29 Facts About Kraftwerk

1.

Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the genre.

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2.

On commercially successful albums such as Autobahn, Trans-Europe Express, The Man-Machine, and Computer World, Kraftwerk developed a self-described "robot pop" style that combined electronic music with pop melodies, sparse arrangements, and repetitive rhythms, while adopting a stylized image including matching suits.

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3.

Release of Autobahn in 1974 saw Kraftwerk moving away from the sound of its first three albums.

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4.

Kraftwerk made videos and performed several European live dates to promote the album.

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5.

In May 1978 Kraftwerk released The Man-Machine, recorded at the Kling Klang Studio.

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6.

Ironically, Kraftwerk did not own a computer at the time of recording Computer World.

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7.

Kraftwerk returned to live performance with the Computer World tour of 1981, where the band effectively packed up its entire Kling Klang studio and took it along on the road.

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8.

In 1982 Kraftwerk began to work on a new album that initially had the working title Technicolor but due to trademark issues was changed to Electric Cafe for its original release in 1986 .

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9.

Kraftwerk suffered head injuries and remained in a coma for several days.

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10.

Kraftwerk preferred to spend his time travelling with his girlfriend.

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11.

In 1997 Kraftwerk made a famous appearance at the dance festival Tribal Gathering held in England.

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12.

Later English-language editions of the book were titled Kraftwerk: I Was a Robot.

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13.

In 1999, Kraftwerk were commissioned to create an a cappella jingle for the Hannover Expo 2000 world's fair in Germany.

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14.

In support of this release, Kraftwerk made another quick sweep around the Balkans with dates in Serbia, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Turkey, and Greece.

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15.

In 2009, Kraftwerk performed concerts with special 3D background graphics in Wolfsburg, Germany; Manchester, UK; and Randers, Denmark.

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16.

Kraftwerk played at Ultra Music Festival in Miami on 23 March 2012.

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17.

Kraftwerk performed at the No Nukes 2012 Festival in Tokyo, Japan.

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18.

Kraftwerk were going to play at the Ultra Music Festival in Warsaw, but the event was cancelled; instead, Kraftwerk performed at Way Out West in Gothenburg.

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19.

Kraftwerk tickets were priced at £60 in London, but fans compared that to the $20 ticket price for tickets at New York's MoMA in 2012, which caused consternation.

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20.

In 2014, Kraftwerk brought their four-night, 3D Catalogue tour to the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and at NYC's United Palace Theatre.

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21.

On 20 July 2019, Kraftwerk headlined the Saturday night lineup on the Lovell Stage at Bluedot Festival, a music and science festival held annually at Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire, UK.

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22.

Kraftwerk have been recognized as pioneers of electronic music as well as subgenres such as electropop, art pop, house music and synth-pop.

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23.

Kraftwerk's lyrics dealt with post-war European urban life and technology—traveling by car on the Autobahn, traveling by train, using home computers, and the like.

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24.

Many of Kraftwerk's songs express the paradoxical nature of modern urban life: a strong sense of alienation existing side by side with a celebration of the joys of modern technology.

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25.

Kraftwerk sent a letter through the lawyers of the respective parties and several weeks later received an envelope containing a handwritten reply that simply said "yes".

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26.

Kraftwerk influenced other forms of music such as hip hop, house, and drum and bass, and they are regarded as pioneers of the electro genre.

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27.

Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, founding members of OMD, have stated that Kraftwerk was a major reference on their early work, and covered "Neon Lights" on the 1991 album, Sugar Tax.

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28.

In October 2019, Kraftwerk were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2020.

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29.

On 12 May 2021, Kraftwerk were announced as an official inductee into the Hall, for the class of 2021.

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