Christopher Franke Biography

A longtime member of the pioneering German electronic unit Tangerine Dream, keyboardist/composer Christopher Franke was born in Berlin on April 6, 1953, subsequently studying classical music and composition at the Berlin Conservatory. While playing in the jazz-rock group Agitation Free, he and his mentor, Swiss avant-garde composer Thomas Kessler, set up a sound studio and began teaching courses in improvisation, laying the groundwork for what would become the Berlin School of Electronic Music. Through the school, Franke met Edgar Froese and Peter Baumann, joining them in Tangerine Dream in 1970; he remained with the group for nearly two decades, during that time greatly expanding the parameters of electronic music through his contributions to landmark records including Zeit, Atem, and Phaedra as well as influential film soundtracks like Sorcerer, Risky Business, and Legend. One of the first musicians to explore the full creative scope of the synthesizer, Franke proved particularly innovative in employing sequencers as percussion instruments, forging the dense, throbbing sound which became Tangerine Dream's trademark during the mid- to late '70s. He left the group in 1988 to mount a solo career, settling in Los Angeles two years later to pursue film work; in 1991, in addition to forming the Berlin Symphonic Film Orchestra (BSFO), Franke issued his debut solo album, Pacific Coast Highway. In 1993, he founded his own label, Sonic Images, subsequently releasing several collections of his music for the syndicated sci-fi series Babylon 5 as well as his continuing solo recordings. Three years later, Franke released Perry Rhodan Pax Terra which was followed in 1999 by Epic.

Biography by allmusic.com

All abums by Christopher Franke

Cover	Album title	Year	Tracks	User rating	Preview
	Babylon 5 - Chrysalis	2000	5	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - Chrysalis by Christopher Franke
	Falling Towards Apotheosis	2000	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Falling Towards Apotheosis by Christopher Franke
	Falling Towards Apotheosis Ost	2000	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Falling Towards Apotheosis Ost by Christopher Franke
	Line Of Communication	2000	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Line Of Communication by Christopher Franke
	Line Of Communication Ost	2000	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Line Of Communication Ost by Christopher Franke
	New Music For Films Vol. 2	2000	16	0,0 / 0 votes	View album New Music For Films Vol. 2 by Christopher Franke
	Shadow Dancing	2000	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Shadow Dancing by Christopher Franke
	The Calling	2000	7	0,0 / 0 votes	View album The Calling by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - Simulator Music	1999	4	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - Simulator Music by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - The River Of Souls	1999	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - The River Of Souls by Christopher Franke
	Circular Signs (Bootleg)	1999	13	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Circular Signs (Bootleg) by Christopher Franke
	Epic	1999	18	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Epic by Christopher Franke
	B5 Combat Simulator Music	1998	8	0,0 / 0 votes	View album B5 Combat Simulator Music by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - Darkness Ascending	1998	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - Darkness Ascending by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - Forgotten Dreams	1998	1	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - Forgotten Dreams by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - No Surrender, No Retreat	1998	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - No Surrender, No Retreat by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - The Coming Of Shadows	1998	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - The Coming Of Shadows by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - The Face Of The Enemy	1998	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - The Face Of The Enemy by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - The Fall Of Night	1998	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - The Fall Of Night by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - The Ragged Edge	1998	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - The Ragged Edge by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - The Ragged Edge [soundtrack]	1998	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - The Ragged Edge [soundtrack] by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - Thirdspace	1998	5	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - Thirdspace by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5: War Without End, Part 1 (TV Series Episode)	1998	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5: War Without End, Part 1 (TV Series Episode) by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5: War Without End, Part 2 (TV Series Episode)	1998	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5: War Without End, Part 2 (TV Series Episode) by Christopher Franke
	Interludes And Examinations	1998	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Interludes And Examinations by Christopher Franke
	Tommyknockers	1998	9	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Tommyknockers by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - A Late Delivery From Avalon	1997	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - A Late Delivery From Avalon by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - Main Titles	1997	5	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - Main Titles by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - Messages From Earth	1997	8	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - Messages From Earth by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - Messages From Earth [Soundtrack]	1997	8	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - Messages From Earth [Soundtrack] by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - Previews	1997	4	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - Previews by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - Severed Dreams	1997	5	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - Severed Dreams by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - Walkabout	1997	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - Walkabout by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 vol.2	1997	4	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 vol.2 by Christopher Franke
	Pacific Blue	1997	21	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Pacific Blue by Christopher Franke
	The Best Of Babylon 5	1997	17	0,0 / 0 votes	View album The Best Of Babylon 5 by Christopher Franke
	Transformation Of Mind	1997	9	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Transformation Of Mind by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - In The Beginning	1996	6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - In The Beginning by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 vol.1	1996	4	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 vol.1 by Christopher Franke
	Enchanting Nature	1996	14	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Enchanting Nature by Christopher Franke
	Perry Rhodan: Pax Terra	1996	7	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Perry Rhodan: Pax Terra by Christopher Franke
	Tenchi Muyo In Love	1996	22	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Tenchi Muyo In Love by Christopher Franke
	The Celestine Prophecy: A Musical Voyage	1996	12	0,0 / 0 votes	View album The Celestine Prophecy: A Musical Voyage by Christopher Franke
	Klemania	1995	2	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Klemania by Christopher Franke
	Night Of The Running Man	1995	19	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Night Of The Running Man by Christopher Franke
	Raven - Soundtrack From TV Series	1994	16	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Raven - Soundtrack From TV Series by Christopher Franke
	New Music For Films, Vol. 1	1993	24	0,0 / 0 votes	View album New Music For Films, Vol. 1 by Christopher Franke
	Raven	1993	16	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Raven by Christopher Franke
	The London Concert	1992	8	0,0 / 0 votes	View album The London Concert by Christopher Franke
	Universal Soldier	1992	14	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Universal Soldier by Christopher Franke
	McBain	1991	14	0,0 / 0 votes	View album McBain by Christopher Franke
	Pacific Coast Highway	1991	12	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Pacific Coast Highway by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - Warwithout End 1		6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - Warwithout End 1 by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5 - Warwithout End 2		6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5 - Warwithout End 2 by Christopher Franke
	Babylon 5: Sleeping In Light		6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Babylon 5: Sleeping In Light by Christopher Franke
	Music Of Babylon 5 (In the Begining)		5	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Music Of Babylon 5 (In the Begining) by Christopher Franke
	Music Of Babylon 5 (Miscellaneous)		5	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Music Of Babylon 5 (Miscellaneous) by Christopher Franke
	Music Of Babylon 5 (Temporada 1)		7	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Music Of Babylon 5 (Temporada 1) by Christopher Franke
	Music Of Babylon 5 (Temporada 2)		6	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Music Of Babylon 5 (Temporada 2) by Christopher Franke
	Music Of Babylon 5 (Temporada 3)		18	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Music Of Babylon 5 (Temporada 3) by Christopher Franke
	Music Of Babylon 5 (Temporada 4)		13	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Music Of Babylon 5 (Temporada 4) by Christopher Franke
	Music Of Babylon 5 (Thirdspace)		4	0,0 / 0 votes	View album Music Of Babylon 5 (Thirdspace) by Christopher Franke