"...and finally the robots and music non stop..."
June 19, 2009 1:12 PM Subscribe
Ralf Hütter of Kraftwerk gives a rare interview to the Guardian, who also have a rather nice interactive feature on the bands influence.
Florian Schneider, one of the two original co-founders of the pioneering German electronic group Kraftwerk left on 21 November 2008.[90] Commenting shortly after Schneider left the band, the Independent newspaper had this to say about Schneider's departure:
"There is something brilliantly Kraftwerkian about the news that Florian Schneider, a founder member of the German electronic pioneers, is leaving the band to pursue a solo career. Many successful bands break up after just a few years. It has apparently taken Schneider and his musical partner, Ralf Hütter, four decades to discover musical differences."
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:24 PM on June 19, 2009
"There is something brilliantly Kraftwerkian about the news that Florian Schneider, a founder member of the German electronic pioneers, is leaving the band to pursue a solo career. Many successful bands break up after just a few years. It has apparently taken Schneider and his musical partner, Ralf Hütter, four decades to discover musical differences."
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:24 PM on June 19, 2009
The early cKraftwerk stuff in this FPP is pretty interesting from the point of view of how the musical style is and isn't different.
posted by Artw at 1:28 PM on June 19, 2009
posted by Artw at 1:28 PM on June 19, 2009
the interface is vaguely reminiscent of the flash version of "Sounds like Techno", which also features Kraftwerk.
posted by honest knave at 1:45 PM on June 19, 2009
posted by honest knave at 1:45 PM on June 19, 2009
Unfortunately, thinking of Kraftwerk now makes me think of Bill Bailey's tribute to them.
posted by BrotherCaine at 2:57 PM on June 19, 2009
posted by BrotherCaine at 2:57 PM on June 19, 2009
I love playing "Autobahn" in my car and honking my horn when the horn honks in the song.
It's usually good for a laugh from whoever is ridden me, except for people who have heard me do it before.
I always enjoy it, though.
posted by elder18 at 3:48 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
It's usually good for a laugh from whoever is ridden me, except for people who have heard me do it before.
I always enjoy it, though.
posted by elder18 at 3:48 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
I had no idea that Florian had left the group.
Come to think of it, I had no idea who was ever even in the group. Which is remarkable to me, now that I think about it, considering that they've been one of my favorite bands since the mid-70s, when Capitol began sending me their albums to review, starting with Radio-Activity.
Maybe I once did know the individuals — I've forgotten an amazing amount of stuff since the mid-70s — but it seems to me I always considered the band as a bunch of tubes and oscillators and sound waves, or maybe even robots, rather than actual human beings.
Anyway, thanks for the post, Artw. I like this quote: What he says next is probably not intended as his verdict on Twitter - a Kraftwerkian development, if ever there was one - but it may as well be. "Everybody is becoming like ..." - he pauses - "a Stasi agent, constantly observing himself or his friends."
posted by LeLiLo at 4:34 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
Come to think of it, I had no idea who was ever even in the group. Which is remarkable to me, now that I think about it, considering that they've been one of my favorite bands since the mid-70s, when Capitol began sending me their albums to review, starting with Radio-Activity.
Maybe I once did know the individuals — I've forgotten an amazing amount of stuff since the mid-70s — but it seems to me I always considered the band as a bunch of tubes and oscillators and sound waves, or maybe even robots, rather than actual human beings.
Anyway, thanks for the post, Artw. I like this quote: What he says next is probably not intended as his verdict on Twitter - a Kraftwerkian development, if ever there was one - but it may as well be. "Everybody is becoming like ..." - he pauses - "a Stasi agent, constantly observing himself or his friends."
posted by LeLiLo at 4:34 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
I was just explaining to my daughter how, when I first heard Kraftwerk on FM radio in Vancouver in the late seventies, it sounded so foreign and strange, sterile and electronic but there was something melodic and warm about it. Autobahn was probably what I was thinking of. I just listened to Autobahn recently, and was surprised that it didn't sound strange at all. Kraftwerk changed things.
posted by Turtles all the way down at 4:49 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Turtles all the way down at 4:49 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
I know this ounds crazy, but my Tante in Germany sent me their album AUTOBAHN in 1975 or so... and I was mesmerized. I had my mom translate the lyrics and she said (and I quote): "They mean NOTHING but they have a nice sound to them."
It is rare that the German language sounds nice. I played the record for a bit and then put it away.
posted by Ron Thanagar at 9:59 PM on June 19, 2009
It is rare that the German language sounds nice. I played the record for a bit and then put it away.
posted by Ron Thanagar at 9:59 PM on June 19, 2009
It's strange how they went from being so ubiquitous at one point - seeming to be on Tomorrow's World every week and I remember a sample from, I think, Autobahn being used as the theme tune to children's drama about gymnastics of all things - to seeming to vanish.
And yes I refuse to believe that the music is produced by actual human beings, especially anyone that is concerned with such a physical activity as cycling. I think the four are merely slaves to some gigantic self-aware mainframe housed in some industrial shed on the outskirts of Düsseldorf controlled by chips implanted in their brains. Or possibly the brain of Erich Honecker in some bell-jar filled with bubbling fluid.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 7:12 AM on June 20, 2009 [1 favorite]
And yes I refuse to believe that the music is produced by actual human beings, especially anyone that is concerned with such a physical activity as cycling. I think the four are merely slaves to some gigantic self-aware mainframe housed in some industrial shed on the outskirts of Düsseldorf controlled by chips implanted in their brains. Or possibly the brain of Erich Honecker in some bell-jar filled with bubbling fluid.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 7:12 AM on June 20, 2009 [1 favorite]
it is rare that the german language sounds nice? where did you gather that nugget of wisdom and tolerance?
posted by krautland at 12:56 PM on June 20, 2009
posted by krautland at 12:56 PM on June 20, 2009
where did you gather that nugget of wisdom and tolerance?
I think Mark Twain mentioned it.
posted by LeLiLo at 6:49 PM on June 21, 2009
I think Mark Twain mentioned it.
posted by LeLiLo at 6:49 PM on June 21, 2009
Sorry krautland, 90% of my family is German. We kid that the German language sounds best shouted.
("krautland"?)
posted by Ron Thanagar at 8:17 PM on June 23, 2009
("krautland"?)
posted by Ron Thanagar at 8:17 PM on June 23, 2009
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posted by Artw at 1:20 PM on June 19, 2009