Baïkonour is the brainchild of one man, Jean-Emmanuel Krieger. Named after a town in Khazakstan, Krieger's project combines electronic and post-rock elements with a deep appreciation for the versatility of the guitar. Krieger, who hails from France, currently resides in Brighton. His roots, however, have inevitably led to comparisons with groups like Air.Krieger draws on a variety of inspirations, which manifest themselves in his music in different ways. These inspirations include a diverse group, ranging from Popol Vuh to My Bloody Valentine to Alice Coltrane.

Krieger builds his work around the desire to experiment with sound, consciously attempting to uphold a standard of artistic integrity. He admires above all those who develop music for music's sake, something he strives to do. With this ideal in mind, Krieger creates his music with a collection of old instruments and a computer, sometimes enlisting the help of fellow musicians Lee Adams (Fujiya & Miyagi), Eiji F. Morotomi, and Etienne Rodes (also of Imitation Electric Piano).

Upon the release of his debut album, For the Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos, in 2005, Baïkonour received positive reviews from critics. Matthew Murphy, a writer for Pitchfork Media, said of the Lonely Hearts, "Throughout the album, Krieger consistently astonishes with the daring breadth of his playing, as he embellishes several otherwise straightforward pop hooks with as much florid ornamentation as good taste will allow.... And this he does with such an addictively melodic flair that it should be easy for listeners to find space for this album within their lonely hearts." Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.