Born in 1937, Conrad Schnitzler was one of the most original and influential audio artists in Germany. Having studied under Josef Beuys in Düsseldorf in the early 60s, he found himself in Berlin towards the end of the decade. There, with a similarly-aged Hans-Joachim Roedelius, they started both the Zodiak Free Arts Lab club and the group Kluster; eventually, Schnitzler also joined Tangerine Dream, playing cello on their debut album.

Hailing from Berlin, Klaus Schulze is one of the pioneers of electronic music. In the late 60s though, he was a drummer and an early member of Tangerine Dream, playing on their debut album Electronic Meditation. By 1970 he had left for Ash Ra Tempel, and upon leaving that band for a solo career, he made the switch to keyboards. His debut album, 1972's Irrlicht, was recorded on an organ and manipulated tape. Yet by the following year, he had added synthesizers to his arsenal, and began to tour throughout Europe.