Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk is an electronic band formed in Germany in the 1970’s.  The image of the band is somewhat different than that of other bands of the time.  The members of Kraftwerk were never really individually known and they were one of the first groups to form their image solely around their music.  As far as their physical presentation, they wore formal suits and ties and cut their hair very short.  They also gave the camera stern and cold looks in all of their videos and photographs.  This formed a unique image for the band and helped them stand out and start a revolution.

In 1974, Kraftwerk released Autobahn.  The first side of this record was one song, Autobahn, which lasted over 20 minutes.  This is the side that the album is mostly known for and showed clear musical direction and intent.  The second side of the album was a compilation of shorter songs that were more experimental and did not catch the public’s attention as much as the first side.  The album’s theme was that of the road and driving.  It also hold meaning to the fact that even though Hitler had carried out horrific acts of hatred, he did in fact do some good, like build the Autobahn.

After Autobahn, Kraftwerk released Trans-Europe Express.  This is the album that made them much more mainstream and known to the public.  The concept of this album was traveling by train across Europe.  The whole album is a natural progression as the listener is taken from place to place and meets different people along the way.  The music on the album is actually made to sound like a train rolling down the tracks, and it has a sort of motoring quality to it.  This was a very groundbreaking album for Kraftwerk because they were able to mold a new type of music into a flawless concept album.

The next album they released was called Man Machine, and it was possibly the most poppy sounding album they came out with.  Much of their fan-base did not accept this album with open arms because they felt as though Kraftwerk was selling out.  By this time, their music had become completely de-humanized and the band seemed to take on the role of robots.  The music was very mechanical and even the singing did not sound like a human voice anymore.  The whole theme of the album was to make it seem as though robots were making the music. 

In 1981, Kraftwerk released Computer World.  The computerized theme of this album was spawned by the early advent of computers, and foresaw the digital age of the future.  By this time, there were many other bands and musicians that were making electronic music, so the concept of the album was the real ground breaking thing about it.  Kraftwerk was able to see that the digital age was going to envelope the world and the future of the world was in computers.  This inspired a new generation of electronic musicians.

I definitely enjoy listening to Kraftwerk.  Some of the songs are weird and quirky, but I appreciate how new and groundbreaking all of it was.  The fact that these electronic instruments were still being built and experimented with while making these albums is a testament to the creativity and hard work that Krafwerk put into their music.  I have always found electronic music interesting, and it is fun to study and listen to its origins.