'Grandaddy of techno' Pierre Henry dies

07 Jul, 2017

French electronic composer Pierre Henry - whose music inspired the theme tune of the American animated television series "Futurama" - has died at the age of 89, his assistant said Thursday. Known as the "grandfather of techno", Henry's "Psyche Rock" riff was used in the Oscar-winning Costa-Gavras film "Z" (1969) and later remixed by British DJ Fatboy Slim for the 2004 Lindsay Lohan film "Mean Girls".
French electronic music star Jean-Michel Jarre led the tributes to Henry, who he said had opened the way for his own music. "He wasn't just a musician and an innovator, he was a poet. All his life he tried to bring about a fusion between experimentation and poetry," Jarre told AFP. "He leaves behind an enormous and impressive body of work, and I hope France grants him the homage that he deserves." Henry's assistant Isabelle Warnier said the composer "died during the night. He would have celebrated his 90th birthday in December."

Read Comments