Ariel Kalma: New-Age Music Pioneer Dies at 78
Ariel Kalma, a pioneer of French new-age music and celebrated electronic composer, has died at 78. His record label announced his sudden but peaceful passing after years of health issues.Kalma’s innovative work, which explored electronic composition and multi-instrumentalism, began in the late 1960s. He experimented with reel-to-reel tape recorders, crafting analog loops from various instruments and sounds. Throughout his career,he collaborated with artists such as Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe,leaving an indelible mark on the genre. News Directory 3 remembers Kalma’s gentle nature and lifelong enthusiasm for creative work. Discover what’s next for the legacy of this influential artist and his lasting impact on the world of music.
Ariel Kalma, French New-Age Music Pioneer, Dies at 78
Updated June 8, 2025
Ariel Kalma, a French new-age musician, electronic composer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his pioneering work, has died at age 78. Rvng Intl., his record label, announced that KalmaS death, after several years of health issues, was sudden but peaceful.
Born in Paris in 1947, Kalma initially played recorder and saxophone. He studied computer science at the university of Paris and joined Salvatore Adamo’s touring band, learning flute in a week.In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he worked with bossa nova guitarist Baden Powell and began experimenting with ReVox reel-to-reel tape recorders, creating analog loops of various instruments and sounds.
Kalma’s travels included busking in New York City, where he met Don Cherry and Terry Riley. A 1974 trip to India proved pivotal,inspiring his recording career. He documented the sounds of monsoon season in an airplane hangar and learned circular breathing, enabling continuous drones on his instruments. Upon returning to Paris, Kalma worked at Pierre Henry’s INA-GRM Studio and self-released his debut album, The time of harvests, in 1975.
Throughout his career, Ariel Kalma released numerous albums and collaborated with younger musicians. Rvng Intl. compiled his early tape recorder compositions on 2014’s An Evolutionary Music (Original Recordings: 1972 – 1979). He collaborated with Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe on we certainly know Each Other Somehow in 2015 and with Jeremiah Chiu and Marta Sofia Honer on The Closest Thing to Silence last year. These collaborations highlighted Kalma’s influence on new-age music and electronic composition.
Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe remembered Ariel Kalma as “a gentle, thoughtful human who maintained a wonder and enthusiasm for creative work throughout his entire life.”
What’s next
Kalma’s influence on new-age music and electronic composition will continue to inspire artists. His experimental approach to analog loops and his collaborative spirit have left a lasting mark on the genre.