Electronic music pioneer Pierre Henry dies aged 89

Henry - who would have turned 90 in December - passed away during the night, his assistant confirmed.

Henry, known as the "grandfather of techno" to some, was born in Paris in 1927 and studied for 10 years at the Paris Conservatoire alongside musicians such as Nadia Boulanger, Oliver Messiaen, and Félix Passerone. He worked at the Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (RTF) between 1949 and 1958 with broadcaster/musicologist Pierre Schaeffer before branching out and founding Apsone-Cabasse Studio (the first electronic music studio in France) with Jean Baronnet.

As well as composing for the screen, Henry collaborated with the likes of British rockers Spooky Tooth - in doing so, he created one of his best-known works: "Psyché Rock".

If you find that track familiar, it might be because it heavily influenced the theme for Futurama, the animated sci-fi series from The Simpsons creator Matt Groening. The track was also used in Oscar-winning 1969 movie Z and remixed by Fatboy Slim for Mean Girls.

"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," electronic legend Jean Michel Jarre told AFP. "He leaves behind an enormous and impressive body of work, and I hope France grants him the homage that he deserves."

Our thoughts are with Henry's family and friends at this time.