Manuel Göttsching, German Electronic Innovator, Dies At 70
According to the Göttinger website and German media, Manuel Gottich , the leader of the electronic music group, confirmed the news to Pitchfork last Sunday (Dec. 4). "We want to fill the void left with his music and loving memories," the website read. Although the cause of death was not disclosed, the statement said that they passed away peacefully surrounded by their families.
Göttingen made his name in the Berlin underground scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s: he was a central member of Ash Ra Temple, a krautrock formation with rotating members Klaus Schulze, including Tangerine Dream. In the year Between 1971 and 1973, Loose and Flexible Line released five influential albums. Göttingen's first solo album, 1975's Electric Guitar Creations , was titled Ash Ra Temple VI . After that he made records mostly under his own name or as Ashra, such as the 1976 classic Earth's New Age .
In the year After visiting Schulze in 1981, Gottsching composed an essay called E2-E4 with the intention of gathering material to listen to for the next visit. Mixing Prophet 10s synthesizer beats with waves of electronic drums and electric guitars, this mysteriously perfect hour-long workout spells out the post-krautrock effect. After composing the song, Gotching later recalled that billionaire tycoon and Virgin Records owner Richard Branson invited him on his yacht and advised him that after hearing the song, it could make Gotching rich. But Gottsching In 1984, he decided to release a full remake on his friend Schulz's label, without gimmicks, and it didn't have much success.
Although E2-E4 sold well unbeknownst to Gottsching, it crossed the Atlantic into Larry Leva's Paradise Garage and into the ranks of legendary electronic music creators. In the year In 1989, Italo-Disco by Sueno Latino received international distribution, and Derek May released his own remix in 1992. Pitchfork's Mark Richardson As he wrote in a 2016 review, Improvisation "has spread around the world, changing formats and mixes... and finding new contexts, a music that is constantly evolving."
Göttingen said he struggled to recreate the magic of E2-E4 . However, over the next decade, he released several compositions, including "2000s Friendship ", Ash Ra Temple's reunion album with Schulze. In recent years he has overseen the reissues of all of his albums while performing worldwide as a solo artist and live with Ash Ra Temple.