The German electronic pioneer Manuel Göttsching has died at the age of 70.
The musician and producer, best known as the guitarist for the '70s kraut rock band Ash Ra Tempel, "passed away peacefully on December 4" surrounded by his family, according to a statement posted on his official website.
"We want to fill the void left by him with our music and loving memories," reads the statement. "When your fingers touched the guitar strings, the world stopped. May it stop and bring you back to us every time we hear you play."
Göttsching founded Ash Ra Tempel in 1970 with Hartmut Enke and former Tangerine Dream drummer Klaus Schulze and was an integral part of the growing kraut-rock scene.
The group released five albums between 1971 and 1973, after which Göttsching made his solo debut in 1975 with Inventions for Electric Guitar. Ashra, his second ensemble, was formed in 1976 and Göttsching continued to make music under his own name and as Ashra.
In 1981, Göttsching worked on his influential solo album E2-E4, an hour-long minimalist recording with a sequencer, improvised keyboards, metal percussion and guitar. He eventually released The Complete Improv on the Klaus Schulze label in 1984 and quickly became a favorite at Paradise Garage.
"The historic composer/producer E2-E4 was instrumental in the development of house and techno music," R&S Records tweeted. "The album influenced people like Carl Craig and Manuel was a big inspiration for Renaat in the creation of R&S Records."
"E2-E4" was remastered by Sueño Latino in 1989, remixed by Derrick May and became an inspiration for everyone from LCD Soundsystem to Lindstrøm.
"When I realized that E2-E4 was playing in clubs," Göttsching told the Guardian in 2013, "I couldn't imagine people dancing to it. It doesn't have a loud bass drum and the rhythm is very subtle. . I have ideas from dance music, but my composition is more in the minimalist style of Steve Reich, Philip Glass. It can be played with an orchestra."
See more tributes to Göttsching below.
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