AceShowbiz - Dance stars Nicky Romero and Carnage have paid tribute to tragic superstar Avicii on the eve of his first death anniversary.

The Swedish hitmaker, real name Tim Bergling, was just 28 when he took his own life on 20 April, 2018, and as his fans and loved ones prepare to mark the sad occasion, some of his colleagues opened up to satellite radio firm SiriusXM about their late friend.

Recalling the first time Avicii played his 2013 crossover chart smash "Wake Me Up" for him, Dutch DJ Romero said, "He broke the barrier there and made it a hit. He educated people with something new, and that's something I appreciate and respect a lot. I'll never forget that moment."

Carnage, who worked with Avicii on tracks like Waiting for Love, remembered how his pal's work ethic inspired him to push himself further to reach his career dreams.

"What he accomplished so young motivated me to go harder and to go stronger," he explained, reports Variety. "The relationship that we had was just true - we had some of the best times together."

And the late musician's tour manager, Malik Adunni, added, "My earliest memories were him just being very curious about the world... When he got on the stage, that's when the shyness would go away because he would get the energy from the crowd."

In the lead up to the one-year anniversary of Avicii's passing, his family members announced plans to release the star's first posthumous album.

Simply titled "Tim", the project will hit retailers in June. Proceeds will benefit the Tim Bergling Foundation, which aims to support people and organisations working in the field of mental illness and suicide prevention. Officials also hope to tackle issues relating to climate change, nature conservation, and saving endangered species.

The album's first single, "SOS" featuring Aloe Blacc, was released last week (ends April 12).