Tubular Bells Ring Out in Sequel

EDINBURGH, Scotland — Mike Oldfield, the British musician whose Tubular Bells album revolutionized rock, is launching a high-tech sequel 20 years after his electronic chimes became the cult sound of a generation.

Tubular Bells II, made with the aid of computer wizardry only dreamed of in 1972 when the original was composed, is the first sequel to an album in the history of recorded music.

Oldfield, now 39, unveiled the instrumental composition Friday night in the splendid setting of Edinburgh Castle to climax the annual Edinburgh Festival of arts.

Oldfield was a shy 19-year-old when he composed his ground-breaking Tubular Bells. Its tinny sounds were produced with the help of electronics never before used in music-making.