pop hits including "Talk Talk," "It's My Life" and "Such a Shame."

But the band turned their sound in a new direction with their 1986 album "The Colour of Spring," taking a more improvisational approach with guitar, pianos and organs to pioneer the genre later known as "post-rock."

"He knew how to create a depth of feeling with sound and space like no other. He was one of the greats, if not the greatest," Webb wrote of Hollis.

Their work influenced acclaimed acts including Radiohead and Sigur Ros -- but the improv technique made touring difficult, and the group split in 1991 following tensions with their label.

Talk Talk experienced a mild resurgence stateside in 2003 after California rock band No Doubt covered "It's My Life."

Born January 4, 1955 in Tottenham, Hollis released a self-titled solo album in 1998 but then largely disappeared from the public eye. — AFP