As
Sun Electric, Germans
Max Loderbauer (the son of a composer) and
Tom Thiel (a studio engineer) marry dizzying Teutonic trance with chilled-out ambience. They first met at the studio where
Thiel worked, and the two later played as part of the band Fisherman's Friend. Manager
Thomas Fehlmann, a frequent
Orb co-worker, encouraged the two to move to his native Berlin and form a band. The two agreed, and when their debut single "O Locco" appeared, it was picked up by
the Orb's Alex Paterson for his Wau! Mr. Modo label. The duo then signed to ZTT, who unfortunately wanted an electro-pop group. After wrangling out of the contract,
Sun Electric signed to the Apollo sublabel of R&S and released their debut album, 1995's
Kitchen. The following year brought a live album recorded at Berlin's Love Parade, while
Via Nostra appeared in 1998. ~ John Bush