One of Germany's most renowned artists in the interdisciplinary field of media and audio art, Carsten Nicolai a.k.a. Alva Noto is part of an artist generation working intensively in the transitional area between art and science. As a visual artist Nicolai he is known for minimalistic sound and light installations, which he has been awarded the prestigious Prix Ars Electronica for in 2001. His music productions mostly appear on the label he co-runs with Olaf Bender (a.k.a. Byetone): Raster-Noton.