COMPUTER WORLD [AKA: COMPUTERWELT]

Unlike previous LPs, this is Kraftwerk predicting the future, and how. In 1981 the computer was part of society, but as a monolithic object, the preserve of business, academia, industry and the military. It would be sometime yet until the home computer was the everyday object it is now. Ironically no computers were used in the making of this LP.

Kraftwerk's oeuvre has always been to talk about everyday life, or "alltagsmusik" as Ralf Hutter has often called it. Here they predict mass communication of data (Computer World), the reductionism of technology (Pocket Calculator), Internet Dating (Computer Love), and even have time to poke a little fun at things (It's More Fun to Compute). They stripped down these concepts to simplistic ideals with a beauty that no other artist has matched. The conceptual globalisation of data is represented by the different languages used, from German and English to Italian, Russian and Japanese.

As in their previous album, Kraftwerk took these themes and allied them to a rhythmic template that would underscore much of the electronic dance music that would follow them. As T.E.E and Die Mensch Maschine were inspirational in the source of new romanticism and synthpop, so Computer World would inspire much of Detroit Techno and Electro.

The sparse but warm and pure analogue sounds that pervade this album are testament to Kraftwerk's flawless sound design and engineering. "Computer Love" in particular, whilst not only having one of Kraftwerk's finest ever melodic codas, is the sign of a band who can reject any accusation of lacking soul out of the window. And to further counterbalance the steely facade Pocket Calculator is their dance masterpiece - the sign of a band at the height of their powers, not taking themselves too seriously.