Born in Los Angeles in 1956, guitarist Raoul Björkenheim moved back and forth between Finland and the U.S. for 25 years. After graduating from the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Mass., he moved to Helsinki, Finland and integrated his interest in ethnic and electronic musics into his work with various bands.
Björkenheim formed Krakatau as an offshoot of the Edward Vesala Sound & Fury band, with whom he was then performing. Krakatau recorded its first LP, Ritual, in 1988. Björkenheim's guitar was colored by feedback and distortion, coupled with dual horns influenced by Orn...