K r a f t w e r k

[Kraftwerk]
Kraftwerk has been the most influential electronic band ever to exist in the music industry. They were indeed the pioneers of electronic, synth, and techno genres. They used techniques not commonplace until the 1990's -- demonstrating that many European musicians are ahead of their time.

In early days of Kraftwerk, there were only two members in the group, and it was only experimental and psychedelic music that could be attributed to them. By the release of Autobahn in 1974, the music style had changed. They began with equipment seeming primitive to today's standards: simple electronic pianos, keyboards, and home-brew sequencers.

From the late 1970's until 1986, several albums were released by Kraftwerk, all of which became quite popular in the European music scene. They performed songs with intricate beat patterns using innovative sounds and drum samples, making the end result sound somewhat mechanical while still altogether electronic. It was their musical influence which spawned techno music and its subsidiaries (ambient, trance, acid).

A small cult following was established in the U.S. when Americans finally caught on to Kraftwerk in the late 1980's. By then Kraftwerk had stopped releasing any new songs and was only involved with remixes. Yet the group was also touring and still continues to tour today with its two remaining members, the founders, Ralf and Florian.

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