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Karunesh took an active interest in music during his youth in Germany, back when he was still known as Bruno Reuter. But it wasn't until he was 23 and took a mean spill off his motorbike that Reuter received his epiphany in the form of new age spiritualism. A pilgrimage to India followed, where he reemerged as Karunesh (Sanskrit for "compassion"). He issued his debut LP, Sounds of the Heart, in 1984, and never looked back. Karunesh was remarkably consistent over the next 20 years, releasing numerous albums influenced by the windy landscape of world music and punctuated with breathy flutes, introspective guitars, and hints of vocal and electronics. He worked with the Nightingale, Oreade, Etherean, and Real Music imprints, among others; album highlights include Heart Chakra Meditation (1992), Secrets of Life (first issued in 1996), and 2001's Zen Breakfast, which leaned toward the new age subgenre of music for massage/relaxation. ~ Johnny Loftus