When Tangerine Dream next appeared in January 1980, it was at a concert in East Germany; they were one of the first Western bands to perform there. The addition of keyboardist Johannes Schmölling returned the band to its trio format; though it ultimately would provide even further distance from their 70s style as they forged ahead into the new decade. Of course, the technology of electronic music was now rapidly changing. The 1980s saw the rise of digital and sampling technology, which effectively changed "sound design" forever.

Born in 1944 in Tilsit, East Prussia, Edgar Froese came to Berlin in the mid-60s as a student. A guitarist, he formed The Ones, a predictably beat-era combo that recorded one single. The band were fortunate to spend two summers in Catalonia, Spain, at the invitation of surrealist Salvador Dali.