Manuel Göttsching, influential Krautrock guitarist and composer, dies aged 70

After Krautrock success, he even enjoyed an unexpected Ibiza hit

Manuel Göttsching, a huge influence on musicians from Krautrock and Kraftwerk to Italo-disco and Detroit techno, has died aged 70.

He was guitarist with Krautrock legends Ash Ra Tempel and Ashra and is said to have introduced Kraftwerk to minimalism, but in latter years was best known for creating ‘E2-E4’, the track reworked into the Italo scene Ibiza hit ‘Sueno Latino’ and remixed by the likes of Derrick May.

Robin Rimbaud aka Scanner, a friend of Göttsching, said via Facebook: “Farewell to the magnificent Manuel Göttsching (1952-2022), whose ‘E2-E4’ (1984) connected Krautrock with minimalism and electronica, and has continued to inspire generations of musicians. Göttsching was the band leader of German groups Ash Ra Tempel and Ashra in the 1970s and 80s, but also worked as a solo artist, inspiring what many recognise as the Berlin School of electronic music.

It’s interesting to reflect on how ‘E2-E4’ came together in the studio, apparently as a freely improvised piece, combining synthesisers, metallic percussion, samples and guitar, recorded alone as a piece of music to listen to on an upcoming trip. It’s a very immediate piece of music, seductive, warm and ironically most familiar to many people as the source material for the massive Ibiza hit ‘Sueño Latino’ in 1989, when it was rebooted by the Italian musicians as a classic chill-out tune. The album also inspired a generation of electronic musicians in the 1990s, from Carl Craig to The Black Dog.

It’s amazing how this piece of music travelled the globe, bringing a new audience to his music, in an utterly surprising context too. Manuel and I met a few times in the past to talk about a possible recording project and were meant to be playing in LA together in the mid 2000s, but unfortunately the sheer cost of work visas and flights scuppered plans for that. If you aren’t familiar with ‘E2-E4,’ follow the link below. The sun will be shining in your imagination and the snow, certainly in these regions, will have melted way. Farewell Manuel…”