Kraftwerk

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Düsseldorf, Germany (1970 – present)

Kraftwerk (“power plant” in English) is an band founded in 1970 in Düsseldorf, Germany. They pioneered electronic music in the and are considered one of the most important and influential bands of their genre, often described as “the godfathers of electronic music”. Kraftwerk’ sound is minimalistic and strictly electronic; it combines driving, repetitive rhythms with catchy melodies and vocals usually sung through a vocoder. The current line-up consists of Ralf Hütter (the only original member), Fritz Hilpert, Henning Schmitz and Stefan Pfaffe. The other founding member Florian Schneider left the band in 2008.

Ralf Hütter (born 1946, Krefeld, Germany) and Florian Schneider (born 1947, Düsseldorf, Germany) met while they were studying improvised music in Düsseldorf, Germany. In 1967 Ralf Hütter (organ), Florian Schneider (violin, flute), Basil Hammoudi (vocals), Butch Hauf (bass) and Fred Monics (drums) formed the group Organisation, released the album Tone Float and split shortly thereafter. The album features repetitive percussion and bass drum patterns embellished with guitar, flute, violin and organ.

After disbanding Organisation, Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider adopted the name Kraftwerk. Early Kraftwerk line-ups from 1970–1974 fluctuated, as Hütter and Schneider worked with around a half-dozen other musicians, most notably Andreas Hohmann (drums; 1970), Houschäng Néjadepour (guitar; 1970), Charly Weiss (drums; 1970/71), Eberhard Kranemann (cello, bass, hawaii-guitar; 1970/71), Klaus Röder (electric guitar, electronic violin; 1974), Michael Rother (guitar; 1970-71) and Klaus Dinger (drums; 1970-71).
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  • hungry_mouth

    Kraf-twerk

    8 May 7:38pm Reply

  • Dr-Doctor

    I have never looked at synthesizers the same way since I heard this band.

    6 May 11:39pm Reply

  • Sylph678

    .-. .- -.. .. —- .- -.-. - .. ...- .. - -..-- Radioactivity is in the air for you and me.

    6 May 2:28pm Reply

  • mutinyonark

    by in large one of the most influential bands of all time, Elvis status

    4 May 12:54pm Reply

  • Akuro27

    Geniuses

    2 May 12:51pm Reply

  • Chadipoo

    truly majestic

    29 Apr 5:28pm Reply

  • Biz-is-goin-off

    THE inventors of electronic music !

    25 Apr 8:10pm Reply

  • Vocoder1000

    new album please

    19 Apr 5:06pm Reply

  • zastranienie

    we <3 kraftwerk 2 read about us on our official website and for most recent updates subscribe to us on facebook and youtube. our latest release is available only on bandcamp http://zastranienie.org http://www.facebook.com/zastranienie

    16 Apr 5:19pm Reply

  • Lord_DeviL_

    .•*¨*•♫♪•<❤>_♪♫ॐ•_•ॐ♫♪+<❤>•♪♫•*¨*•.¸ зашибись)

    16 Apr 11:24am Reply

  • bielnikk

    https://www.facebook.com/ClassicRockSzkockaIPapieros Check this page!

    10 Apr 9:16am Reply

  • newcucabeludo

    The starting point of my electronic music interest. The man-machine is awesome.

    4 Apr 9:47pm Reply

  • sunheadbowed

    You aren't being bitter by claiming T in the Park is the worst festival ever. I dunno about a gathering for "students", since students attend all music festivals, and many of them know a lot about music, but you are accurate about T in the Park attendees having no knowledge of music -- no one attends T in the Park for the music, it's a tedious piss-up to a soundtrack of post-Britpop arena cunts. The fact that Kraftwerk are playing is absolutely hilarious, and it would be priceless to see how the crowd react to it, but there is no way I would attend that festival ever. I had the same problem with the equally bizarre inclusion of Sonic Youth back in like 2002/2003.

    2 Apr 8:09am Reply

  • Steambull

    I love the title track of "Radio-aktivität," but haven't learned to love the rest of the album. A whole lot of bleeps. Trans Europa Express and Computerwelt are the best albums, both in a very different way. Die Mensch·Maschine is OK, need to try get more into it. The video for The Robots is great, though,

    27 Mar 12:26am Reply

  • Chadipoo

    VE AH DAH ROBOTS

    23 Mar 2:44am Reply

  • adrianomozzo

    Pioners!

    20 Mar 9:55pm Reply

  • MinimalIllusion

    Tour De France '03 - Version 3 Brilliant song.

    19 Mar 1:30pm Reply

  • alin1

    Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) about Kraftwerk & Neu!: "I think the real change in terms of deepening our listening habits came with music from Germany, when we formed Depeche Mode at around age seventeen. Things like Kraftwerk and Neu! were available for those who really, really searched. It wasn’t everywhere, you know. So when somebody had a copy of Man-Machine, they shared it. Or they traded amongst friends for something else. Music was a world unto itself". http://www.electronicbeats.net/2013/03/12/through-that-darkness-youll-find-the-light-a-j-samuels-interviews-depeche-modes-dave-gahan/

    12 Mar 4:19pm Reply

  • atmozfer

    inventors

    12 Mar 12:35pm Reply

  • carsten_doig

    Yeah, perhaps I am being a bit objective and bitter by labelling it as 'worst festival ever'. I just couldn't suffer through the rest of the festival and the crowd just to se them. Their appearance does seem a bit incongrous so I guess it is down to money.

    1 Mar 1:26pm Reply
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