From Your Subculture Soundtrack, the music encyclopedia

Founded: 1968

Headquarters: Dusseldorf, Germany

Website Link(s): Kraftwerk.Com

Label(s)

• EMI
• AstralWerks

Genre(s)

• Electropop
• Electronica

RIYL

• DEVO
• New Order
• Pet Shop Boys
• Can

Band Members

• Florian Schneider
• Ralf Hutter
• Wolfgang Flur (until 1990)
• Karl Bartos (until 1990)

Includes Members of

• Electric Music
• Yamo

Band Biography

When Kraftwerk was founded, it was originally as Organisation, who put out one record, Tone Float, which was more experimental jazz in nature; closest to the first three Kraftwerk albums, though with more of a natural sound. When they became Kraftwerk, they got more into electronics, but it was by their fourth record that they became closer to the Kraftwerk people think of. They've been sampled a lot and were a huge influence on electronic music of all stripes. Spin even did an article "Kraftwerk: More Important Than The Beatles". They went through a long hiatus, between their last three records; Electric Café was 1986, The Mix was 1991 (between which, the two percussionists left), and Tour De France Soundtracks was 2004.

Discography

Albums

• Tone Float (as Organisation)
• Kraftwerk 1
• Kraftwerk 2
• Ralf und Florian
• Autobahn
• Radioactivity
• The Man-Machine
• Trans-Europe Express
• Computer World
• Electric Café
• The Mix
• Tour De France Soundtracks
• Minimum-Maximum

EPs

• Tour De France
• Expo 2000

Singles

Appears On

Compilations

Soundtracks

Mix CDs

• The Opposite Of Smoke Is Egg Whites
• I'm a Wound and a Sword, A Victim and an Executioner
• Dub Club: Matt's 2005 Best Of -- Streets Named For New England Trees
• The Biology of Purpose
• He's In The Industry
• Dad's Guitar Stuff
• Come On And Buy It
• Marooned

Radio Shows

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Page