Comments on: "...and finally the robots and music non stop..."

"...and finally the robots and music non stop..."

Artw — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:12:19 -0800

Ralf Hütter of Kraftwerk gives a rare interview to the Guardian, who also have a rather nice interactive feature on the bands influence.

By: Artw

Artw — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:20:37 -0800

Technically the interactive feature is from the Observer, the Sunday paper that shares it's online space with the Guardian (something I often forget as I never see the print versions anymore)

By: East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:24:41 -0800

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."

By: Artw

Artw — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:28:40 -0800

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.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:30:04 -0800

Rowlf und Florian. Das ist alles.

By: Item

Item — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:32:16 -0800

I had no idea that Florian had left the group. I don't know how I feel about that - Kraftwerk is Ralf und Florian, not Ralf und three other guys. Thanks for the post, Artw.

By: honest knave

honest knave — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:45:41 -0800

the interface is vaguely reminiscent of the flash version of "Sounds like Techno", which also features Kraftwerk.

By: BrotherCaine

BrotherCaine — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:57:32 -0800

Unfortunately, thinking of Kraftwerk now makes me think of Bill Bailey's tribute to them.

By: elder18

elder18 — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:48:39 -0800

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.

By: LeLiLo

LeLiLo — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:34:15 -0800

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."

By: Turtles all the way down

Turtles all the way down — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:49:50 -0800

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.

By: Ron Thanagar

Ron Thanagar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:59:59 -0800

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.

By: fearfulsymmetry

fearfulsymmetry — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:12:43 -0800

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.

By: krautland

krautland — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:56:43 -0800

it is rare that the german language sounds nice? where did you gather that nugget of wisdom and tolerance?

By: LeLiLo

LeLiLo — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:49:10 -0800

where did you gather that nugget of wisdom and tolerance? I think Mark Twain mentioned it.

By: Ron Thanagar

Ron Thanagar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:17:19 -0800

Sorry krautland, 90% of my family is German. We kid that the German language sounds best shouted. ("krautland"?)