(CelebrityAccess) – Klaus Schulze, a trailblazing German electronic composer has passed away at the age of 74, his representatives confirmed in a statement. Schulze died Tuesday (April 26) following a long illness.
Berlin-born in 1947, Schulze played drums and guitar in a number of bands in the 1960s, including Psy Free and Tangerine Dream. In 1970, he founded the band, Ash Ra Tempel, before embarking on an electronic solo career in 1971. As a drummer for Tangerine Dream, Schulze said in a 2015 interview:
“Drumming was because of my brother. He aroused my interest in Art Blakey and Buddy Rich (and some others). But after some years of hitting the skins and cymbals with a few groups, the last of them Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel, I wanted a change. I wanted to play with harmonies and sounds. As a drummer you are the backbone of a rock group, but not the soloist who performs his own musical ideas. And I had ideas. … When I tried to make some of my experiments inside Tangerine Dream, Edgar told me: you either play drums or you leave. I accepted the second offer: I left.”
During his time as a solo artist, Schulze released an eclectic range of music, spanning techno, prog rock, ambient and more. He was labeled a pioneer in the field of electronic music in what came to be known as “Kraut-rock,” as reported by Variety.
His newest release, Deus Arrakis is scheduled for release in June 2022 via the SPV label. The newest recording will be released via CD, three LPs, and as a special limited-edition deluxe box set. The new recording is based on Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel, Dune as reported by klaus-schulze.com.
SPV took to social media upon news of Schulze’s death.
