Dieter Moebius (16 January 1944 – 20 July 2015) was a Swiss-born German electronic musician and composer, best known as a member of the influential krautrock bands Cluster and Harmonia.
Moebius was studying art at Berlin's Akademie Grafik and working as a restaurant cook when he met Conrad Schnitzler, founder of the Zodiak Free Arts Lab with Hans-Joachim Roedelius. The trio founded the improv group Kluster in 1969. After the departure of Schnitzler, the duo changed their name to Cluster and relocated to the countryside village of Forst, releasing influential albums such as Zuckerzeit (1974) and Sowiesoso (1976). Moebius would also draw on his graphic design training create the cover artwork for various Cluster albums and related collaborations.
Meanwhile, Moebius and Roedelius founded the band Harmonia with Michael Rother of Neu!, releasing the albums Musik von Harmonia (1974) and Deluxe (1975). Admirer Brian Eno would subsequently collaborate with both groups. Moebius began recording solo works in the 1970s and was later involved in numerous side-projects with such musicians as Conny Plank and Mani Neumeier (Guru Guru), including the influential 1983 album Zero Set.
Moebius toured with Rother as Rother & Moebius in 2007. Additionally, on 27 November 2007, a Harmonia reunion concert was held in Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, where the band performed together live for the first time since 1976. He died of cancer on 20 July 2015.
Solo albums and collaborations
1980 Rastakraut Pasta (with Conny Plank)
1981 Material (with Conny Plank)
1981 Strange Music (with Gerd Beerbohm)
1982 Zero Set (with Conny Plank and Mani Neumeier)
1983 Double Cut (with Gerd Beerbohm)
1986 Blue Moon (Original Soundtrack)
1990 Ersatz (with Karl Renziehausen)
1992 Ersatz II (with Karl Renziehausen)
1995 En Route (with Conny Plank; recorded in 1986, additional mix in 1995)
1998 Ludwig's Law (with Conny Plank and Mayo Thompson)
2002 Live in Japan (with Mani Neumeier)
2007 Zero Set II (with Mani Neumeier)
2012 Moebius & Tietchens (with Asmus Tietchens)