As a designer of sound units and amplifiers in the '70s, this German artist made a natural progression into composing for electronic instruments at the end of the decade when he formed the avant-garde duo Tycoon with Rudolf Lager. In the mid-'80s, he struck out on his own and released a number of recordings on the German Sky label, in addition to composing soundtracks for film and television. His style combines primarily lush environmental soundscapes with the delicate percussive textures of bamboo, gongs, and windchimes. ~ Linda Kohanov