THE MAN-MACHINE [AKA: DIE MENSCH-MASCHINE]

Although electronic music is not my favorite genre, I do appreciate several groundbreaking, innovative and if you want provocative artists that expanded new dimensions of popular music and music in general.

One of them is surely KRAFTWERK whose influence on the pop music scene of the 1980s and beyond cannot be overestimated. "Man Machine" is a masterpiece of electronic, synthesizer-made music, which presented a bridge between earlier experimental psychedelic (and notably German Krautrock scene) and later post-new wave experimental and alternative rock expressions. Not going into elaborate details, one ought to mention that among the many followers and people directly or indirectly influenced by these German visioners, were so diverse musicians such as Texas noise/hard core anarchists Steve Albini and BIG BLACK (check their notorious cover of "Model", LP "Songs About Fucking", 1987) or synth-pop mega stars DEPECHE MODE, to mention a few.

Wonderful album from start to finish!