Kraftwerk 
Formed  1970 in Dьsseldorf, Germany 
Years Active   
Genres  Rock  
Styles  Club/Dance, Electronic 
Tones  Somber, Reserved, Paranoid, Wintry, Refined/Mannered, Hypnotic, 
Restrained, Tense/Anxious, Detached, Clinical, Cerebral, Eerie 
Labels  EMI (12), Warner Brothers (6), Capitol (6), Philips (3), Elektra (3), 
Cleopatra (3), [bootleg] (2) 
  
 
    During  the  mid-'70s,  Germany's  Kraftwerk  established the
sonic blueprint followed by an extraordinary number of artists in
the  decades  to  come. From the British New Romantic movement to
hip-hop  to  techno,  the  group's  self-described  "robot pop" —
hypnotically  minimal,  obliquely rhythmic music performed solely
via   electronic   means  —  resonates  in  virtually  every  new
development to impact the contemporary pop scene of the late 20th
century,  and  as  pioneers  of  the electronic music form, their
enduring  influence  cannot be overstated. Kraftwerk emerged from
the  same  German  experimental  music community of the late '60s
which  also  spawned  Can  and  Tangerine  Dream; primary members
Florian  Schneider  and  Ralf Hьtter first met as classical music
students  at  the  Dusseldorf Conservatory, originally teaming in
the  group  Organisation  and  issuing  a 1970 album, Tone Float.
Schneider  and  Hьtter soon disbanded Organisation, rechristening
themselves Kraftwerk (German for "power station"), beginning work
on  their  own  studio  (later dubbed Kling Klang), and immersing
their  music  in  the  fledgling world of minimalist electronics;
their  1971  debut,  titled simply Kraftwerk 1, offered a hint of
their unique aesthetic in its earliest form, already implementing
innovations  including Schneider's attempts at designing homemade
rhythm  machines.  A series of lineup shifts followed, and at one
point  Hьtter  even  left  the  group; however, by the release of
1972's  Kraftwerk  2,  he  and  Schneider  were  again working in
tandem.  Recorded  without  a  live  drummer, the album's rhythms
relied  solely  on  a drum machine, creating a distinctly robotic
feel  without  precedent  —  the  concept of purely technological
music  was, at the time, utterly alien to most musicians, as well
as   listeners.  A  series  of  well-received  live  performances
followed  before Kraftwerk began work on their breakthrough third
LP,  1973's Ralf and Florian; honing their many ambitions down to
a few simple yet extraordinarily innovative concepts, their music
began  growing  more  and more revelatory — even their clean-cut,
scientific  image  was  in  direct opposition to the dominant pop
fashions of the time. Kraftwerk's first album to be issued in the
U.S.,  1974's  Autobahn  was  an  international  smash; an edited
single  version  of  the epic title track was a major hit at home
and  abroad,  and in America the previously unknown group reached
the  upper rungs of the pop albums chart. Performed in large part
on  a  Moog  synthesizer,  Autobahn  crystallized the distinctive
Kraftwerk  sound  while  making the group's first clear overtures
towards  conventional  pop  structure  and melody, establishing a
permanent foothold for electronic music within the mainstream.

    Kraftwerk  resurfaced  in 1975 with Radio-Activity, a concept
album  exploring  the theme of radio communication; indicative of
the group's new global popularity, it was released in both German
and  English-language  editions,  the  latter appearing early the
following  year.  Train  travel  emerged as the subject of 1977's
Trans-Europe  Express, which marked an increased movement towards
seeming  musical  mechaninization;  the  line became even further
blurred  with the follow-up, 1978's aptly titled The Man Machine,
a  work  almost completely bereft of human touches. By this time,
the  members  of  Kraftwerk even publicly portrayed themselves as
automatons,  an  image  solidified  by  tracks  like  "We Are the
Robots." Having reached the peak of their influence, however, the
group  disappeared from view, the first of many extended absences
to follow; they did not return to action prior to 1981's Computer
World, a meditation on the new global dominance of technology — a
society  their  music  long  ago  predicted  and  predated. After
topping  the  British  charts  with  the  single "Computer Love,"
Kraftwerk again vanished, enjoying a five-year layoff culminating
in  the  release  of  1986's  Electric Cafe. By now, however, pop
music  was  dominated  by synthesizers and drum machines, and the
group's stature flagged; but for a 1991 best-of collection titled
The  Mix,  they  remained  silent in the years to follow, finally
releasing a new single, "Expo 2000," in late 1999. — Jason Ankeny

Similar Artists: David Bowie  Cabaret Voltaire  Depeche Mode  Human League
Gary Numan  Neu!  Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark  Cluster  Tangerine Dream
New Order  Soft Cell  Brian Eno  Mike Oldfield  Elektric Music  Manuel Gцttsching
Suicide  The Art of Noise  Yello  Faust 

Roots and Influences: Karlheinz Stockhausen 
Followers: The Art of Noise  Chris and Cosey  Heaven 17  The KLF
Camouflage  Cybotron  Nitzer Ebb  Telex  Stereolab  Juan Atkins
Plastikman  Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark  B12  Mouse on Mars
Locust  AUX 88  Derrick May  Bass Foundation  Le Car 

LPs

 1971 Kraftwerk 1 Philips 
 1972 Kraftwerk 2 Philips 
 1973 Ralf & Florian Warner Brother 
 1974 Autobahn Warner Brother 
 1975 Radio-Aktivitat [German] EMI 
 1975 Radio-Activity Capitol 
 1977 Trans-Europa Express [German] EMI 
 1977 Trans-Europe Express Capitol 
 1978 Die Mensch Maschine [German] EMI 
 1978 The Man Machine Capitol 
 1981 Computer Welt [German] EMI 
 1981 Computer World Warner Brother 
 1983 Techno Pop [Not Released] EMI 
 1986 Electric Cafe [German] EMI 
 1986 Electric Cafe Elektra 

Compilations
 
 1971 Highrail Fontana   
 1975 Exceller 8 Vertigo   
 1975 Doppelalbum Philips   
 1976 Pop Lions Fontana   
 197  Robots Capitol   
 1981 Electrokinetik Vertigo   
 1991 The Mix Elektra   
 1991 The Mix [German] EMI   
 1994 The Capitol Years Cleopatra x 
 1994 The Model: Best of Kraftywerk Cleopatra   
 1998 Concert Classics [live] Import   
 1998 Vor Uns Metropolis Elektrik Cro-M   
 1999 The Best of Kraftwerk EMI   

EPs/singles
 
 1983 Tour de France [EP] Atlantic   
 1986 Musique Non Stop Atlantic s 
 1990 Trans-Europe Express [12" Single] Capitol s 
 1990 Trans-Europe Express [CD Single] Capitol s 
 1991 Robots ('91 Mix Germany) Alex Imports s 
 1991 Robots ('91 Mix UK) Alex s 
 1991 Trans-Europe Express [1991] Unidisc s 
 1991 Radio Activated Alex s 
 1991 Robotronik   s 
 1991 Die Roboter EMI s 
 1991 Radioactivity EMI s 
 1992 Robots Elektra s 
 1992 Showroom Dummies Cleopatra s 
 1999 Tour de France [1999] EMI s 
 1999 Expo 2000 [Maxi Single] EMI s 

Bootlegs
 
 1991 Computertour [live] [bootleg] b 
 1991 Enregistree Live a L'Olmpia, Paris, 6.7.1981 [bootleg] b 
   Schone Neue Welt (Remix, Remodel) Ping Pong b 
   Nonstop [live] Mixing Records b 
   Ultra Rare Trax   b 
   Toccata Electronica   b 
   Kraftwerk in Concert [live] SGRS b 









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