German musician Klaus Schulze, one of the crucial representatives of “krautrock”, dies.

German composer and electronic music pioneer Klaus Schulze passed away on Tuesday night after a long illness, but suddenly and unexpectedly, his son Maximilian Schulze and Frank Uhle, managing director of the SPV Schallplatten record company, announced on Wednesday. The musician was a co-founder of the so-called Berlin School and an influential representative of the internationally renowned Krautrock movement.

Born in Berlin, Schulze was the founder of bands such as Tangerine Dream – in which he started as a drummer – and Ash Ra Tempel, as well as releasing more than fifty solo albums and numerous film scores. From his solo debut, Irrlicht (1972), through key works such as Timewind (1975) and Mirage (1977), to the most recent albums with singer Lisa Gerrard –Come Quietly (2009)-, Schulze has been one of the key figures responsible for the sound known as “glider music”. Among his recent successes is his collaboration with Hans Zimmer on Dune, recent winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Score. His latest album, Deus Arrakis, is scheduled for release on 10 June on the SPV label.

© Fotografía de Georg Stettner realizada en 2010, descargada de la web de Klaus Schulze.