Tal M. Klein

Born in Israel in 1976, Tal M. Klein came to be widely recognized under the name Trancenden. His childhood offered scant musical exposure beyond an infrequently touched keyboard. After his family relocated to the United States, he began recording Sesame Street episodes to study Big Bird’s speech and acquire English. In his teenage years, he and his friends produced comedic audio CDs, a pastime that soon expanded into electronic music creation. During college he honed his production skills, taking on Saturday-night shifts at the campus station where he also aired his own material. Joining forces with frequent collaborator Dave Marino, the two moved their performances into clubs and lounges. Working primarily under the Trancenden name—an effort understood to be jointly conceived—they issued singles, compilations, and albums while remaining active in the New York City area from the late 1990s into the following decade.