Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk live in Stockholm in 2004
Background information
Origin	Düsseldorf, Germany
Genre(s)	Avant-garde Electronic Synthpop Krautrock
Years active	1970–present
Label(s)	Kling Klang EMI Astralwerks (US)
Associated acts	Organisation Neu! Karl Bartos Wolfgang Flür
Website	Official Web Site
Members
Ralf Hütter Florian Schneider Fritz Hilpert Henning Schmitz Stefan Pfaffe (2008 touring member)

Kraftwerk (pronounced [ˈkʁaftvɛɐk], German for "power plant" or "power station") is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. Düsseldorf (ˈdʏsəldɔɐf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre and/or which pushes the boundaries Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production Synthpop is a subgenre of New Wave and Pop music in which the Synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument Krautrock is a generic name for the Experimental music scene that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s especially in Britain Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music For the Liverpool Experimental rock band see Kling Klang (band. The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in Astralwerks is a New York based Record label that releases primarily Electronic music. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Organisation was an experimental Krautrock band that was the immediate predecessor of the band Kraftwerk. Karl Bartos (born 31 May, 1952 in Berchtesgaden, Germany) was between 1975 and 1991 along with Wolfgang Flür an electronic Ralf Hütter (born 20 August 1946 in Krefeld, Germany) is the lead Singer, Keyboardist, and reportedly "band Florian Schneider-Esleben (born 7 April 1947, in Düsseldorf, Germany) is one of the founding members of Electronic music band Fritz Hilpert, born May 31, 1956 in Germany, is a member of the Electro-pop group Kraftwerk. Henning Schmitz, born December 26, 1953 in Germany, is a member of the electronic / experimental pop band Kraftwerk 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. A power station (also referred to as generating station, power plant or powerhouse) is an industrial facility for the generation of A power station (also referred to as generating station, power plant or powerhouse) is an industrial facility for the generation of Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production Düsseldorf (ˈdʏsəldɔɐf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

The Kraftwerk sound combines driving, repetitive rhythms with catchy melodies; mainly following a Western classical style of harmony, in a minimalistic and strictly electronic arrangement. Repetitive music is Music which features a relatively high degree of Repetition in its creation or Reception. In Music, a melody (from Greek μελῳδία - melōidía, "singing chanting" also tune, voice, or Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music In Western music, harmony is the use of different pitches simultaneously and chords actual or implied in Music. Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design especially Visual art and music, where the work is stripped down to its most fundamental features Their simplified lyrics are frequently sung through a vocoder or generated by computer-speech software. A vocoder, ˈvoʊkoʊdər (a Portmanteau of vox/voc ( voice) and encoder) is an analysis / synthesis system mostly used for speech in which the input is A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions. In the mid to late 1970s and the early 1980s, Kraftwerk's distinctive sound was revolutionary for its time, and it has had a lasting impact across nearly all genres of modern popular music. Popular music is Music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more ^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Contents 1 History 2 Members 2.1 Former members 3 Music 4 Live shows 4.1 Early gigs (1970–1974) 4.2 Tours with the quartet line-up (1975–1981) 4.3 1990s and 2000s 4.4 The future 5 Influence on other genres 6 Videography 7 Discography 7.1 Albums 7.2 Compilations 7.3 Singles 7.4 Collaborations 8 Bibliography 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

History

Kraftwerk was founded in 1970 by Florian Schneider (flutes, synthesizers, electro-violin) and Ralf Hütter (electronic organ, synthesizers). Florian Schneider-Esleben (born 7 April 1947, in Düsseldorf, Germany) is one of the founding members of Electronic music band Ralf Hütter (born 20 August 1946 in Krefeld, Germany) is the lead Singer, Keyboardist, and reportedly "band The two had met as students at the Düsseldorf Conservatory in the late 1960s, participating in the German experimental music scene of the time, which the British music press dubbed "Krautrock". Experimental music is a term introduced by composer John Cage in 1955 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Krautrock is a generic name for the Experimental music scene that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s especially in Britain

The duo had originally performed together in a quintet known as Organisation. Organisation was an experimental Krautrock band that was the immediate predecessor of the band Kraftwerk. This ensemble released one album, titled Tone Float for RCA Records in the UK. Tone Float is an LP by the German band Organisation. The album sold few RCA Records (originally The Victor Talking Machine Company, then RCA Victor is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The unit split shortly thereafter. The two began setting up their own private studio in a rented loft in Düsseldorf, which later became known as Kling Klang. Düsseldorf (ˈdʏsəldɔɐf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. For the Liverpool Experimental rock band see Kling Klang (band. Early Kraftwerk line-ups from 1970–1974 fluctuated, as Hütter and Schneider worked with around a half-dozen other musicians over the course of recording three albums and sporadic live appearances; most notably guitarist Michael Rother and drummer Klaus Dinger, who left to form Neu! The input, expertise, and influence of producer/engineer Konrad "Conny" Plank was significant as well. Michael Rother (born September 2, 1950 in Hamburg) is a German experimental Krautrock Musician and Composer Klaus Dinger was a German musician and songwriter most famous for his contributions to the seminal Krautrock outfit Neu!, and his invention of the Motorik Konrad "Conny" Plank (frequently spelled Planck) ( May 3, 1940 in Germany – December 18, 1987 in Cologne Plank worked with many other leading German acts, including members of Can, Neu!, Cluster and Harmonia. Can was a musical group formed in West Germany in 1968 One of the most important Krautrock groups Can had a style grounded in the Experimental rock of Cluster is a German experimental musical group who influenced the development of contemporary popular electronic and Ambient music. Harmonia is a Krautrock supergroup from Germany. They formed as a collaboration between Michael Rother of Neu! and Hans-Joachim Roedelius As a result of his work with Kraftwerk, Plank's studio near Köln became one of the most sought-after studios in the late 1970s. Plank produced the first four Kraftwerk albums, but ceased working with the band after the commercial success of "Autobahn", apparently over a dispute about contracts. " Autobahn " is a song composed in 1974 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider of the German electronic band Kraftwerk, with Emil Schult Painter and graphic artist Emil Schult became a regular collaborator with the band starting in 1973, playing bass guitar and electro-violin. Emil Schult (born 10 October 1946 in Dessau, Germany) is a German painter, Poet and Musician. The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the Schult then went on to design artwork in addition to writing lyrics and accompanying the group on tour.

What is generally regarded as the classic Kraftwerk line-up was formed in 1975, for the Autobahn tour. During this time, the band was presented as a quartet, with Hütter and Schneider joined by Wolfgang Flür and Karl Bartos as electronic percussionists. Karl Bartos (born 31 May, 1952 in Berchtesgaden, Germany) was between 1975 and 1991 along with Wolfgang Flür an electronic This quartet would be the band's public persona for its renowned output of the latter 1970s and early 1980s. Flür had joined the band in 1973, in preparation for a television appearance to promote its third album. The group's striking custom-made electronic percussion pads, played by Flür, made their debut as well. An experimental musical instrument (or custom-made instrument) is a Musical instrument that modifies or extends an existing instrument or class of instruments Bartos also helped to write many of the band's most memorable songs.

The band is notoriously reclusive, as they reject to accept mail and allow no visitors at the Kling Klang Studio. Another notable example of this eccentric behaviour was reported to Johnny Marr of The Smiths by Karl Bartos, who explained that anyone trying to contact the band for collaboration would be told the studio telephone did not have a ringer, since during recording, the band did not like to hear any kind of noise pollution. Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher on 31 October 1963 in Ardwick, Manchester) is an English Guitarist, The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982 Instead, callers were instructed to phone the studio precisely at a certain time, whereupon the phone would be answered by Ralf Hütter, despite never hearing the phone ring. Chris Martin, lead singer of UK group Coldplay, anecdotally recalled, in a late 2007 article in Q about Kraftwerk, the process of requesting permission to sample the melody from the track "Computer Love" in their 2005 release "Talk" from their record X&Y. Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977 is the English lead Singer-songwriter, Pianist, and occasional rhythm Guitarist of the Coldplay TalkColdplay#Is_or_Are_dispute_again Q is a Music Magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, with a circulation of 130179 as of June 2007 " Talk " is a song recorded by English Rock band Coldplay and originally released as the fifth track on their third Album X&Y is the third Studio album by English Alternative rock band Coldplay, released June 6 2005 in the United Kingdom via the record label He recalled writing them a letter and sending it through the lawyers of the respective parties and several weeks later receiving an envelope containing a handwritten reply, which simply said 'yes'.

In 1990, after years of withdrawal from live performance, Kraftwerk began to tour Europe again regularly. In 1998 the group made their first appearances in the United States and Japan since the completion of the Computer World tour in 1981. Computer World ( German version Computerwelt) is a Concept album created by Kraftwerk and released in 1981 Hütter had wanted to play more shows over the years, but the cost and time involved in shipping all of the group's huge analog equipment hindered world tours and travel outside of Europe. The band also ran into problems with customs officials in the Eastern Bloc region, with some of them fearing that the group's older computers at the time would trigger nuclear devices by mistake. During the Cold War, the term Communist Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) was used to refer to the Soviet Union and countries it either controlled or that were During this decade, the band often stated that it was working on new material—though speculation about release dates fell through several times. The growing time between recordings, the rarity of live performances, Hütter and Schneider's alleged obsession with cycling, and the increasingly perfectionist nature of the recording process were the major reasons behind the departure of Flür and soon after Bartos, whose improvisations and song-writing capabilities were an essential part of Kraftwerk's later recordings. Cycling is the use of Bicycles or - less commonly - Unicycles Tricycles Quadricycles and other similar wheeled Human powered vehicles Following the departure of Flür and Bartos, Kling Klang studio personnel Fritz Hilpert and Henning Schmitz have appeared in what some have called the second classic line-up of Kraftwerk, which has been active from late 1991 to the present. For the Liverpool Experimental rock band see Kling Klang (band. Fritz Hilpert, born May 31, 1956 in Germany, is a member of the Electro-pop group Kraftwerk. Henning Schmitz, born December 26, 1953 in Germany, is a member of the electronic / experimental pop band Kraftwerk

In July 1999 the single "Tour de France" was reissued in Europe after it had been out of print for several years. " Tour de France " is a song by Kraftwerk. It was first issued in June 1983 peaking at #22 in the UK singles chart Out of print refers to an item typically a book (see Out of print books) but can include any print or visual media or Sound recording, that is no longer being published It was released for the first time on CD in addition to a repressing of the 12-inch vinyl single. Both versions feature slightly altered artwork that removed the faces of Flür and Bartos from the four man cycling peloton as depicted on the original cover. Also at this time, the group signed a new contract with Sony-ATV Music Publishing. Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC is one of the world's largest music publishing companies The single "Expo 2000", the group's first new song in 13 years, was released in December 1999 and subsequently remixed by contemporary techno musicians such as Underground Resistance and Orbital. Expo 2000 is a song by Kraftwerk. It was originally an A cappella Jingle, a commission for the Hannover Expo 2000 convention Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s Underground Resistance (commonly abbreviated to UR is a musical collective from Detroit, Michigan, in the United States of America Orbital were an English electronic duo consisting of brothers Phil Hartnoll and Paul Hartnoll whose career lasted from 1989 until 2004 This version was released as "Expo Remix" in November 2000. Before this time, the only artists allowed to remix the band's recordings were François Kevorkian and William Orbit. François Kevorkian, alias François K, (born January 10, 1954) is a French DJ, Remixer, producer and Record William Orbit (born on 15 December 1956 as William Mark Wainwright in Shoreditch, Hackney) is an English Musician

In 2000 ex-member Flür published his autobiography in Germany, Ich war ein Roboter. Later English-language editions of the book were titled Kraftwerk: I Was a Robot. The text revealed many previously unreported details about life in the band. This book met with hostility and litigation from Hütter and Schneider, who disputed several of its claims (e. g. , that Flür had built the band's first electronic drum pads) and objected to the public discussion of personal information.

In August 2003 the band released Tour de France Soundtracks, its first album of new material since 1986's Electric Café. Tour de France Soundtracks is a 2003 Album by Kraftwerk. The album was recorded for the one hundreth Anniversary of the first In 2004 a box set titled The Catalogue was planned for release. A box set (sometimes referred to as a boxed set) is a compilation of various musical recordings Films Television programs or other collection The Catalogue ( German title Der Katalog) is a proposed forthcoming Box set consisting of eight albums by Kraftwerk It was to feature remastered editions of the group's albums from 1974's Autobahn to 2003's Tour de France Soundtracks. The item was soon withdrawn from Kraftwerk and EMI's album release schedule. It was only released as a promotional item on CD, which has become a much-wanted item that has often appeared on internet auction sites such as eBay. eBay Inc is an American Internet company that manages eBaycom an Online auction and shopping Website in which people and businesses buy and ^[6] In 2007, the group showed a renewed interest in releasing the collection, although an official street date was not given.

In June 2005 the band's first-ever official live album, Minimum-Maximum, which was compiled from the shows during the band's tour of spring 2004, received extremely positive reviews. Minimum-Maximum is the first official Live album release by Kraftwerk, released on June 6, 2005, almost 35 years after the group Most of the tracks featured had been heavily reworked and remodeled from the existing studio versions. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences In December, the Minimum-Maximum two-DVD set was released to accompany the album, featuring live footage of the band performing the Minimum-Maximum tracks in various venues all over the world. Minimum-Maximum is the first official Live album release by Kraftwerk, released on June 6, 2005, almost 35 years after the group DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is

April 2008 saw the band back on tour in the United States leading up to their previously announced show at the Coachella Festival. ^[7] Florian Schneider did not participate in the lineup of the 2008 US tour. Florian Schneider-Esleben (born 7 April 1947, in Düsseldorf, Germany) is one of the founding members of Electronic music band ^[8] The lineup consisted of Ralf Hütter, Henning Schmitz, Fritz Hilpert, and Stefan Pfaffe. Ralf Hütter (born 20 August 1946 in Krefeld, Germany) is the lead Singer, Keyboardist, and reportedly "band Henning Schmitz, born December 26, 1953 in Germany, is a member of the electronic / experimental pop band Kraftwerk Fritz Hilpert, born May 31, 1956 in Germany, is a member of the Electro-pop group Kraftwerk. In September, the group will play three consecutive dates in Poland. It is not known whether Florian Schneider will be present at these concerts.

Members

• Ralf Hütter – synthesizers, organ, lead vocals
• Florian Schneider – synthesizers, background vocals, computer-generated vocals
• Fritz Hilpert – sound engineering, electronic percussion
• Henning Schmitz – sound engineering, electronic percussion, live keyboards. Ralf Hütter (born 20 August 1946 in Krefeld, Germany) is the lead Singer, Keyboardist, and reportedly "band Florian Schneider-Esleben (born 7 April 1947, in Düsseldorf, Germany) is one of the founding members of Electronic music band Fritz Hilpert, born May 31, 1956 in Germany, is a member of the Electro-pop group Kraftwerk. Henning Schmitz, born December 26, 1953 in Germany, is a member of the electronic / experimental pop band Kraftwerk
• Stefan Pfaffe – video technician (filled in for Florian Schneider on the 2008 US tour)

Former members

• Karl Bartos – electronic percussion (1975–1991), live vibraphone (1975), keyboards on Computer World tour (1981)
• Wolfgang Flür – electronic percussion (1973–1987)

Bartos and Flür are the most widely recognized former members of Kraftwerk; they are featured on the group's most popular recordings. Karl Bartos (born 31 May, 1952 in Berchtesgaden, Germany) was between 1975 and 1991 along with Wolfgang Flür an electronic Other former members include:

• Fernando Abrantes – electronic percussion
• Klaus Röder – guitar, electro-violin
• Emil Schult – guitar, electro-violin (later employed as a painter/graphic designer and lyricist)
• Plato Kostic (a. Fernando Abrantes is a Musician from Portugal. He is a former member of the electronic/experimental pop band Kraftwerk. Klaus Röder (often spelled Roeder is a German musician and music teacher born 7 April 1948 in Stuttgart Germany Emil Schult (born 10 October 1946 in Dessau, Germany) is a German painter, Poet and Musician. k. a. Plato Riviera) – bass guitar.
• Peter Schmidt – drums
• Michael Rother – guitar
• Houschäng Néjadepour – guitar
• Klaus Dinger – drums
• Charly Weiss – drums
• Thomas Lohmann - drums
• Andreas Hohmann – drums
• Eberhard Kranemann – bass guitar

Hohmann, Dinger, and Röder were the only other former members to be featured on any official Kraftwerk recordings. Michael Rother (born September 2, 1950 in Hamburg) is a German experimental Krautrock Musician and Composer Klaus Dinger was a German musician and songwriter most famous for his contributions to the seminal Krautrock outfit Neu!, and his invention of the Motorik Röder has been featured on several bootleg recordings and seen in several TV performances. An unreleased studio recording session produced by Konrad "Conny" Plank, featuring the trio of Schneider, Dinger, and Rother, is rumoured to have taken place. Apparently, these plans were scrapped when Ralf Hütter returned to the group in 1971, before starting the recording sessions for Kraftwerk 2. Kraftwerk 2 is a 1972 album by Kraftwerk. The album was entirely written and performed

Music

Like many other Krautrock bands, Kraftwerk was heavily influenced by the pioneering compositions of Karlheinz Stockhausen; the minimalism and non-R&B rhythms of the Velvet Underground, as well as other radicals of the time, such as Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, and the hyper-adrenalized Stooges. Krautrock is a generic name for the Experimental music scene that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s especially in Britain This article is about the band For their self-titled album see The Velvet Underground (album; for the book see The Velvet Underground (book Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21 1940 – December 4 1993 was an American Composer, Electric guitarist Record producer and Film director James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix) (November 27 1942 – September 18 1970 was an American Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter The Stooges are an American rock band that was active from 1967 to 1974 then reformed in 2003 Hütter has also listed The Beach Boys as a major influence,^[9] which is apparent in its 1975 chart smash, Autobahn. The Beach Boys is an American rock band Formed in 1961 the group gained popularity for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a California Youth culture Hütter stated that the Beach Boys made music that sounded like California, and that Kraftwerk wanted to make music that sounded like Germany. Hütter and Schneider were also fans of soul music and, later, developed an aesthetical affinity for punk rock and American punk icons the Ramones. Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. The Ramones were an American rock band often regarded as the first Punk rock group

Though most famous for its synthpop albums, Kraftwerk began as a Krautrock jam band in the vein of Can or Neu! Its first three albums were more free-form experimental rock without the pop hooks or the more disciplined strong structure of its later work. Synthpop is a subgenre of New Wave and Pop music in which the Synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument Krautrock is a generic name for the Experimental music scene that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s especially in Britain Jam bands (or jambands) are musical groups whose albums and live performances relate to a fan culture which originated with the 1960s group Grateful Dead and continued Can was a musical group formed in West Germany in 1968 One of the most important Krautrock groups Can had a style grounded in the Experimental rock of Kraftwerk, released in 1970, and Kraftwerk 2, released in 1972, were mostly exploratory jam music, played on a variety of traditional instruments including guitar, bass, drums, electric organ, flute and violin. Kraftwerk is the first album by Kraftwerk. It was released in Germany in 1970 produced Kraftwerk 2 is a 1972 album by Kraftwerk. The album was entirely written and performed Post-production modifications to these recordings were then used to distort the sound of the instruments, particularly audio-tape manipulation and multiple dubbings of one instrument on the same track. Both albums are purely instrumental.

With Ralf und Florian, released in 1973, the band began to move closer to its classic sound, relying more heavily on synthesizers and drum machines. Ralf und Florian is a 1973 vinyl album created and produced by the German music group Kraftwerk For the early "drum machine" computers that used a rotating cylinder as their main memory see Drum memory A drum machine is an Although almost entirely instrumental, the album marks Kraftwerk's first use of the vocoder, which would, in time, become one of its musical signatures. A vocoder, ˈvoʊkoʊdər (a Portmanteau of vox/voc ( voice) and encoder) is an analysis / synthesis system mostly used for speech in which the input is

The group's breakthrough, both critically and commercially, came in 1974 with the Autobahn album and its 22-minute title track, featuring the Motorik beat, which was a worldwide hit and demonstrated its increasing reliance on synthesizers and electronics. Autobahn (German for " Freeway " is an album by Kraftwerk, released " Autobahn " is a song composed in 1974 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider of the German electronic band Kraftwerk, with Emil Schult Motorik is a term coined by music Journalists to describe the 4/4 beat often used by some so-called " Krautrock " bands such as Neu! and This preceded a quintet of recorded works that would exert a huge influence on popular music—Radio-Activity (1975), Trans-Europe Express (1977), The Man-Machine (1978), Computer World (1981) and the single, Tour de France (1983). For other uses of "Radio activity" and "radioactivity" see Radioactive (disambiguation. Trans-Europe Express is a 1977 album by German band Kraftwerk. The Man-Machine is a 1978 album by Kraftwerk. It was released in German as Die Mensch-Maschine. Computer World ( German version Computerwelt) is a Concept album created by Kraftwerk and released in 1981 " Tour de France " is a song by Kraftwerk. It was first issued in June 1983 peaking at #22 in the UK singles chart

Kraftwerk's lyrics deal with post-war European urban life and technology—traveling by car on the Autobahn, traveling by train, using home computers, and the like. (German ˈaʊtoːbaːn plural Autobahnen; English /ˈɔːtəʊbɑːn/ is the German word for a major high- Speed Road restricted to motor Usually, the lyrics are very minimal but reveal both an innocent celebration of, and a knowing caution about, the modern world, as well as playing an integral role in the rhythmic structure of the songs. Minimalist music is an originally American genre of experimental or Downtown music named in the 1960s based mostly in consonant harmony, steady Many of Kraftwerk's songs express the paradoxical nature of modern urban life—a strong sense of alienation existing side-by-side with a celebration of the joys of modern technology.

Kraftwerk was one of the first pop-oriented acts to record using pure electronic (or electronically processed) instruments and sounds exclusively. Many of the vocals in its songs are processed through a vocoder or generated using speech-synthesis software. Speech synthesis is the artificial production of human speech. In addition, a Texas Instruments Language Translator^[10] was used to generate synthetic speech on its 1981 album Computer World—not a Speak and Spell as is commonly believed (though its bleeps do occur at the beginning of "Home Computer"). Texas Instruments ( better known in the electronics industry (and popularly as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, USA Computer World ( German version Computerwelt) is a Concept album created by Kraftwerk and released in 1981 ^[11] It also pioneered the use of backing tracks that were generated by the electronic sequencing of purely synthetic sounds.

All of their albums from Trans-Europe Express onward have been recorded in separate versions: one with German vocals for sale in Germany, Switzerland and Austria and one with English vocals for the rest of the world, with occasional variations in other languages when conceptually appropriate. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Tour de France was released in French, along with a limited German edition. " Tour de France " is a song by Kraftwerk. It was first issued in June 1983 peaking at #22 in the UK singles chart French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The German-language versions are Kraftwerk's attempt to provide an alternative to the dominant Anglo-American influence in rock and pop music.

Tour De France Soundtracks, which expanded the concept from the 1983 hit single, was recorded exclusively in French. Tour de France Soundtracks is a 2003 Album by Kraftwerk. The album was recorded for the one hundreth Anniversary of the first

Live shows

Live performance has always played an important part in Kraftwerk's activities. Also, despite its live shows generally being based around formal songs and compositions, live improvisation often plays a noticeable role in its performances. Improvisation (also called extemporization) is the practice of acting singing talking and reacting of making and creating in the moment and in response to the stimulus of This trait can be traced back to the group’s roots in the experimental Krautrock scene of the late 1960s, but, significantly, it has continued to be a part of its playing even as it makes ever greater use of digital and computer-controlled sequencing in its performances. Some of the band's familiar compositions have been observed to have developed from live improvisations at their concerts or sound-checks.

Early gigs (1970–1974)

Early in the group's career, between 1970 and 1974, the group made sporadic live appearances. These shows were mainly in its native Germany, with occasional shows in France, featuring a variety of line-ups. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A few of these performances were for television broadcasts. The only constant figure in these line-ups was Schneider, whose main instrument at the time was the flute; at times also playing violin and guitar, all processed through a varied array of electronic effects. Hütter, who left the band for six months in 1971 to pursue studies in architecture, played synthesizer keyboards (including Farfisa organ and electric piano). The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation Farfisa is a manufacturer of electronics based in Italy The Farfisa brand name is commonly associated with a series of compact Electronic organ, and later a series of multi-timbral An electric piano is an electric Musical instrument. The popularity of the electric piano began to grow in the late 1960s, reaching its greatest height during the Various other musicians who appeared on stage as part of the group during these years included Klaus Dinger (acoustic drums), Andreas Hohmann (acoustic drums), Thomas Lohmann (acoustic drums), Michael Rother (electric guitar), Charly Weiss (drums), Eberhard Kranemann (bass-guitar), Plato Kostic (bass-guitar), Emil Schult (electro-violin, electric guitar) and Klaus Roeder (electric violin, electric guitar). Klaus Dinger was a German musician and songwriter most famous for his contributions to the seminal Krautrock outfit Neu!, and his invention of the Motorik Michael Rother (born September 2, 1950 in Hamburg) is a German experimental Krautrock Musician and Composer Emil Schult (born 10 October 1946 in Dessau, Germany) is a German painter, Poet and Musician. Klaus Röder (often spelled Roeder is a German musician and music teacher born 7 April 1948 in Stuttgart Germany Later performances from 1972–73 were made as a duo, using a simple beat-box-type electronic drum machine, with preset rhythms taken from an electric organ. For the early "drum machine" computers that used a rotating cylinder as their main memory see Drum memory A drum machine is an Later in 1973, Wolfgang Flür joined the group for rehearsals, and the unit performed as a trio on the television show, Aspekte, for German television network WDR. The Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR, officially " Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln " translated "Western German Broadcasting Cologne" is a German

Documentation of this period in the group's history is sparse, with Hütter and Schneider not keen to talk about it in later interviews. A few bootleg recordings are in circulation. A bootleg recording is an audio and/or Video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority The only official released material is its 1971 performance on the German Beat Club TV show, which is available on DVD.

Tours with the quartet line-up (1975–1981)

The year 1975, saw a turning point in Kraftwerk's live shows. With financial support from Phonogram in the US, they were able to undertake a multi-date tour to promote the Autobahn album. Phonogram Records was started in 1962 as a joint venture between Philips Records and Deutsche Grammophon. Autobahn (German for " Freeway " is an album by Kraftwerk, released This tour took them to the US, Canada and the UK for the first time. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The tour also saw a new, stable, live line-up in the form of a quartet. Hütter and Schneider both mainly played keyboard parts on synthesizers such as the MiniMoog and ARP Odyssey, with Schneider's use of flute diminishing. The Minimoog is a monophonic Analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog. The ARP Odyssey was an analog Synthesizer introduced in 1972 Responding to pressure from Moog Music to create a portable affordable (the The pair also sang vocals on stage for the first time, with Schneider also using a vocoder live. A vocoder, ˈvoʊkoʊdər (a Portmanteau of vox/voc ( voice) and encoder) is an analysis / synthesis system mostly used for speech in which the input is Wolfgang Flür and new recruit Karl Bartos performed live electronic percussion using custom-made (and, at the time, unique) sensor pads hit with metal sticks to complete a circuit and trigger analog synthetic percussion circuits (initially cannibalized from the aforementioned organ beat box). Karl Bartos (born 31 May, 1952 in Berchtesgaden, Germany) was between 1975 and 1991 along with Wolfgang Flür an electronic Bartos also used a Deagan Vibraphone on stage. The Hütter-Schneider-Bartos-Flür line-up would remain in place until the late 1980s. Emil Schult generally fulfilled the role of tour manager.

By the late 1970s the band's live set focused increasingly on song-based material, with greater use of vocals, less acoustic instrumentation, and the use of sequencing equipment for percussion and musical lines. The approach taken by the group was to use the sequencing equipment interactively, thus allowing room for improvisation. In 1976, the group went out on tour in support of the Radio-Activity album. As Kraftwerk's trivial status as a "novelty act" began to dissipate in the mainstream US, this tour took Kraftwerk around Europe only, with the foursome making their first stops in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation

This tour also tested out an experimental light-beam activated drum cage allowing Flür to trigger electronic percussion through arm and hand movements. Unfortunately, the device did not work as planned, and it was quickly abandoned. Despite the new innovations in touring, the band took a break from live performances after the Radioactivity tour of 1976. The band did, however, appear on television shows to promote the albums Trans Europe Express and The Man-Machine. Trans-Europe Express is a 1977 album by German band Kraftwerk. The Man-Machine is a 1978 album by Kraftwerk. It was released in German as Die Mensch-Maschine.

The band returned to the live scene with the Computer World tour of 1981, where the band effectively packed up its entire Kling Klang studio and took it on the road with them. Computer World ( German version Computerwelt) is a Concept album created by Kraftwerk and released in 1981 Around this time, Wolfgang Flür was heavily involved in designing customized modular housing and packaging for the group's touring equipment. The band also developed an increasing use of visual elements in the live shows during this period. This included back-projected slides and films, increasingly synchronized with the music as the technology developed, the use of hand-held miniaturized instruments during the set, and, perhaps most famously, the use of replica mannequins of themselves to perform onstage during the song "The Robots. Mannequin (alternately manikin, mannikin, manakin, dummy or lay figure) " The group came back to the US, Canada and the UK; this tour also marked the first time that Kraftwerk had toured in Spain, Poland, Hungary, Japan, Australia, India and China. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

Several bootleg recordings of this period have been widely available, some even in major retail stores, particularly from the Autobahn and Computer World tours. Autobahn (German for " Freeway " is an album by Kraftwerk, released Computer World ( German version Computerwelt) is a Concept album created by Kraftwerk and released in 1981

1990s and 2000s

The completion of the Computer World tour in the winter of 1981, then precipitated an almost decade-long hiatus in Kraftwerk's live activities. The unit did not perform live again until 1990; by this time, Flür had left the band three years earlier and was replaced by Fritz Hilpert. Fritz Hilpert, born May 31, 1956 in Germany, is a member of the Electro-pop group Kraftwerk. A few secret shows took place in Italy in February, which were the last to feature Karl Bartos. The next proper tour was in 1991, for the album The Mix. Again, this tour only took place in Europe. Hütter and Schneider wished to continue the synth-pop quartet style of presentation, and recruited Fernando Abrantes as a replacement for Bartos. Fernando Abrantes is a Musician from Portugal. He is a former member of the electronic/experimental pop band Kraftwerk. Abrantes was dismissed shortly thereafter. In late 1991 Henning Schmitz was brought in to finish the remainder of the tour and to complete a new version of the quartet that still remains active to this day. Henning Schmitz, born December 26, 1953 in Germany, is a member of the electronic / experimental pop band Kraftwerk In 1993, only four shows were played in Germany, Austria and Belgium with The Man-Machine added to the set list.

Kraftwerk laid dormant from the live scene once again until 1997, which saw them headlining at the Tribal Gathering festival in the UK. Tribal Gathering was a dance Music festival that catered for different types of dance music cultures such as Drum and bass, Techno, rave It was the near-legendary success of that show, that led to a two week mini tour in 1998, with the group visiting the US and Japan for the first time since 1981. By this time, the US audience had swelled into a small underground cult following; only major metropolitan cities were visited that were of core interest—Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit, and New York. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous This outing also took the combo to South America for the first time with shows in Brazil and Argentina. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Once again, these were all monumental performances. Three new songs were performed during this period, which remain unreleased to this day. Following this trek, the unit decided to take another break.

In 2002 the band was touring again in Europe and Japan, using four customized Sony VAIO laptop computers, effectively leaving the entire Kling Klang studio at home in Germany. is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with VAIO, originally an Acronym for Video Audio Integrated Operation, but since 2008 amended to Visual Audio Intelligence Organizer to celebrate the A laptop computer, also known as a notebook computer, is a small Personal computer designed for mobile use. The group also obtained a new set of transparent video panels to replace their four large projection screens. This greatly streamlined the running of all of the group's sequencing, sound-generating, and visual-display software. From this point, the band's equipment increasingly reduced manual playing, replacing it with interactive control of sequencing equipment. Hütter retains the most manual performance, still playing selected musical lines by hand on a controller keyboard and singing live vocals and having a repeating ostinato. In Music, an Ostinato (derived from Italian: "stubborn" see also Oscillation) is a motif or phrase which is persistently Much of Schneider's live vocoding has been replaced by software-controlled speech-synthesis techniques.

In January 2003, prior to the release of the album, Tour de France Soundtracks, the group performed in Australia at several dates on the Big Day Out festival; this was also their latest visit to the region since 1981. The Big Day Out ( BDO) is an annual Music festival that tours Australia and New Zealand which originated in Sydney in 1992 A show was also played for the first time in New Zealand. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island In November, the group made a surprising appearance at the MTV European Music Awards in Edinburgh, Scotland featuring a visually stunning performance of Aerodynamik. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. In 2004 the band toured in support of Tour de France Soundtracks. In addition to all of its usual stops, Kraftwerk ventured to Canada once again for the first time since 1981, and explored previously untouched regions of the globe, as the quartet made its first visits to Iceland, Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Slovenia, Ireland, Portugal, Chile and Mexico. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The group also visited US cities Seattle and Miami for the first time, with the latter region's famous "Miami Bass" sound heavily influenced by the combination of Kraftwerk, hip hop and electro music. Miami bass (also known as booty music, a term that may also include other genres such as Dirty rap) is a type of Hip hop music that became Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Electro ( electro-boogie, electro-funk) is a Genre of Electronic music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 and Funk

In 2005 the group released its first official live album, Minimum-Maximum, recorded on the aforementioned 2004 world tour. Minimum-Maximum is the first official Live album release by Kraftwerk, released on June 6, 2005, almost 35 years after the group In support of this release, Kraftwerk made another quick sweep around the globe, with more first visits in Serbia, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and Greece. Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian The Republic of Macedonia (Република Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία In December, the DVD release of Minimum-Maximum was made available. Minimum-Maximum is a double DVD created by Kraftwerk, consisting of live shows performed during their 2004 world tour

In 2006 a small number of festivals were played in Norway, the Czech Republic, Spain, Belgium and Germany. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The songs, Showroom Dummies and Computer Love were added to the set list. This was the first time that Showroom Dummies had been played live since 1981.

The future

Most recently Kraftwerk was announced as a headlining act at the 2008 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly known as Coachella) is a three-day (formerly a one or two-day annual music and arts festival organized by Goldenvoice This was their second appearance at the festival since 2004. The group performed on the evening of April 26, 2008. At the end of the Song "Radioactivity", "Tschernobyl: April 26th 1986" was added to the Background video.

Prior to the performance at Coachella, Kraftwerk played three shows in US cities Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and Denver. The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States The touring quartet consisted of Ralf Hutter, Henning Schmitz, Fritz Hilpert and video technician Stefan Pfaffe. Ralf Hütter (born 20 August 1946 in Krefeld, Germany) is the lead Singer, Keyboardist, and reportedly "band Henning Schmitz, born December 26, 1953 in Germany, is a member of the electronic / experimental pop band Kraftwerk Fritz Hilpert, born May 31, 1956 in Germany, is a member of the Electro-pop group Kraftwerk. Florian Schneider was curiously absent from the lineup. Florian Schneider-Esleben (born 7 April 1947, in Düsseldorf, Germany) is one of the founding members of Electronic music band It is unknown what Schneider's status in the group is at this point in time. ^[12]
Three new live dates have been added in Kraków, Poland at the sixth Sacrum Profanum Festival. Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland These shows will take place at the Old Lenin Factory from September 19–21, 2008 as revealed on the group's website and MySpace page. MySpace is a popular social networking Website offering an interactive user-submitted network of friends personal profiles blogs groups photos music and

Influence on other genres

Kraftwerk’s releases in the 1970s and early 1980s, most significantly Radio-Activity (1975), Trans-Europe Express (1977), The Man-Machine (1978) and Computer World (1981) - directly influenced and continues to inspire many popular artists from many diverse generes of music.

One of the first major recording artists to claim a direct influence from Kraftwerk's music was David Bowie. David Bowie (ˈboʊiː born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 is an English Musician, actor producer, and arranger. Part of this can be heard in his series of albums, starting with Station To Station and continuing with the Berlin Trilogy - Low, "Heroes", and Lodger. Station to Station is the tenth Studio album by English musician David Bowie, released by record label RCA in 1976 Low is a 1977 album by British musician David Bowie. Widely regarded as one of his most influential releases Low was the first of the " Berlin "Heroes" (the quotation marks are part of the title for reasons of irony is an album by David Bowie, released in 1977 Lodger is an album by British singer-songwriter David Bowie, released in 1979 Iggy Pop's association with Bowie during this period would result in the classic albums, Lust For Life and The Idiot. James Newell Osterberg Jr (born April 21, 1947) better known by his Stage name Iggy Pop, is an American rock singer Songwriter Kraftwerk were mutual fans of both artists, name-dropping them in the lyrics of their 1977 single, Trans-Europe Express. Name dropping is the practice of mentioning important people or institutions into a Conversation, Story, Song or other communication

Following this, were the artists in the new rock and dance music scenes that were developing in the US, Europe and Japan. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. A large number of them borrowed heavily from Kraftwerk; not only musically, but also in terms of image and ideals. This can be seen and heard in a wide variety of artists such as Gary Numan, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Human League, Depeche Mode, Devo, Joy Division, Telex, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Giorgio Moroder, New Order, Front 242, Cabaret Voltaire, Rammstein (who also did a cover of "Das Modell" which was an original song by Kraftwerk), Nine Inch Nails, Kent, Art of Noise, Yello, Ultravox, Visage and Thomas Dolby. Gary Numan (born Gary Anthony James Webb on 8 March 1958 is an English singer composer and musician Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (often abbreviated to OMD) are a Synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula Depeche Mode (dəˌpɛʃˈmoʊd are an English Electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. Devo (pronounced DEE-vo (IPA /'diːvoʊ/) or dee-VO (IPA /diː'voʊ/) often spelled "DEVO" or "DEV-O" is an American Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO is an influential Japanese Electropop band formed in 1978 Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder (born on April 26 1940 in Urtijëi, Italy) is an Italian Record producer, songwriter New Order are an English rock group formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner ( vocals, Guitars Synthesizers, Peter Hook Front 242 is a pioneering Belgian Electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s Cabaret Voltaire were a British music group from Sheffield, England. Rammstein (ˈʀamʃtaɪ̯n is a German Industrial metal band founded in Berlin, and consisting of Till Lindemann ( lead vocals Kent is a Swedish band founded in Eskilstuna in 1990, with the name Coca-Cola Kids, later Jones & Giftet (Jones & Art of Noise were an Avant-garde Synthpop group formed in 1983 by producer Trevor Horn, music journalist Paul Morley, and session Yello is a Swiss Electronica band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank. Ultravox (formerly Ultravox!) were a British New Wave band that rose to prominence in the late 1970s/early 1980s Visage is a British pop band Formed in 1978 the band became closely linked to the burgeoning New Romantic movement of the early 1980s Thomas Dolby (born Thomas Morgan Robertson, on 14 October 1958) is an English Musician, producer and inventor

In addition to David Bowie, Kraftwerk has also turned down offers to collaborate with Michael Jackson and Elton John. Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer ^[13]

Afrika Bambaataa’s Planet Rock (1982) was a major defining hit for hip hop and the birth of electro music. Afrika Bambaataa (born Kevin Donovan on April 17, 1957) is an American DJ from the South Bronx, who was instrumental in the " Planet Rock " is a 1982 song by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Electro ( electro-boogie, electro-funk) is a Genre of Electronic music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 and Funk The song contains elements of Trans-Europe Express and Numbers. Legal action was pursued and won against Bambaataa for his strong use of these particular sounds and melodies without giving proper credit to the group. Since the lawsuit, proper credit is now given on the song’s writing credits. Numerous artists have continued to sample and pilfer various elements from Kraftwerk's catalog. In Music, sampling is the act of taking a portion or sample, of one Sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or element of a new recording

The influence of Kraftwerk’s distinctive use of synthesizers, drum machine rhythms, and heavily effected vocals can also be heard on early Detroit techno records. Detroit techno is an early style of electronic music beginning in 1980s Detroit techno artists Derrick May and Juan Atkins tried to replicate Kraftwerk’s sound on early techno records such as Cybotron’s Clear (1983), Model 500’s No UFOs (1985), and Derrick May’s Nude Photo (1986). Derrick May, also known as Mayday and Rhythim is Rhythim, is an Electronic musician from Detroit Michigan U Juan Atkins (born December 9, 1962) is an American musician He is widely credited as the originator of Techno music specifically Juan Atkins (born December 9, 1962) is an American musician He is widely credited as the originator of Techno music specifically

Kraftwerk was also a strong influence in the genre of Chicago House Music. House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Keith Farley's (Farley "Jackmaster" Funk of the Hot Mix 5) recordings, Funkin With the Drums Again, pays homage to Kraftwerk's Home Computer and It's More Fun to Compute, which are cult classics in Chicago's House music history. Keith Farley (born Farley Keith Williams January 25 1962, Chicago, Illinois) is a DJ and Record producer of Chicago

While touring after the release of Astronaut in 2005, Duran Duran would signify its arrival on stage by playing The Robots. Astronaut is an Album by British band Duran Duran, first released on October 11, 2004 (see 2004 in music Duran Duran are an English Pop rock band famous for a long series of popular singles, albums and vivid Music videos for which they've won two This track appeared on the album Nick Rhodes and John Taylor present Only After Dark (2006). When Duran Duran played Broadway in November 2007, and the Lyceum in London in December 2007, it performed "Showroom Dummies" as part of its Electro-set. Duran Duran are an English Pop rock band famous for a long series of popular singles, albums and vivid Music videos for which they've won two Each band member used electronic instruments—Nick and John used a Korg Radias and Simon used a microKorg.

The band has also had an influence on celtic fusion most notably in the use of electronic sounds to complement traditional instruments in the music of bands such as the Peatbog Faeries, whose fourth album was called Croftwork and featured the track Trans-Island Express. Celtic fusion is an umbrella term for modern music which incorporates influences considered "Celtic" or Celtic music which incorporates modern music The Peatbog Faeries are a Celtic fusion band Formed in 1994 they are based on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Croftwork is the fourth album by Scottish Celtic fusion group Peatbog Faeries, recorded in Roag on the Isle of Skye, and released in 2005

A petition for the induction of Kraftwerk into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was recently created, through PetitionOnline. A petition is a request to change some thing most commonly made to a government official or public entity The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States PetitionOnline is an Internet petition service owned and trademarked by Artifice Inc They have been eligible for induction since 1996. ^[14] However, there has been no formal consideration, by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's committee. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States

Videography

See The Official Kraftwerk Video Page at http://www.kraftwerk.tv and links below.

• 1974 : Autobahn
• 1975 : Radio-Activity [2]
• 1975 : Antenna [3]
• 1977 : Trans-Europe Express [4]
• 1978 : The Robots [5]
• 1978 : The Model [6]
• 1979 : Neon Lights [7]
• 1981 : Pocketcalculator [8] [9]
• 1982 : Showroom Dummies (Remix)
• 1983 : Tour de France [10]
• 1986 : Music Non-Stop [11]
• 1987 : The Telephone Call [12]
• 1991 : The Robots 1991 [13]
• 1991 : Radio-Activity (William Orbit Remix) [14]
• 2000 : Expo 2000
• 2000 : Expo 2000 (DJ Rolando Remix)
• 2003 : Tour de France 2003
• 2004 : Aerodynamik @ MTV EMA 2003
• 2005 : Minimum-Maximum (promo video)

Discography

This discography focuses on Kraftwerk's English-language releases. Alternative-language versions are also noted. Chart positions are given for the United Kingdom and United States America. UK chart positions are taken from the Guinness Book of Hit Singles. USA chart positions are taken from the Billboard Hot 100 Web site (http://www.billboard.com/).

For more information on individual releases including track listings and label details see Kraftwerk discography. Although they began as performers of improvised live music in the early 1970s Kraftwerk ’s main body of work consists primarily of studio recordings released mostly as Concept albums

For country specific releases such as items released in South America and Eastern Europe visit [15].

Albums

• 1970: Tone Float (as Organisation)
• 1970: Kraftwerk
• 1972: Kraftwerk 2
• 1973: Ralf und Florian
• 1974: Autobahn
• 1975: Radio-Activity (German version: Radio-Aktivität)
• 1977: Trans-Europe Express (German version: Trans-Europa Express)
• 1978: The Man-Machine (German version: Die Mensch-Maschine)
• 1981: Computer World (German version: Computerwelt)
• 1986: Electric Café (German version: Electric Café [Deutsche Version])
• 1991: The Mix (album of re-recorded back-catalogue - German version: The Mix [Deutsche Version])
• 2003: Tour de France Soundtracks
• 2004: The Catalogue (German version: Der Katalog) PROMOTIONAL ONLY (remastered box set of albums from 1974 to 2003)
• 2005: Minimum-Maximum (live album – 2 CDs/4 LPs, 2 DVDs, also available as a special edition Notebook with an 88-page book)

Notes:
The only difference between the Radio-Activity and Radio-Aktivität albums is the packaging. Tone Float is an LP by the German band Organisation. The album sold few Organisation was an experimental Krautrock band that was the immediate predecessor of the band Kraftwerk. Kraftwerk is the first album by Kraftwerk. It was released in Germany in 1970 produced Kraftwerk 2 is a 1972 album by Kraftwerk. The album was entirely written and performed Ralf und Florian is a 1973 vinyl album created and produced by the German music group Kraftwerk Autobahn (German for " Freeway " is an album by Kraftwerk, released For other uses of "Radio activity" and "radioactivity" see Radioactive (disambiguation. Trans-Europe Express is a 1977 album by German band Kraftwerk. The Man-Machine is a 1978 album by Kraftwerk. It was released in German as Die Mensch-Maschine. Computer World ( German version Computerwelt) is a Concept album created by Kraftwerk and released in 1981 The Mix is a 1991 Album by Kraftwerk. It featured newly arranged re-recorded versions of a selection of songs which had originally appeared on Tour de France Soundtracks is a 2003 Album by Kraftwerk. The album was recorded for the one hundreth Anniversary of the first The Catalogue ( German title Der Katalog) is a proposed forthcoming Box set consisting of eight albums by Kraftwerk Mastering, a form of audio Post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a Data storage device A box set (sometimes referred to as a boxed set) is a compilation of various musical recordings Films Television programs or other collection Minimum-Maximum is the first official Live album release by Kraftwerk, released on June 6, 2005, almost 35 years after the group The music on both albums is identical.

Tour De France Soundtracks was only released in French.

Compilations

Kraftwerk has never authorized any best-of albums; however, the group's former record companies often put together compilations of old material to cash in on the band's growing popularity, particularly during the early 1980s. A number of these releases can be found here in the following link [16], as they are too numerous to list here.

Singles

• 1973: Kohoutek-Kometenmelodie
• 1974: Comet Melody 2 (German version: Kometenmelodie 2)
• 1975: Autobahn (UK #11 USA #25)
• 1976: Radio-Activity (German version: Radioaktivität)
• 1977: Trans-Europe Express (German version: Trans-Europa Express' - USA #67')
• 1977: Showroom Dummies (French version: Les Mannequins)
• 1978: The Robots (German version: Die Roboter)
• 1978: The Model (German version: Das Model)
• 1979: Neon Lights (UK #53)
• 1981: Pocket Calculator (German version: Taschenrechner - Japanese version: Dentaku - French version: Mini Calculateur - UK #39)
• 1981: Computer Love (UK #36)
• 1981: The Model (Reissue - UK #1)
• 1982: Computerwelt (Remix) [German only release]
• 1982: Showroom Dummies (Remix - UK #25)
• 1983: Tour de France (Released in German and French versions - UK #22)
• 1984: Tour de France (Remix - Released in German and French versions - UK #24)
• 1986: Musique Non-Stop (UK #82)
• 1987: The Telephone Call (German version: Der Telefon Anruf - UK #89)
• 1991: The Robots (Re-recorded version from "The Mix" - German version: Die Roboter - UK #20)
• 1991: Radioactivity (Re-recorded version from "The Mix" - German version: Radioaktivität - UK #43)
• 1999: Tour de France (Reissue - Released in French only - UK #61)
• 1999: Expo 2000 (UK #27)
• 2000: Expo Remix (various remixes)
• 2003: Tour de France 2003 (UK #20)
• 2003: Aerodynamik (UK #33)
• 2003: Elektro-Kardiogramm (Radio Mix - Promo Only)
• 2007: Aerodynamik/La Forme (Remixed by Hot Chip)

Collaborations

• 2001: Zero Landmine - EP - with Ryuichi Sakamoto and others

Bibliography

• 1994 : "Kraftwerk: Man, Machine and Music" by Pascal Bussy
• 1998 : "Kraftwerk: From Düsseldorf to the Future" by Tim Barr
• 1999 : "Kraftwerk: I Was a Robot" by Wolfgang Flür
• 2000 : "A Short Introduction to Kraftwerk" by Vanni Neri & Giorgio Campani
• 2002 : "Kraftwerk: The Music Makers" by Albert Koch
• 2005 : "Kraftwerk Photobook" by Kraftwerk (included in the Minimum-Maximum Notebook set)

See also

• Organisation - Tone Float
• Señor Coconut - El Baile Alemán
• 8-Bit Operators: The Music of Kraftwerk

References

External links

Official Kraftwerk links:

• Kraftwerk.com—The official Kraftwerk Web site.
• Kraftwerk on MySpace—The official Kraftwerk MySpace page.
• Capitolmusic.de—Capitol/EMI Records' Kraftwerk web site (Germany).
• Astralwerks Records—Kraftwerk web site of its US label.

Other associates:

• emilschult.com—Web site of artist Emil Schult.
• Klaus-Roeder.org—Website of avant-garde Western classical guitarist Klaus Röder, former Kraftwerk member.
• Early Kraftwerk—Former associate Eberhard Kranemann reminisces about the Düsseldorf music scene during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Further information:

• Technopop—Official Kraftwerk Fan Site.
• Kraftwerk FAQ.com—The Kraftwerk FAQ: Frequently asked questions and answers.
• Kraftwerk International Discography—Comprehensive list of official releases worldwide.
• Kraftwerk at Discogs
• Kraftwerk Influence— Web site displaying an extensive list of artists and releases that sample or recreate Kraftwerk's music. Discogs, short for discographies, is a Website and Database of information about Music Recordings including commercial releases promotional
• BBC Radio 1 Kraftwerk documentary—2006 Kraftwerk documentary on BBC Radio 1, with Alex Kapranos
• www.kraftwerk.it—Italian Kraftwerk Fan Site. Alex Kapranos ( Greek: Άλεξ Καπράνος born Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley, March 20, 1972 in Almondsbury, Gloucestershire

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