German synth pioneer Pete Namlook passes away

Pioneering German synth musician Pete Namlook (born Peter Kuhlmann) has passed away at the age of 51.

Namlook released well over 100 albums of forward thinking electronic and ambient music throughout the '90s, including collaborations with Richie Hawtin, Move D and Biosphere. His work embraced a huge cross-section of musical infuences - including techno, prog, psych and modern classical - and saw him constantly reshaping the boundaries of synthesised music.

In '92 Kuhlmann founded the label FAX +49-69/450464 (commonly known as Fax) in his native Frankfurt. Over the years Fax built up a huge archive of synth-heavy cult releases, often issued in limited batches.

Namlook's daughter Fabia has issued the following statement: "It is with much grief that we announce the passing of Peter Kuhlmann, AKA Pete Namlook. We are still shocked and are working on an official announcement that will follow soon to bring clarity to our minds. As word spreads on the internet more and more we just want to make clear that he died peacefully from as yet unspecified causes on 8th November 2012. We will announce more details as and when they surface."

MusicRadar's thoughts are with his friends and family.