Christopher Franke (born April 6, 1953) is a German film composer and a pioneer of electronic music, as well as a former member of the band Tangerine Dream.
Franke studied composition at Berlin Conservatory, where his influences included Karlheinz Stockhausen and John Cage.
Franke was a member of the group Tangerine Dream from 1970 to 1987 where he was dubbed the "Sequencer King" for his use of analog sequencer on stage. His use of sequencers with the band is attributed to molding its fast hypnotic style, including on its album Phaedra in 1973. This album paved the way for the classic style of the group and attributed to the Berlin school of sound.
After leaving Tangerine Dream, Franke performed a number of solo projects. He performed live in 1991 at the Astoria Theatre in London. Recorded live with Edgar Rothermich, who also produced and engineered most of his projects, it was released as a full-length album in 1993. In 1991, Franke opened a recording studio in West Hollywood and began composing the music for featured films that included Universal Soldier, Tarzan and the Lost City, and Night of the Running Man. The following year, he founded the record label Sonic Images to release soundtracks, Electronica, and World Music. He also released Pacific Coast Highway, his first solo album outside of Tangerine Dream.
For television, Franke has composed music for a number of television shows including for the Sci-Fi series Babylon 5 and Pacific Blue to name a few.
Identification of a Woman (1982)
Legend (1985) (American release)
Trabbi Goes to Hollywood (1991)
Night of the Running Man (1995)
Tenchi the Movie: Tenchi Muyo in Love (1996)
Tarzan and the Lost City (1998)
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales (2007)
The Park Is Mine (1985) (TV movie)
Tonight's The Night (1987) (TV movie)
The Tommyknockers (1993) (TV miniseries)
Walker, Texas Ranger (1993-2000)
Tales from the Crypt (1993) (Episode: "Came the Dawn")
The Yarn Princess (1994) (TV movie)