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KRAFTWERK

Progressive Electronic • Germany


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Kraftwerk picture
Kraftwerk biography
Founded in Düsseldorf, Germany in 1970 - Still active as of 2018

Remaining one of the most influential bands in the history of popular music, we mustn't forget that KRAFTWERK typical sound is the result of many years and decades of experimentations, continuous works and researches in the possibilities offered by the acoustic, electronic and rock instruments.

In 1968, the two original members (Florian Schneider and Ralf Hutter, two longstanding friends) formed ORGANISATION. The famous German producer Conny Plank helped them to record their first album "Tone Float". Historically this album figures among the first albums released in the Krautrock genre, next to recordings from CAN, AMON DUUL, TANGERINE DREAM. The tone is floating but above all largely dominated by long, free improvisations, mixing organs, electronic experimentations with acoustic percussions.

During the year 1970, R. Hutter and F. Schneider dissolved the band to form KRAFTWERK whose name means power station (in German). Klaus Dinger and Andreas Hokman join the band and record an album called "Kraftwerk". Very minimalist, the record's cover is a perfect illustration of a repetitive music made of sound manipulations, punctuated by the flute and the electronic organ parts. The atmosphere is slightly "garage", a bit noisy, sometimes ethereal and spacey (Megahertz). At this time, the band's reputation remains discreet, despite a certain success. One year later in 1971, Klaus Dinger leaves the band to form NEU! with Michael Rother. "Kraftwerk 2" is released the same year and pursues on the way defined by the previous album (a lot of experimental guitar parts, distorted sounds, repetitive rhythms, gradual process.).

In 1973, Florian Schneider decides to put the stress on electronic percussions and contemporary sound researches. "Ralf & Florian" marks a turning point in the band's career. The melodies and the sound used begins more and more pop orientated despite that the recordings strive to bring to the fore the talent of Schneider and Hutter as musicians. In 1974, a new start announces the creation of the "Kling Klang" studio; a small laboratory entirely devoted to advanced electronic researches and investments in new synthesisers. In the album "Autobahn" the Mini Moog and others synthesisers supplant definitely the improvisations and the aleatoric experimentations.

With captivated and very efficient melodies t...
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KRAFTWERK discography


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KRAFTWERK top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.34 | 183 ratings
Kraftwerk
1970
3.15 | 145 ratings
Kraftwerk 2
1971
3.53 | 139 ratings
Ralf & Florian
1973
3.59 | 373 ratings
Autobahn
1974
3.20 | 227 ratings
Radio-Activity [Aka: Radio-Aktivität]
1975
3.95 | 374 ratings
Trans-Europe Express [Aka: Trans-Europa Express]
1977
3.96 | 438 ratings
The Man-Machine [Aka: Die Mensch-Maschine]
1978
3.84 | 295 ratings
Computer World [Aka: Computerwelt]
1981
2.51 | 128 ratings
Electric Café [Aka: Techno Pop]
1986
3.37 | 121 ratings
Tour De France Soundtracks
2003

KRAFTWERK Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.83 | 21 ratings
Concert Classics
1998
3.38 | 60 ratings
Minimum Maximum
2005

KRAFTWERK Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

3.94 | 41 ratings
Minimum Maximum
2005
3.93 | 14 ratings
Kraftwerk And The Electronic Revolution
2008

KRAFTWERK Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.23 | 14 ratings
Kraftwerk (1 and 2)
1972
4.33 | 3 ratings
Kraftwerk 2
1975
1.57 | 16 ratings
Exceller 8
1975
4.20 | 5 ratings
Pop Lions - Autobahn
1976
3.44 | 9 ratings
Doppelalbum
1976
5.00 | 2 ratings
Kometenmelodie 2 (Compilation)
1976
5.00 | 2 ratings
Kraftwerk 1
1977
4.00 | 5 ratings
Highrail
1979
2.87 | 75 ratings
The Mix
1991
3.75 | 4 ratings
The Model
1994
4.04 | 6 ratings
The Capitol Years: Three Originals
1994
4.00 | 1 ratings
The Best Of Kraftwerk
1995
3.00 | 1 ratings
Kraftwerk (Box Set)
1997
4.61 | 19 ratings
The Catalogue
2009

KRAFTWERK Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

3.50 | 2 ratings
Ruckzack
1970
3.76 | 9 ratings
Kohoutek - Kometenmelodie
1973
4.14 | 7 ratings
Kometenmelodie 2
1974
3.50 | 2 ratings
Mitternacht / Morgenspaziergang
1974
3.89 | 9 ratings
Trans Europa Express
1977
3.50 | 4 ratings
Showroom Dummies
1977
3.00 | 4 ratings
Les Mannequins
1977
3.67 | 6 ratings
Das Model
1978
3.67 | 6 ratings
Die Roboter
1978
4.07 | 11 ratings
Neon Lights
1978
3.25 | 4 ratings
Computerwelt
1981
3.33 | 3 ratings
Numbers
1981
2.67 | 3 ratings
Taschenrechner
1981
3.75 | 4 ratings
Computer Love
1981
4.15 | 20 ratings
Tour De France
1983
3.14 | 7 ratings
Musique Non Stop
1986
3.00 | 4 ratings
Der Telefon Anruf
1987
3.75 | 12 ratings
Die Roboter
1991
1.50 | 2 ratings
Robotnik
1991
3.25 | 4 ratings
Showroom Dummies (1992 Single)
1992
2.00 | 2 ratings
Homecomputer
1997
1.74 | 10 ratings
Expo 2000
1999
3.38 | 8 ratings
Expo 2000 (Remix)
2000
3.30 | 10 ratings
Expo Remix
2001
3.55 | 11 ratings
Tour De France 2003
2003
3.00 | 4 ratings
Elektro Kardiogramm
2003
2.28 | 10 ratings
Aerodynamik
2007

KRAFTWERK Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Electric Café [Aka: Techno Pop] by KRAFTWERK album cover Studio Album, 1986
2.51 | 128 ratings

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Electric Café [Aka: Techno Pop]
Kraftwerk Progressive Electronic

Review by Lewian
Prog Reviewer

3 stars I wasn't very interested in this album at the time. I had loved Mensch Maschine and Computerwelt; not only were these pioneer works, they were also full of fun and pleasant melodies. Electric Cafe was far more rhythm oriented and had much less on offer when it comes to the latter two qualities. It was at the time also criticised for coming too late in the sense that a new generation of Kraftwerk influenced bands had developed the approach and here it was rather Kraftwerk trying to sound like them than the other way round.

Relistening, I'd say that the last objection is to some extent not justified as Electric Cafe is pretty much its own thing. I mean, I don't know everyone who did Technopop in the eighties, and I do see the similarities to some material that had been recorded in the previous years, so it's not entirely unfounded, but I do believe that nothing else sounds quite like this. The album is more self-referential, it comments on the development of technopop as much as creating it, and the specific use of repetition, revisit, redevelopment and sometimes also the glaring lack of it is really very Kraftwerk. There is also some emptiness and reliance on rhythmic patterns only here that goes further, or rather let's say is based more obviously on leaving things out than other work of this kind. Needless to say that also in the Kraftwerk discograpy this is very unique as it extends their typical minimalism even further to melodic elements and refraining from "filling the space" (except Telephon Anruf and Sex Objekt, which really take a lot from New Order and others). Also I can now more appreciate the fun factor that is still there (Boing Boom Tschak and Telephon Anruf in particular).

At the end of the day you may enjoy Kraftwerk's 1986 version of techno or not, and I can well see why many prog listeners would not like it. Personally I'm not the biggest fan of it either, however I'd say it ultimately works for what it is, and I disagree with those who say it isn't original (it isn't groundbreaking by any means, but it has its uniqueness for sure). I don't disagree quite that much with those who say there aren't many ideas on this album. It's minimalist and to some extent that's the point, but I wouldn't have complained about some more substance. 3 stars.

 Autobahn by KRAFTWERK album cover Studio Album, 1974
3.59 | 373 ratings

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Autobahn
Kraftwerk Progressive Electronic

Review by Boi_da_boi_124

5 stars Review #113!

'Autobahn' is a great progressive electronic album. It is quite different from the work of Klaus Schulze (as well as Tangerine Dream) and his ambient compositions revolving around droning synths. This is almost poppy with comforting, not very complicated keyboard beats. At least most of it isn't complicated. The album starts with the epic title track. The first seven minutes of this song are relatively normal, with some nice vocals and lyrics coming in and out of the scene. Then this semi-ambient Can-esque stuff comes on that just sounds wonderful. This ambient section changes in melody slightly, but throughout the entire part is just captivating and great. Thirteen minutes in the original melody comes in. For the rest of the song there are more rapid changes made to the melody. This is a perfect example of peak progressive electronic music. Electronic based and, well, progressive. On the second side is 'Kometenmelodie 1', a seven-minute ambient piece. This is supreme ambience. Keyboards dubbed on keyboards dubbed on a little more keyboards. Kraftwerk manages to bring some very interesting sounds to the table. Amazing, impressive, beautiful, perfect. 'Kometenmelodie 2' continues this wonderful ambient sequence with a more upbeat mood. This track makes me feel so happy, like when I listen to simple '80s bands like Erasure and OMD(the latter actually surprisingly experimental). Wonderful. 'Mitternacht' is yet another ambient piece which is probably the most complex on the album. I'm not sure if this was all done with synths, but if so, it is just as impressive as it would be if it wasn't. Echoey, confusing horn-noises, interesting percussion sounds and more. 'Morgenspaziergang' sounds similar to 'Mitternacht' but has more diverse, organic sounds. Almost medieval. Anyways, this is a superb electronic album from a pioneer of the genre. Full of great songs destined to give you joy. Maybe perfect. Prog on.

 The Man-Machine [Aka: Die Mensch-Maschine] by KRAFTWERK album cover Studio Album, 1978
3.96 | 438 ratings

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The Man-Machine [Aka: Die Mensch-Maschine]
Kraftwerk Progressive Electronic

Review by Dapper~Blueberries
Prog Reviewer

4 stars If we are talking about artists from the 70s era of German experimental music, while Faust and Can advanced rock music forward, none were more influential in the realm of electronic music as Kraftwerk was. You could argue that mantle goes towards Tangerine Dream, and that is true that they did influence a great deal of artistic electronic music that was certainly very spacey and ambient, but none were influential to many artists in the future that'd inspire a ton of genres from trip-hop to French electronic dance music, to even the broad strokes of synthpop than Kraftwerk. Started as a krautrock and drone band, and after their successful album of Autobahn, they quickly became their own with their unique brand of electronic music that combined the eccentric pop of the time with the broad progressive strokes the underground German scene had at the time. It created a unique and highly influential musical landscape for the band to explore. It was robotic, but not soulless. I will say they are not my favorite band that came out of the German experimental music scene, but I do have the highest respect for them, even more so after I heard this album. Before getting into this album I expected my usual Kraftwerk affairs, similar to the stuff that I'd heard from Autobahn or the album they'd release after this one, Computerwelt. It was none of those, but possibly prototypical versions of genres that hadn't existed yet.

Die Mensch-Maschine is a fairly short album but has a lot to unpack. Die Roboter is the first song on the record, and with it, we get a mix of electronic music with disco strangely enough. If you couldn't already tell by the sounds of this song, then I suggest you listen to Daft Punk for a bit, since this song is pretty much the future of euro step music. Incredibly bouncy synths, robotic voices, electro steps, and a whole wide range of unique additional flairs make this a clear shot example of being ahead of the curve. I have no idea what the German experimental scene was on, but it almost was like they could see into the future with the songs they created. The robotic personas Kraftwerk would utilize are fun and unique for the time, and they had some fun portraying themselves as machines less than flesh. While that may sound quite saddening, it was what made them drive their music forward. This is their national anthem, a robotic, distant, cold, calculated, yet still so rich in energy song that is incredibly fun to listen to.

Kraftwerk was also big into the themes of space, as evident with Spacelab. A lot of celestial keyboard works bounce around through many vibrant melodies and sounds that wrap the listener around in a cool and collected state of mind. The rhythm laid down here sets the mood for the entire song, being this cool and collected piece of music that might have some more up its sleeve. Ethereal, bright, and brimming with excellency. A classic Kraftwerk song.

Metropolis is another example of what a classic Kraftwerk song sounds like. Deep in the synthpop on this one, we get even more vibrant electronic dance music that is uniquely inspirational. In a modern context, I get a lot of vibes from French electronic musicians like Daft Punk and Étienne de Crécy, however more laid back as the music expresses itself with only one word repeated through the song: "Metropolis". This is a metropolis of sound and styles that salivates every aspect of its core and shows off the humanity Kraftwerk has deep within its robotic shells. Kraftwerk for me has always been a band that features an optimistic tint to their glasses with their more industrial style of music, and it's an aspect of the band that I think works for them in spades. Metropolis is an example of such. It's fun, and built from the ground up to be fun, but without it being borderline commercial. It is a form of music that I slowly but surely love with each passing moment.

That isn't even the best part. All those songs are great but none compare to my favorite song off this record, Das Model. What can I say about this song? Well for starters it is incredibly unique for its time. I have an itch that this song is what inspired most of the sounds from the 90s era of video games, specifically with the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. I wouldn't be surprised since they were inspirational to one of the bigger known Japanese synthpop groups, Yellow Magic Orchestra, who also had an equally odd robotic feel to their personas. I also dig how tongue and cheek the lyrics are. It's very much trying to take a stab at how companies commercialize people's talents for profit, slowly burning up the people they're exploiting. Kraftwerk seems like a resilient enough band for them to not overheat since they're still around today, but even then with their popularity it definitely must've been hard to cool down. It is a song filled with vibrancy and uniqueness but tells a story that anyone no matter what field they are in could relate to.

Afterward, we get the longest song off the album, an 8-9 minute tune called Neonlicht. This is the only song off the album I have issues with, and it's the length surprisingly enough. The first half of the song is a beautiful, almost pre- Vaporwave style of music with beautiful singing and a crisp sound to boot. Afterward is where the song started to become an issue for me. They start to repeat this melody over and over again for 5-6 minutes, and it gets rather annoying. Nothing new happens in that repetition of patterns, and what once felt like a beautiful song about the lights in the city, soon became a repetitive hazard. I think they should've ended the song at 3:10. It'd make the album even shorter, and it'd make the song short, but it'd make the album a possible masterpiece for me. The first half is great and stellar, but the second half could've been something more.

The album does end on a high note with the title track, Die Mensch-Maschine. You hear that melody right? That right there is what you'll hear in quite a bit of rap songs nowadays, and can you blame the artists that use this little harmony? It is immaculate and strange, yet so right with the mood of the song. It'd be more bizarre to NOT try and use that for an equally influential genre of music such as hip-hop and trip-hop. This is what I love about the German experimental scene. Acts like Kraftwerk, Faust, Can, and so many others have inspired so many artists and genres that even the most basic melody can inspire millions to try their hands on the wheel, resulting in some of the biggest genres in the world. We gotta thank Kraftwerk for that, that's for certain.

I am surprised that this became one of my favorite Kraftwerk records, but how could you not love it? While imperfect due to Neonlicht, all the rest of the songs here are stellar in conveying moods, themes, and beauty in an otherwise robotic shell. I do not doubt in my mind that Kraftwerk is one of the most influential artists to come out of the 70s German scene. Their music inspired so much for decades upon decades that their influence can still be seen today. What a revolutionary work of art.

 Autobahn by KRAFTWERK album cover Studio Album, 1974
3.59 | 373 ratings

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Autobahn
Kraftwerk Progressive Electronic

Review by VianaProghead
Prog Reviewer

5 stars Review Nº 548

Kraftwerk's influence in the "modern" music is so huge that it's rather difficult to pinpoint all its real dimensions. The group is responsible for popularizing the electronic music and is always remembered when we are talking about the origins of techno, electro, dance music and also of funk. However, being Kraftwerk one of the most important, revolutionary and influential groups in the history of the "modern" music, it's curiously one of the most unknown too. Kraftwerk survived to see the rhythmic patterns developed in the studio serving as the basis for electronics. Even so, their story remains shrouded in some mystery, largely because of their members are averse to any type of advertising.

Kraftwerk was founded in 1970 by Florian Schneider-Esleben (flute) and Ralf Hutter (keyboards) in Dusseldorf, Germany. They met when they studied at the Dusseldorf Conservatory in the late 60's, participating in the experimental music scene of the time, the movement later called Krautrock. The band had other members in their line up all over the years. In 2009, Schneider announced his departure from the band. So, only Hutter remained from the original line up.

The origin of the name Kraftwerk (Power Plant, Electrical Complex) comes from the place where the group's tests and experiments were carried out, a Refinery (Complex) in Dusseldorf. It's in this industrial ambient with the mechanical rumination of factories in the background that Kraftwerk records their first works, "Kraftwerk" in 1970, "Kraftwerk 2" in 1971 and "Ralf & Florian" in 1973, merging noise, sound, poetry and industrial folklore. The progression of the group's sound came gradually assimilated to technology and its elements. This dedication mixed with "genius" gave rise to the masterpiece "Autobahn" in 1974. With "Autobahn", Kraftwerk was able to create the glacial beauty of the cyber music.

"Autobahn" is an album with five tracks. The 22 minute of the title track became a big hit when it was released in edited form as a single, and that was quite an achievement for a song with German vocals. It begins with the slamming of a car door and the throaty whirr of an engine ignition, intro this iconic track, which takes up all the side one of the album. The track evokes the feeling of driving on the Autobahn, from journeying through the landscape, in the high-speed concentration of the fast lane, to tuning the car radio and the monotony of a long trip. It describes the A 555 from Cologne to Bonn, the first Autobahn. The track featured some of Kraftwerk's finest themes, built around sequenced electronic rhythm patterns. Schneider's atmospheric flute gives some passages an almost otherworldly feel, but he would unfortunately stop using it after this album. The band also used the electronic equipment to imitate the sounds of speeding cars along the Autobahn, and this experimentation was taken even further on the completely instrumental second side of the album. The 12 minute of the two-part "Kometenmelodie" feature lots of spacey sounds that illustrated flying comets, especially on the first part. Both parts were inspired by the Kohoutek comet, which passed close to Earth in 1973. "Kometenmelodie 1" is a ponderous, yet entrancing, piece of space-inspired electronica which serves as a preface to "Kometenmelodie 2". The theme from the first part had evolved completely in the second part, and should be counted as yet another classic Kraftwerk's theme. In contrast to "Kometenmelodie 1", "Kometenmelodie 2" embraces a structure and melody more akin to the title track of the album. "Kometenmelodie 2" was released both as a B side to the "Autobahn" single and as an A side follow up single in its own right. The gloomy and sinister "Mitternacht" lives up to its name, which means "Midnight". The sombre feel of this track seems at odds with the prevailing mood of the album, but lends to it a true ominous beauty. The rural "Morgenspaziergang" featured lots of electronic imitations of birds and running water, with a simple and repetitive melody played on flute. It's one of the most natural songs the band ever made. It belies their reputation for producing pure electronica. It also showcases the diversity of the album, delineating the track from the rest and ending the album on a true high point. The ending reintroduces a musical motif first heard in the instrumental section of "Autobahn". It's a potent end to a peerless album.

Conclusion: In 1974, Kraftwerk created an electronic epic. Five decades on, "Autobahn" is hailed as a masterpiece. At the heart of Kraftwerk was the relationship between humans and technology, were the synths dominated the sound, which was sparse, linear and rhythmic, but beneath the machine like ethos breathed elegant and enticing melody. On this album, Kraftwerk created a sound that was transformative and unique, a hypnotic and insistent electronic pulse populated by shimmering electronic keyboards, rhythm loops and trance like guitars. "Autobahn" is an album that saw man and machine working in perfect harmony. It was a pivotal step forward for contemporary music. It's a timeless and profound piece of work that still remains relevant, even today. It's an almost mystical reverence for the ordinary objects of an industrial world. "Autobahn" remains one of the best and most memorable electronic prog albums of the 70's.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

 Tour De France Soundtracks by KRAFTWERK album cover Studio Album, 2003
3.37 | 121 ratings

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Tour De France Soundtracks
Kraftwerk Progressive Electronic

Review by TCat
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

4 stars "Tour de France" is the last studio album released to date by the German electronica band Kraftwerk. The album was released in 2003 accompanied with a lot of anticipation as it was the first time a full studio album had been released for 17 years.

The sound on this album seems a lot more mature and up to date. The sound still has that danceable, yet minimal, electronic sound they are famous for with repetitive, processed vocals. Of course, the album is inspired by the famous annual bike race in France, and it reflects the band members growing interest in bicycling. The band members consist of 2 of the original members that have always been with the band, namely Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider. The other 2 members joined in 1989 and 1992, Fritz Hilpert and Henning Schmitz, who are still active in the group.

The album starts off and immediately you can detect the maturity in the music. The short "Prologue" give a nice, lush and short introduction and flows into the 3 part suite "Tour de France 2003 Etape 1 ? 3". It is reminiscent of the original "Tour de France" released years earlier. The tracks pretty much have a continuous flow through the 3 parts and a continuous steady beat. There are computerized sounding vocals that continue through the 3 parts, but it is mostly instrumental as that is the focus of this album. The music definitely has that electronic and computerized sound, but it is still quite interesting as it continues. "Chrono" actually continues with the same vibe and seems to be connected to the suite as a whole. It is a bit more experimental here as the themes are more varied, but it does return to the main theme by the end.

"Vitamin" is the first track to be not connected from what came previously. This one has a more solid beat and is not as airy, but actually approaches an industrial sound with some metallic effects. Again there are sparse robotic lyrics that are not a spotlight as much as they are a support to the music.

"Aero Dynamik" follows this track and was released as a single in 2004. This is fast paced track with nice upbeat feel. It has a repetitive pattern on top of which are spoken and processed vocals and other synth layers in an almost rave style track. "Titanium" continues on with the main idea from the previous track, but changing patterns up a bit, which is almost the only indication that it is a new track, but it later returns to the same theme.

"Elektro Kardiogramm" starts off with the sound of a heart beat and builds melodic, vocalized, and instrumental foundations off of that with the lyrics being "Minimum/Maximum beats per minute". The result is a solid mid-tempo beat sounded by the electronic melody lines.

"La Forme" starts off with an atmospheric and airy feel. One of the most realized melody lines on the album then starts and later spoken processed vocals start and takes turns with the melody line. This is one of the better tracks on the album as it is more melodic and all of the elements work together to build the song. It doesn't rely so much on a repetitive pattern as the previous track on the album, but creates variations and other thematic elements to make it a little bit more complex. "Regeneration" sits as a mid-track that takes off of the previous track as a cool down section to bridge it to a final version of "Tour de France". This time, it starts off with a repetitive breath effect and is joined by several percussive effects that establish an up-beat rhythm. Soon, a lusher, yet danceable, version of the main theme to the title track returns.

Overall, this album does what was expected from the band, and then adds to the sound by making it more mature, but also making the sound more up to date. The band really didn't need to prove anything except that they still could do what they've always been able to do, and that is make interesting Krautrock inspired electronic music. They didn't try to sound like anyone else, they just continued developing the sound that influenced so many other artists that grew up on their sound. The album is still fun to listen to, even though it lacks the funky elements of yesterday, it proves that this band easily still fits in the style it helped invent.

 Trans-Europe Express [Aka: Trans-Europa Express] by KRAFTWERK album cover Studio Album, 1977
3.95 | 374 ratings

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Trans-Europe Express [Aka: Trans-Europa Express]
Kraftwerk Progressive Electronic

Review by TCat
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

5 stars By the release of 'Trans-Europe Express' in 1977, the most popular line up of Kraftwerk had been established and they were making their mark on the pop and electronic scene. The two founders were there, Ralf Hutler and Florian Schneider, and they were part of the well-established band along with Wolfgang Flur and Karl Bartos. Even though this line up had worked on previous albums which centered more around Krautrock, TEE moved towards a more melodic sound, and that sound fit in quite well with the upcoming new wave movement. The very famous first single, the title track, would propel them to world- wide fame.

The music would also end up influencing many artists to come, including modern day electronic artists. Their simple, synth- heavy music would pave the way for rave, ambience, and all types of electronica music. Even though the music was simple, the band was meticulous in making sure all of the sounds and textures were perfect and it usually took a lot of time and effort to finalize the tracks. Also, on this track, processed vocals were used quite extensively through the entire album.

'Europe Endless' was their theme to Europe and introduced their melodic and danceable sound to the masses in a 9+ minute track. With an unrelenting rhythm and a mysterious European sound, people were attracted to the simplicity, yet complexity of the music, the new sound that did not utilize any guitars, only synths, and the repeating themes and vocals only helped to propel the music to popularity. Towards the end of this track, you hear the main theme from TEE make its first appearance on the album.

The next two tracks, 'The Hall of Mirrors' and 'Showroom Dummies' continued with the simple, catchy and repetitious textures and lyrics, but moved more towards a more minimalist feel, and thus ambient dance music was born. Of course, there is the centerpiece of the album 'Trans-Europe Express' which emulates the sound of a train and the incredibly, and quite successfully, transmits to the listener the feel of traveling by train in Europe. I remember riding a train in Italy for close to 24 hours, and the soothing sounds of the train on the tracks and watching the full moon illuminate the country side as the train moved along. Shortly after, I heard this track for the first time, and was amazed at how perfect the feeling was captured in this track. Now every time I hear this track, even many years later, those memories come back so vividly, just like it happened yesterday, and I feel I am back on that train.

'Metal on Metal/Abzug' continues the theme of TEE by expanding it more and making it more ambient feeling as the train continues on. On some editions, the title 'Abzug' is left off even though the music is still there, and the total minutes are added to the Metal on Metal track. After this, 'Franz Schubert' follows with a more peaceful and soft melody accompanied by a simple repeating riff. 'Endless Endless' is tacked on to the end of this track and acts as a short coda or epilogue to the album.

This album is so simple, yet so beautifully and meticulously played, almost to the point of perfection. Nevermind the slightly tacky looking album cover that makes the band members look like a 50s or 60s doo-wop group like 'The Four Lads' or what have you, the music is quite daring for its time, and the fact that the world welcomed this sound and was inspired by it only strengthens the fact that this album and this band was immensely influential and still continue to be. This is definitely an essential album, especially when it comes to progressive electronica and the use of it in popular music through out the world.

 Radio-Activity [Aka: Radio-Aktivität] by KRAFTWERK album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.20 | 227 ratings

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Radio-Activity [Aka: Radio-Aktivität]
Kraftwerk Progressive Electronic

Review by SonomaComa1999

2 stars REVIEW #12 - "Radio-Aktivitat" by Kraftwerk (1975). 07/28/2018

I have to decided to do a new series of reviews based on this site's random album generator, and this was the first one that came up. Now I admit I had never heard of Kraftwerk prior to stumbling upon this album; I was surprised to see that they have a pretty decent following and are well known (at least in Europe). Receiving almost ubiquitous critical acclaim for pioneering electronic music, this German band which was founded by members Florian Schneider and Ralf Hutter rose out of the city of Dusseldorf during the Cold War, which had split the once proud German nation into two shells of its former self, the capitalist West and the communist East. Prior to the release of their 1975 album "Radio-Aktivitat", they had achieved mainstream commercial success with the album "Autobahn".

There is a recurring theme which surrounds this album, that being the concept of electricity and its functions. Although the album's title, which translates to "radioactivity", may be perceived as having nuclear connotations, it rather serves as a pun to refer to radios (Radio activity, or the activity of radios). As opposed to previous Kraftwerk albums, the band relies almost entirely on electronic sounds, which makes for a rather quaint futuristic sound while remaining nostalgic. Think of how the video game series Fallout was set in the future, but still retained an element of 1950's culture which allowed it to have this alternate reality; Kraftwerk's album has the same dynamic, but with the bleak and tense atmosphere of Cold War Europe and the 1970's. It makes for a rather homely sound which does not sound too disturbing or radical, almost like what people would have expected what society was like in the year 2018 back in 1975. "Radio-Aktivitat" was Kraftwerk's first album to top the charts, doing so in the nearby nation of France.

The album is opened with the sound of a geiger counter, which subliminally refers to the literal interpretation of the album name. This is considered its own track, but segues rather flawlessly into the first true song, which is the title track and the lone single to come off the album. Just like the album, it performed very well in France as a single, and further pushed the band into prominence. We are introduced to the Kraftwerk style of music, which relies upon recurring themes and motifs of electronic music coupled with rather repetitive phrases of lyrics. The band lyrically shifts back and forth between the concept of radio waves and radioactive decay between the sinister and foreboding tone of the digital background. Making prolific use of electric drums and synth, as well as some morse code which repeats the song name, we are treated to a rather fitting introduction to the album which basically encompasses what we are to hear going forward. I will admit that electronic music is not a niche of mine, but this is a fine song. The same can be said for the next tune "Radioland" which focuses the themes towards the short-wave radio, a device used by Germans on both sides of the Iron Curtain to communicate with each other during one of the modern world's most tumultuous and fear-inducing conflicts. Through the band's music you can feel the reserved atmosphere of the German nation as it is carried along in the rapids of what seemed like a never-ending stand off between the United States and Soviet Union. I particularly liked this tune as it had a much more comfy tone to it as opposed to the opener; both Schneider and Hutter share vocals on this track, and vocal distortion is used to spice things up. Continuing on with the concept, the band shifts the topic over towards modern forms of radio communication with "Airwaves" which is a more fast-paced and active tune that introduces another new sound to the listener. I could say that this tune is maybe more optimistic than the previous two, while it still retains this avant-garde mischievous sound that the band seems to have a bit of a knack for. One problem I have early on is that the band is relying on this rather long songs which largely lean on an almost homogeneous sound, which tends to get rather boring past the half-way point. "Airwaves" is the perhaps the greatest offender yet, although it will by no means be the worst by the end of the album. To salvage this issue, the band is not being outright annoying with these sounds, and we get another moment of quaint cold-war nostalgia with the segue into an intermission followed by two more short tracks which include a spoken word news report on radioactivity as well as a brief scientific interlude to open the second side of the album.

Here's where things begin to deteriorate for this album. The second side of "Radio-Aktivitat" in my humble opinion is a total flop. While "Antenna" is an okay yet once again repetitive dance-oriented synth-pop tune which fits in with what we were exposed to on the first side, what perhaps take the cake for being the most annoying song on the album is the three and a half-minute "Radio Waves", which consists of nothing more than a very annoying bubbly synth motif with some overlaying vocals. I wouldn't doubt that if the KGB stole information from the West Germans, they would have stolen this track and used it to torture East German political dissidents. That's how bad this tune is; it is a mere waste of your time to listen to; I really can't see how anyone could rationally like this. It's supposed to be about pulsars and quasars, but this was not evident upon my several listens of this album - I guess it's because I can't speak German. Anyway with that behind us, we move on to the shorter "Uranium" which really is not much of a reprieve from the noise that just assaulted my ear drums. The band breaks out the Orchestron for some more weird avant- garde sounds in tandem with some more equally weird distorted vocals. I would qualify this as more of an ambient tune, hammering down the fact we have gone completely off the beaten path from where we were just five minutes ago. Thankfully this is not as long as the abomination which preceded it, and the subsequent "Transistor" is a return to that homely feel that I have sort of have grown to appreciate from this album. Wrapping things off is the closing track "Ohm Sweet Ohm", which is an extension of that feeling, going almost six minutes in a more accessible tone that allowed me to complete the album without wanting to rip my head off. While it ends the album decently, it really isn't that much of a consolation for what is an obviously weak second side.

I tried listening to "Radio-Aktivitat" several times given my lack of familiarity with electronic music. However, this album just never really grew on me outside of the first side; I hesitate to even call it progressive outside of the literal definition of moving music forward. Sure we have an interesting concept related to electricity and radioactivity, but it ultimately falls flat under a lot of synth and avant-garde mush that gradually grows tiring. This album barely falls short of forty minutes, but it feels like an hour at least just based on the sheer repetitive nature of the content. I was surprised to see that this album actually charted here on America's Billboard 200 album charts, although it only hit #140 as opposed to #1 in France, #4 in Austria, and #22 in the band's native Germany. I had never heard of Kraftwerk up until now, and while I will still give their other albums an opportunity in the future if I stumble upon them, I am not impressed. For their 1975 offering, I will give it a two-star (66% - D) rating; this is rather generic and boring electronic music, with only one real listenable side. I would only really recommend this for fans of the electronic music genre, as they may find some sort of sympathy for it. I will prefer to stick to my analog guitar and symphonic vocals, thank you very much.

 The Man-Machine [Aka: Die Mensch-Maschine] by KRAFTWERK album cover Studio Album, 1978
3.96 | 438 ratings

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The Man-Machine [Aka: Die Mensch-Maschine]
Kraftwerk Progressive Electronic

Review by WFV

4 stars There's a story by Steve Hillage where he states before one of his concerts in a club setting in '77 there was a disco party for young people, and the DJ had an advance copy of Man-Machine. Hillage watched the young people dance to Spacelab and We are the Robots played by the DJ over and over again. He said to Miquette "If young people are dancing to Kraftwerk, electronic dance music must be the music of the future".

How true. It took me a long time to appreciate this record, and finally it was pow! I can hear Man Machine in pop music from all over the world, especially Europe and even USA acts like Madonna and Prince. These guys were really onto something and knew it. Even their enigmatic appearance and interviews and image were highly influential. I think Kraftwerk can stake a claim as the second most important post Elvis Presley act in popular music behind the Beatles.

Diatribe over, this is an electropop album of the highest order and Kraftwerk at their peak. It's a pop masterpiece, not a prog one. In fact, because of the spin off genres that came from Kraftwerk like New Wave and Synthpop this may be the record that stuck a knife into the golden age of prog.

 Computer World [Aka: Computerwelt] by KRAFTWERK album cover Studio Album, 1981
3.84 | 295 ratings

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Computer World [Aka: Computerwelt]
Kraftwerk Progressive Electronic

Review by MaxnEmmy

5 stars This album was a true breakthrough for Kraftwerk as they become extremely popular in the early 1980's after this release. The compositions are tight and fun to listen to. They peaked on this album as evidenced by the fact they play these tracks 40 years later, and they still sound fresh and innovative. This album should be regarded in the time it was made, as it was well ahead of it's time in electronic realization. The band was hitting it out of the park and they made music "non stop". Unbelievable synthesis and control, what more could you want from the next generation of Milton Babbitt and Karl Hienz Stockhausen, who invented the genre.
 Computer World [Aka: Computerwelt] by KRAFTWERK album cover Studio Album, 1981
3.84 | 295 ratings

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Computer World [Aka: Computerwelt]
Kraftwerk Progressive Electronic

Review by Modrigue
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Kraftwerk's second best album

After 3 years of silence from the Germans, "Computer World" carries two heavy responsibilities. The first one is to take over from its iconic predecessor, "The Man-Machine". However, even more difficult is the second one: to open a whole new decade, the 80's, often slippery for 70's prog bands and not particularly tender for electronic music. Will KRAFTWERK succeed at fulfil these two complicated missions? So will the musicians continue to be still pioneering and pertinent in 1981? Pretty much.

Although the band had made vocations emerge for numerous young new-wave formations, and despite the style was beginning to gain huge popularity, KRAFTWERK do not follow this path. Keeping its pioneering status, the synth-pop fathers continue to pave the way for future genres to come. As a result, "Computer World" is one of their most influential release, especially for the techno genre, but also for other styles such as breakdance and even hip- hop. Featuring their coldest titles, the compositions were still ahead of their time for 1981.

Furthermore, this opus is - alongside "Tour de France Soundtracks" - the one where the thematic is the most explored all along the tracks. Personal computers were beginning to populate houses, as numerical devices, and electronic instruments were more and more common in popular music. Nowadays, the relations between human and algorithms still remains an important actuality topic.

Concerning quality and inspiration, the Germans manage to evolve again and to propose pleasant tracks on "Computer World", even if some of them are a little redundant, contrarily to its great predecessor...

Side 1 is overall nice but surprisingly not the most interesting. The title track is a very good opener and carries well its name with its synthetic blips. Cool! The playful "Pocket Calculator", whose variation is listed as "Dentaku" - its Japanese translation - at concerts, offers a few video-game sonorities but is rather monotonous and tends to become a little repetitive. The weakest passage of the album. The enigmatic "Numbers" sounds like a ramshackle calculation machine and introduces "Computer World 2", a short aerial variation of the title song.

Side 2 is the best. The soft futuristic synth-pop ballad "Computer Love" possesses some Asian accents, like YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA, the Japanese KRAFTWERK. This catchy title, depicting the loneliness of the man besides his computer, will even be covered by the rock band COLDPLAY in "Talk", from their 2005 record "X&Y". On the opposite, the dark beat of "Home Computer" is simply terrific, with a mysterious decomposing electronic loop reminding "The Hall of Mirrors". Furthermore, its follow-up "It's More Fun To Compute" is even more icy and thrilling! These two tracks will be remixed by numerous bands...

At the dawn of the 80's, as other KRAFTWERK releases, "Computer World" does not follow the new-wave flow, but instead shows the way for the genres to come, more modern and innovative. No wonder the Germans has inspired Detroit Techno with their futuristic sonorities and robotic beats. A page has been definitely turned and a new chapter is about to begin.

Unfortunately, this will be the last truly influential and impacting album of the Düsseldorf pioneers. After that, the musicians will be less inspired and visionary.

Although a bit dated nowadays and not as essential as "The Man-Machine", "Computer World" still remains a fun and very good pre-techno disc, as well as their most danceable! Very recommended to electronic music lovers!

Thanks to ProgLucky for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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