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Kraftwerk - Ralf & Florian CD (album) cover

RALF & FLORIAN

Kraftwerk

 

Progressive Electronic

3.50 | 150 ratings

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A Crimson Mellotron like
Prog Reviewer
3 stars The third studio album by Kraftwerk depicts an interesting progression within the sound of the duo made up of Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider, even if the album itself was later on ignored, and even dismissed by the band, much like the first two self-titled krautrock LPs of the Düsseldorf-native innovators. 'Ralf & Florian' is the first outwardly electronic release by the Germans and as such offers a myriad of experimental and avant-garde sounds and compositions, with the duo still under the influence of their early krautrock influence and its repetitive rhythms and entrancing tempo changes. Synths, organs, and tons of electronic effects are to be found on here - on a record that many critics see as one of the fascinating ambient efforts of the early 70s, also externalizing an influence from the Berlin School of electronic music.

A creative anticipation of 'Autobahn' in some respects, yet a very disjointed, experimental work in others, 'Ralf & Florian' is as inconsistent as it is genuine and innovative - an album that feels like a collection of underworked leftovers where certain traces of the music can be treated as excellent musical ideas, while others can leave you vexed and uninspired. It is an album of the polarizing kind, a fine avant-garde trial by two brilliant young musicians, but also an objective disappointment, due to the nature of the compositions and their overall relevance for the electronic genre. 'Elektrisches Roulette' is notable for its krautrock dynamics, an interesting jigsaw of sounds and effects, while a piece like 'Kristallo' reveals the more experimental, novel side of the Kraftwerk sound, as it is a challenging electronic track with interesting counterparts. 'Tongebirge' and 'Heimatklänge' have this ostensibly ambient affinity, together with the sweeping cosmic suite 'Ananas Symphonie', while 'Tanzmusik' echoes the trance-like qualities of previous Kraftwerk releases. There is a certain kind of necessity behind this album's existence, but its experimental and DYI electronic nature really prevents it from unfolding as a consistent work of art.

A Crimson Mellotron | 3/5 |

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