Bob Ostertag (*1957 in Albuquerque NM) studied at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio and began his career in 1976 by organizing an improvisation group. Moving to New York City in 1979, he gained recognition with his early performances at The Kitchen. From 1982 to 1989 he lived in El Salvador and devoted himself to politics, taking a break from music. After returning to the US, he revived an earlier collaboration with Fred Frith. Since 1999 he has been composing only with samples, which he manipulates with self-written software. Bob Ostertag is a professor at the University of California at Davis.