Richard Aicher – Biography and Works
Biography
Richard Aicher is a multidisciplinary media artist based in Karlsfeld, near Munich.
He initially studied biochemistry at LMU Munich but soon turned his focus to electronic music, photography, and graphic design.
Since 1973, he has produced a wide range of works across the fields of sound art and visual media.
Aicher worked for many years in Munich and later moved to Zeil am Main, where he co-founded the E-Waves synthesizer festival.
Together with Andreas Merz, he founded the electronic duo Weltklang, which has performed live and released music since the late 1970s.
Graphic Design
Richard Aicher worked professionally as a graphic designer for over three decades.
He was active primarily in the music trade industry (e.g., Music Shop, later Best-Service), designing flyers, brochures, and CD covers.
In interviews, Aicher emphasized that graphic design “was fun and came naturally” to him.
Alongside commercial work, he also created artistic graphics and digital photo collages—such as the Virtual Sky Scrapers series, which blends architectural motifs with digital layering.
Electronic Music
Richard Aicher is best known as an electronic musician.
Together with Andreas Merz, he formed the duo Weltklang, which has performed live since 1978 and released several albums.
Aicher also built many of his own synthesizers and instruments and has played at numerous festivals.
Beyond performing, he was an active writer: he authored around 350 articles and three specialist books on MIDI and computer music, establishing himself as an expert in the field of electronic musical instruments.
Photography
Photography is another of Aicher’s passions.
In 2010, he built a large photo studio in Munich-Karlsfeld, focusing mainly on model, fashion, and people photography.
He worked with beauty queens such as Miss Germany and Miss Swiss and produced many portrait series.
His visual style is experimental, often remixing recurring architectural elements into new photo collages.
He also taught photography: Aicher worked as a photography instructor at the prestigious Munich art school Studio Zeiler.
Markets and Events
As an event organizer, Aicher developed and managed numerous art and craft markets.
What began with flea market activities evolved into professional-level artist fairs, antiques expos, and record shows.
At times, he organized up to 70–80 events per year.
Notable examples include the Karlsfeld Art and Handicraft Market (featuring over 60 exhibitors) at the local civic center, as well as his co-organization of the E-Waves Festival in Zeil am Main—a live music event dedicated to electronic sound art.
Reception and Impact
Among experts in the German electronic music scene, Aicher is considered a veteran.
His publications—especially the MIDI Praxisbuch from 1988—are still cited as foundational texts.
His extensive catalog of articles on synthesizers, sequencers, and sound production remains respected in the field.
His teaching, live performances, and broad artistic range across music, graphics, photography, and event management have left a lasting impact on the community.
Sources:
Official artist biography and press releases (Kunstautomat Landsberg);
Interview with AMAZONA.de;
Local news coverage of his events and exhibitions.
Fotos: aicher-fotos.de.