Kraftwerk
In 1970, two students named Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter met at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf. They began playing together as part of a group called Organisation that released one album titled Tone Float on RCA Records. The band split shortly after that release. Schneider decided to buy a synthesizer later that same year while visiting an exhibition about visual artists Gilbert and George. He saw two men wearing suits and ties claiming to bring art into everyday life. That image inspired him and Hütter to form Kraftwerk and bring everyday life into their own art. Early lineups fluctuated wildly with around six other musicians joining for three albums and sporadic live shows. Guitarist Michael Rother and drummer Klaus Dinger left to form Neu! before the band solidified. The only constant figure was Schneider who played flute, violin, and guitar through electronic devices. Hütter left for eight months to finish university studies while playing synthesizers and keyboards including Farfisa organ and electric piano. The group released two free-form experimental rock albums titled Kraftwerk in 1970 and Kraftwerk 2 in 1972. These recordings were mostly improvisations using traditional instruments like drums and bass alongside audio-tape manipulation. Live performances from 1972 to 1973 occurred mostly as a duo using a simple beat-box-type drum machine with preset rhythms taken from an electric organ. Wolfgang Flür joined the group in 1973 for rehearsals and they performed as a trio on the television show Aspekte for German network ZDF. With Ralf & Florian released in 1973, Kraftwerk began relying more heavily on synthesizers and drum machines. The album marked their first use of the vocoder in the song Ananas Symphonie which became one of its musical signatures. Producer Konrad Plank worked closely with them during these early years at his studio near Cologne.
Autobahn arrived in 1974 and saw Kraftwerk moving away from the sound of its first three albums. Hütter and Schneider invested in newer technology such as the Minimoog and the EMS Synthi AKS to give themselves a disciplined new sound. Autobahn peaked at number 5 in the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart after commercial success in the US. They updated their studio to lessen reliance on outside producers while painter Emil Schult became a regular collaborator designing artwork and cowriting lyrics. A tour to promote Autobahn took them to the US Canada and UK for the first time with financial support from Phonogram Inc. The year 1975 marked a turning point where Hütter and Schneider started singing live for the first time while Schneider processed his voice with a vocoder. Wolfgang Flür and new recruit Karl Bartos performed on home-made electronic percussion instruments alongside Bartos using a Deagan vibraphone on stage. Radio-Activity followed in 1976 earning them a gold disc in France despite being less commercially successful than Autobahn in the UK and United States. Trans-Europe Express released in March 1977 was mixed at Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles. An extravagant train journey served as a press conference by EMI France for that album's release. The Man-Machine arrived in May 1978 recorded at Kling Klang Studio and mixed at Studio Rudas in Düsseldorf. The cover featured the quartet dressed in red shirts and black ties photographed by Gunther Frohling inspired by Russian artist El Lissitzky. Computer World came out in May 1981 on EMI Records after three years of no other releases or tours. Much of the recording time spent modifying the studio to make it portable so they could take it on tour. Some electronic vocals were generated using a Texas Instruments language translator. The single The Model reached number one in the UK making it their most successful song there. The band effectively packed up its entire Kling Klang studio and took it along on the road during the Computer World tour of 1981.
Kraftwerk pushed limits throughout their career with notable innovations like home-made instruments and custom-built devices. Florian Schneider developed a fascination with music technology until technical aspects became his main field of activity within the band. They used a custom-built vocoder on albums Ralf & Florian and Autobahn constructed by engineers P. Leunig and K. Obermayer of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Braunschweig. Hütter and Schneider received a patent for an electronic drum kit with sensor pads filed in July 1975 and issued in June 1977. It had to be hit with metal sticks connected to the device to complete a circuit triggering analog synthetic percussion sounds. The band first performed publicly with this device in 1973 on the television program Aspekte where Wolfgang Flür played it. They created drum machines for Autobahn and Trans-Europe Express. On the Radio-Activity tour in 1976 Kraftwerk tested out an experimental light-beam-activated drum cage allowing Flür to trigger electronic percussion through arm and hand movements. The device did not work as planned so they quickly abandoned it. That same year Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider commissioned Bonn-based Synthesizerstudio Bonn Matten & Wiechers to design the Synthanorma Sequenzer with Intervallomat. This was a 4×8 / 2×16 / 1×32 step-sequencer system offering features commercial products could not provide at that time. Since 2002 live performances have been conducted using virtual technology like software replicating original analogue or digital equipment. Fritz Hilpert noted that mobility of music technology and reliability of notebooks simplified complex touring setups. They generate all sounds on laptops in real time manipulating them with controller maps. Every tool imaginable is within immediate reach or just a few mouse clicks away on the Internet.
Kraftwerk returned to live performance with the Computer World tour of 1981 where they effectively packed up their entire Kling Klang studio and took it along on the road. It made greater use of live visuals including back-projected slides and films synchronized with the music as technology developed. Hand-held miniaturized instruments appeared during the set alongside replica mannequins of themselves performing on stage during The Robots song. After years of withdrawal from live performance Kraftwerk began to tour Europe more frequently starting with secret shows in Italy in February 1990. Karl Bartos left shortly afterwards before the next proper tour occurred in 1991 for the album The Mix. Hütter and Schneider recruited Fernando Abrantes as replacement for Bartos though he left shortly after. Long-time sound engineer Henning Schmitz finished the remainder of the tour completing a new quartet active until 2008. In July 1999 the single Tour de France was reissued in Europe by EMI after being out of print for several years. Both versions featured slightly altered artwork removing faces of Flür and Bartos from the four-man cycling paceline depicted on original cover. In August 2003 the band released Tour de France Soundtracks its first album of new material since 1986's Electric Café. Before release they started the extensive Minimum-Maximum world tour using four customized Sony VAIO laptop computers leaving the entire Kling Klang studio at home in Germany. They obtained transparent video panels replacing large projection screens streamlining sequencing sound-generating and visual-display software. From this point equipment increasingly reduced manual playing replacing it with interactive control of sequencing equipment. Ralf Hütter retained most manual performance still playing musical lines by hand on controller keyboard singing live vocals having repeating ostinato. Schneider's live vocoding replaced by software-controlled speech-synthesis techniques. In April 2008 the group played three shows in US cities Minneapolis Milwaukee and Denver coheadlining Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Music journalist Neil McCormick called Kraftwerk possibly the most influential group in pop history while NME stated The Beatles and Kraftwerk may not have ring of The Beatles and Stones but these are two most important bands in music history. AllMusic wrote their music resonates in virtually every new development impacting contemporary pop scene of late 20th century. Their style heard in 1980s synth-pop groups including Gary Numan Ultravox John Foxx Visage Simple Minds Human League Soft Cell Yellow Magic Orchestra. Depeche Mode composer Martin Gore said for anyone involved in electronic music Kraftwerk were godfathers. Daniel Miller founder of Mute Records purchased vocoder used by Kraftwerk comparing it to owning guitar Jimi Hendrix used on Purple Haze. Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys founding members of Orchestral Manoeuvres in Dark OMD stated Kraftwerk was major reference on early work covering Neon Lights on Sugar Tax album. Kraftwerk influenced hip hop house drum and bass regarded as pioneers of electro genre. Karl Hyde of Underworld referenced Kraftwerk as prominent influence. Trans Europe Express and Numbers interpolated into Planet Rock by Afrika Bambaataa Soul Sonic Force one of earliest hip-hop/electro hits. Techno created by three musicians from Detroit often referred to Belleville three Juan Atkins Kevin Saunderson Derrick May fused repetitive melodies of Kraftwerk with funk rhythms. Electronic band Ladytron inspired by The Model when composing debut single He Took Her to a Movie. Aphex Twin noted Kraftwerk as biggest influences citing Computer World very influential album towards his music. Björk cited band as main musical influence. In 1989 sped up version of Electric Café began appearing theme song for Saturday Night Live sketches called Sprockets German television spoof by Mike Myers. A 1996 episode of sitcom Father Ted briefly featured live musical performance by Fr Tiernan Fr Rafter Fr Cafferty Fr Leonard whose music stage presence heavily inspired by Kraftwerk. The 1998 comedy The Big Lebowski features fictional band Autobahn parodying Kraftwerk and their 1974 record Autobahn.
In May or June 1982 during recording of Tour de France Ralf Hütter involved in serious cycling accident suffering head injuries remaining coma several days. During 1983 Wolfgang Flür spending less time studio since using sequencers role drummer becoming less frequent preferring traveling girlfriend. Flür experiencing artistic difficulties touring world as drummer in 1981 playing does not appear that year's Computer World nor on 1986 album Electric Café. In 1987 he made last appearance with band in Telephone Call music video declining perform Italian concerts 1990 replaced on-stage by Fritz Hilpert. Karl Bartos left band shortly after secret shows Italy February 1990. Next proper tour 1991 for album The Mix recruited Fernando Abrantes replacement Bartos though he left shortly after. Long-time Kling Klang Studio sound engineer Henning Schmitz brought finish remainder tour complete new quartet active until 2008. In April 2008 group played three shows US cities Minneapolis Milwaukee Denver coheadlining Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Touring quartet consisted Ralf Hütter Henning Schmitz Fritz Hilpert video technician Stefan Pfaffe official member 2008. Original member Florian Schneider absent lineup working other projects. On the 21st of November Kraftwerk officially confirmed Florian Schneider departure pursuing solo career. Independent commented there something brilliantly Kraftwerkian news Florian Schneider founder German electronic pioneers leaving band four decades discover musical differences. Headline set Global Gathering Melbourne Australia the 22nd of November cancelled moments scheduled begin due to Fritz Hilpert medical emergency. On the 21st of April 2020 Florian Schneider died age 73 brief battle cancer. On the 3rd of July 2020 German-language versions Trans Europe Express Man Machine Computer World Techno Pop Mix Catalogue released worldwide streaming services first time. Since 2023 visualizing music façades castles historic buildings special way. In May 2024 performed nine nights Walt Disney Concert Hall Los Angeles presenting one eight albums each night another concert ninth gig.
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Common questions
When did Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter form Kraftwerk?
Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter formed Kraftwerk in 1970 after meeting at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf. They created the band following an exhibition about visual artists Gilbert and George that inspired them to bring everyday life into their art.
What year was the album Autobahn released by Kraftwerk?
Kraftwerk released the album Autobahn in 1974. The record peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and marked a shift toward using newer technology like the Minimoog and EMS Synthi AKS.
Who were the original members of Kraftwerk when it started?
The only constant figures during early lineups were founders Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter. Other musicians including Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger joined for three albums before leaving to form Neu! while Schneider played flute violin and guitar through electronic devices.
When did Florian Schneider die and what caused his death?
Florian Schneider died on the 21st of April 2020 after a brief battle with cancer. He was age 73 and had officially confirmed his departure from the group on the 21st of November prior to his passing.
Which album featured the song The Model that reached number one in the UK?
The single The Model appeared on the album Computer World which came out in May 1981 on EMI Records. It became their most successful song there and helped drive the band's commercial success during that period.