German Electro Pioneer Dieter Moebius Passes Away

Veteran electronic-music fans are today mourning the loss of pioneering ambient and kosmische luminary Dieter Moebius, after the co-founder of trailblazing outfits such as Cluster and Harmonia passed away at the age of 71.

As Pitchfork reports, two of Moebius' long-time collaborators — Cluster co-founder Joachim Roedelius (with whom Moebius, along with Conrad Schnitzler of Tangerine Dream, formed the band as a three-piece called Kluster in 1969) and Michael Rother, of Harmonia — have confirmed the news, with Roedelius sharing a heartfelt missive on Cluster's Facebook page in which he described the late musician as "best friend of mine since 1969".

"What we did is very well respected all over the globe since we began to work as 'Kluster' and 'Cluster' and with Cluster's sidestep 'Harmonia'," Roedelius wrote. "In Japan people call us 'Originators of Space-age'; the german Newspaper 'Die Welt' once wrote 'Lärmsäge' (Noise-saw ?)

"We did most interesting records and played 'thousands' of concerts around the globe within a period of about 40 years."

Roedelius continues with a fairly lengthy missive in German, revealing that he and Moebius had not actually spoken in five years, since Cluster's 2010 split. However, he paints a fond picture of his departed friend and collaborator:

"He became 71 this January, he was ten years younger."

Rother was a little more succinct in his expression of sympathy, describing Moebius' death as "very sad news ... for all friends of Dieter Moebius and his unique music".

"Our friend, neighbour and collaborator passed away this morning, July 20th 2015," Rother wrote. "He will be missed dearly by all of us. Our thoughts go out to his wife, Irene. RIP, Dieter (Möbi)."

Along with Cluster and Harmonia, Moebius was a prolific musician both as a standalone concern and in collaboration with others. In Roedelius' tribute post, the musician points to a favoured track, In Ewigkeit, which translates to In Eternity, from 1976's Sowiesoso ("Anywayway").

"One of the tracks of one of our most beautiful albums is called 'In Ewigkeit' (In Eternity)," Roedelius wrote.

"Sowiesoso describes best what was our aim since we decided to get into the matter to become musicians/composers: 'Just to do it'; to do what we liked to in the way we were able to and had fun with it, with friends/supporters involved all over the world."

Have a listen below.