There is certainly a case for Karlheinz Stockhausen's name in German music to be as important as Beethoven's, his frequently mind-bogglingly complex compositions dealt with random chance, dissonance and physics models. He is frequently regarded as a true forerunner of electronic music, and having classed (amongst many, many others) Can's Holger Csukay as an understudy, it is easy to see his importance and profound effect on the genre.He used cut up metallic tape to create frightening sound collages, as well as dabbling in the odd opera and symphony every now and then. Close to his death,Stockhausen worked with a number of notable contemporary electronica musicians like Richard D. James (Aphex Twin) and gave them hints and tips at how to improve on their sound.
