Nothing like a piece of breaking news to start off the year, eh? Many people were already afraid of this when it seemed that Florian Schneider wasn’t going to play at any of Kraftwerk’s shows in 2008, but according to the fansite Technopop now it’s finally official: Florian Schneider, the other one of Kraftwerk’s founding members, has left the pioneering band after 40 years for reasons unspecified.

To get an idea of how important Florian and Ralf Hütter’s collaboration has been to modern music (although you should’ve already known all about it), I’d like to direct you to Greg’s excellent essay on Kraftwerk and their influence he wrote about a year back. But indeed, Florian Schneider has been an instrumental figure in developing and utilizing techniques that have been essential to not just electronic but all kinds of music, he was for example one of the first musicians to use computer-generated speech synthesis in music. He really is one of the most influential musicians the world has ever seen, and it is a shame to see that his long, long career in Kraftwerk has come to an end. Hopefully leaving Kraftwerk doesn’t mean he has also lost his will to make music, and he’ll continue his adventures in sound design despite this. We wish him luck in all his future projects.

Kraftwerk’s already-announced South American tour and other dates for 2009 will not be affected by Florian’s departure. Stephan Pfaffe, who replaced Florian last year, will presumably continue as the fourth member of Kraftwerk. I for one am still waiting eagerly for any sort of indication of a new Kraftwerk album…

About Threadless
Threadless is one of my favorite websites. It’s a T-shirt printing company, but it’s completely different than any other T-shirt company because it’s 100% community-oriented. Anyone can create designs and submit them to the site, and then everyone votes on them and the best ones get printed. It’s a genius idea, the designs are practically guaranteed to to be great. If you’re not already a member or a customer, I would definitely suggest signing up to vote, submit a design, or go on a shopping spree.

How does this relate to German music?
Just entered into this week’s round of voting is a very awesome Kraftwerk-themed shirt by Webbins that features the classic image of the 4 members a la the Man-Machine cover, but Florian decided to be a bit more expressive than the typical uniformity of the band’s appearance with a yellow and green striped necktie. I just started laughing when I first saw it, it’s really funny if you are at all familiar with Kraftwerk. Go see the design here and be sure to vote 5$ for it!

I am very saddened to share the news that the former Kraftwerk drummer Klaus Dinger has recently died at the age of just 61 due to heart failure. He passed on March 21st, just a few days before his 62nd birthday, although the news was only recently released to the public.

Dinger, who started his musical career as a replacement for Andreas Hohmann as the drummer for Kraftwerk’s self-titled debut album, is most famous for his motorik style of drumming. After the Kraftwerk’s first album, he left to form another very famous German “krautrock” band, Neu! with another former Kraftwerk member Michael Rother and their producer Conny Plank. Then, after Neu! disbanded in 1975, Dinger went on to perform in a few other bands including La Düsseldorf and La! Neu?

Klaus was a truly foreward-looking musician and helped make history with the music he was a part of. He will surely be missed by many.

Back in January Greg reported that a certain, hitherto completely unknown electronics-based band called Kraftwerk was going to perform at the Coachella Festival in California in April. Well, those crazy old Germans are at it again, and now they’ve gone and confirmed three more live dates in the US.

Apr 19 2008 - Myth - Minneapolis, MN
Apr 20 2008 - The Eagles Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI
Apr 23 2008 - Fillmore Auditorium - Denver, CO

If you’re anywhere near the venues in April, any excuses for not being there WILL NOT be accepted.

Source: Kraftwerk Myspace

Remember to check out all the other German goodness touring the States this year.

Coachella, the famous 3-day music festival held annually in Indio, California, just announced their 2008 band lineup. Among the 125 bands in total are the German pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk. I didn’t see any other German names that I recognized on the list, but at least they picked a good one. Kraftwerk will be playing on the second day of Coachella which is Saturday, April 26. And while they are not the headlining band (Portishead is headlining), they are in the next tier down making them one of the three biggest bands that night. Not bad at all.

If you’re anywhere near southern California, this should be a great show. I might just have to fly clear across the country and check it out myself. Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 25th on Coachella.com.

There are lots of German bands touring North America in 2008. Most of them are just coming to the United States, but a few are heading further North to Canada as well.

We made this page so it’s easy for you to find all the bands, their dates and venues in one place. The list is in chronological order according to the band’s first concert date. It’s easier to see them this way than in a normal calendar or alphabetical order.

Jeans Team

Read the article here for details and links

January 04 - San Francisco, CA - Loaded
January 05 - Los Angeles, CA - The COG
January 10 - New York, NY - Grasslands
January 11 - Montreal, QBC - Zoo Bizarre
January 13 - Toronto, ONT - Drake Hotel
January 15 - Detroit, MI - Scrummage
January 16 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
January 18 - New York, NY - Ruff Club

De/Vision

Read the article here for details and links

February 06 - Philadelphia, PA - Shampoo
February 07 - Passiac, NJ - The Loop Lounge
February 09 - Austin, TX - Elysium
February 10 - Tucson, AZ - Asylum
February 13 - Los Angeles, CA - Safari Sam’s
February 14 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
February 16 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
February 17 - Portland, OR - Sabala’s at Mt. Tabor
February 19 - Salt Lake City, UT - Club Vegas
February 21 - Minneapolis, MN - Ground Zero

And One

Read the article here for details and links
Read our concert review here

February 14 - Washington, DC - Club Five
February 16 - Philadelphia, PA - Shampoo (Dracula’s Ball)
February 17 - New York, NY - The Madison
February 19 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
February 21 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
February 24 - Los Angeles, CA - Crash Mansion
February 26 - Denver, CO - Oriental Theatre
February 28 - San Antonio, TX - White Rabbit

Seabound - Alliance Tour

Read the article here for details and links

March 12 - Philadelphia, PA - Shampoo
March 13 - Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel
March 14 - New Haven, CT - Blacksun Festival
March 15 - New York, NY - The Madison
March 16 - Rochester, NY - Water Street
March 18 - Pittsburgh, PA - Pegasus
March 19 - Detroit, MI - Lune
March 20 - Chicago, IL - Darkroom
March 22 - Austin, TX - Elysium
March 24 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada
March 26 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
March 27 - Portland, OR - Mt. Tabor
March 29 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
March 30 - Los Angeles, CA - Safari Sam’s

Doro Pesch

Read the article here for details and links

March 21 - West Springfield, VA - Jaxx
March 22 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
March 23 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
March 25 - Toronto, ON - The Funhaus
March 26 - Cleveland, OH - Peabody’s
March 28 - Detroit, MI - I-Rock
March 29 - Mokena, IL - The Pearl Room
March 30 - St. Paul, MN - Station 4
April 01 - Milwaukee, WI - Vnuk’s Lounge
April 04 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
April 05 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
April 07 - San Marcos, CA - Jumping Turtle
April 08 - West Hollywood, CA - Whisky a Go-Go
April 09 - Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse
April 11 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar
April 12 - Ft. Worth, TX - Ridglea Theater
April 13 - San Antonio, TX - White Rabbit
April 15 - St. Petersburg, FL - The State Theater
April 16 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
April 18 - Nashville, TN - The Muse

Accessory - More Than Machinery US Tour

Read the article here for details and links

March 26 - Philadelphia, PA - Shampoo
March 27 - Washington, DC - Chief Ikes
March 29 - Newark, NJ - QXTs
March 30 - Tampa, FL - The Orpheum
April 02 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
April 03 - Chicago, IL - The Kinetic Playground
April 04 - Phoenix, AZ - Jug Heads
(see below for Accessory’s West Coast tour in June/July)

Kraftwerk

Read the article here for details and links
Here’s an older article about the Coachella Festival

April 19 - Minneapolis, MN - Myth
April 20 - Milwaukee, WI - The Eagles Ballroom
April 23 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
April 26 - Indio, CA - Coachella Festival

Ellen Allien - Boogy Bytes Tour

May 01 - Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
May 02 - San Francisco, CA - Mighty
May 03 - Los Angeles, CA - Avalon
May 04 - Portland, OR - Holocene
May 05 - Toronto, ONT - The Social
May 08 - Montreal, QBC - Parking
May 09 - Quebec, QBC - Le Cercle
May 10 - New York, NY - Studio B

Feindflug, Funker Vogt, Kiew, Noisuf-X, Xotox

Read the article here for details and links

May 15-17 - Montreal, QBC - Festival Kinetik

Destroid

Read the article here for details and links

May 22 - Los Angeles, CA - Knitting Factory
May 23 - Austin, TX - Elysium
May 25 - Columbus, OH - Hi-5
May 28 - New York, NY - Sapony
May 29 - Washington, DC - Liv
May 30 - West Palm Beach, FL - Respectable Street
May 31 - Orlando, FL - AKA Lounge
June 03 - San Francisco, CA - Fat City
June 05 - Portland, OR - Mt. Tabor Legacy
June 06 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
June 07 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon - Daniel Myer DJ set only
June 08 - Portland, OR - The Fez Ballroom - Daniel Myer DJ set only
June 09 - Denver, CO - Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
June 13 - Los Angeles, CA - Knitting Factory - Daniel Myer DJ set only
June 14 - Phonix, AZ - Sadisco

King’s Tonic

Read the article here for details and links

May 23 - Los Angeles, CA - Doll Hut
May 24 - Anaheim, CA - Ceros
May 28 - Los Angeles, CA - Di Piazzas
May 30 - Los Angeles, CA - Fullerton Back Alley
June 06 - Las Vegas, NV - Double Down Saloon

Accessory - More Than Machinery US Tour - West Coast

Read the article here for details and links

June 22 - San Francisco, CA - Fat City
June 23 - Portland, OR - The Fez Ballroom
June 24 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
June 26 - Salt Lake City, UT - Club Vegas
June 28 - Las Vegas, NV - Vector
June 30 - Tucson, AZ - I.C.E.
July 04 - Los Angeles, CA - Das Bunker

The Scorpions

August 01 - Kelseyville, CA - Konocti Harbor
August 02 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheater
August 03 - Costa Mesa, CA - Pacific Amphitheater
August 05 - Tucson, AZ - AVA Amphitheater
August 08 - Minneapolis, MN - Myth
August 09 - Sparta, WI - Fort McCoy Army Base

Soman

Read the article here for details and links

August 22 - Los Angeles, CA - Das Bunker
August 23 - Madison, WI - Reverence Festival

[:SITD:]

Read the article here for details and links

20 Sep 08 - USA – Hollywood, California - Safari Sam’s
21 Sep 08 - USA - San Francisco, California - DNA Lounge
24 Sep 08 - USA - Portland, Oregon - Bossanova
25 Sep 08 - CAN - Vancouver, British Columbia - Red Room
27 Sep 08 - CAN - Calgary, Alberta - The Underground
28 Sep 08 - CAN - Edmonton, Alberta - New City Suburbs
30 Sep 08 - USA - Seattle, Washington - El Corazon
02 Oct 08 - USA - Salt Lake City, Utah - Murray Theater
03 Oct 08 - USA - Denver, Colorado - Hi-Dive - Vendetta Festival
04 Oct 08 - USA - Lawrence, Kansas - The Jackpot Music Hall
05 Oct 08 - USA - St. Louis, Missouri - The Bluebird
06 Oct 08 - USA - Milwaukee, Wisconsin - The Miramar Theater
07 Oct 08 - USA - Minneapolis, Minnesota - Ground Zero
08 Oct 08 - USA - Chicago, Illinois - The Abbey
09 Oct 08 - USA - Cincinatti, Ohio - TBA
10 Oct 08 - USA - Hamtramck, Michigan - Smalls
12 Oct 08 - CAN - Toronto, Ontario - The Reverb (The Big Bop Nightclub)
13 Oct 08 - CAN - Montreal, Quebec - Cafe Campus
14 Oct 08 - USA - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - The New Alhambra Arena
15 Oct 08 - USA - Boston, Massachusetts - TBA
16 Oct 08 - USA - Washington DC, Washington DC - Club Liv
17 Oct 08 - USA - New York City, New York - The Knitting Factory
18 Oct 08 - USA - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Pegasus
19 Oct 08 - USA - Nashville, Tennessee - Salvation @ Hollywood Disco
20 Oct 08 - USA - Louisville, Kentucky - TBA
22 Oct 08 - USA - Atlanta, Georgia - TBA
23 Oct 08 - USA - Jacksonville, Florida - TBA
24 Oct 08 - USA - West Palm Beach, Florida - Respectable Street
25 Oct 08 - USA - Orlando, Florida - TBA
27 Oct 08 - USA - Baton Rouge, Louisiana - TBA
29 Oct 08 - USA – Tulsa, Oklahoma - The Marquee
30 Oct 08 - USA - Dallas, Texas - The Church @ Lizard Lounge Dallas
01 Nov 08 - USA - San Antonio, Texas - Atomix
02 Nov 08 - USA - El Paso, Texas - Chic’s
03 Nov 08 - USA - Albuquerque, New Mexico - TBA
05 Nov 08 - USA - Garden Grove, California - Club Xile @ The Can Nightclub
06 Nov 08 - USA - Sacramento, California - Sky Room @ The Country Club
07 Nov 08 - USA - San Diego, California - Brick By Brick
08 Nov 08 - USA - Scottsdale, Arizona – Sadisco @ Chaser’s

Dehumanizing Music: Kraftwerk Seeks Musical Purity Through Technology
Gregory E. Pilling

Kraftwerk is the name assumed by four Germans who have had an extremely dramatic impact on music as we know it. They knowingly established the electronic music genre in an attempt to create a pure musical sound based on the precision of new computer technology, free from the influence of humans and their imperfect capabilities. In the early 1970s, Kraftwerk pioneered this creation of computer-based music with their use of technological devices like synthesizers and home-made drum machines, which were still in their earliest stages of development at the time. Hundreds of musicians worldwide have been greatly influenced by the sound and aesthetic they developed. Without Kraftwerk’s influence in the underground electronic culture early on, music genres like industrial, techno, dance, new wave, synthpop, and certainly electronic would have never developed into what we know today. Every aspect of the band, from their music down to the way they acted on stage and in public, epitomized their belief in a total electronic aesthetic and the rejection of human involvement in their lives.

Early electronic music has many roots deep in mid-century Europe, particularly in Germany, from a small cluster of creative geniuses who were probably the anti-social computer nerds of their time, on the fringe of society. They were bothered by the fame and fashion that surrounded popular music at the time, and they were unsatisfied with its sound, inspired by human emotions, so they decided to set out on a course that would eventually change how we understand music today. Being Dadaists of music, they shunned contemporary ideas of what music was and should be, and rejected the traditional instruments that were used to make it. No longer would music have to be created by the talents of mere humans. But who were these forward-looking visionaries of sound? They were music groups like Kraftwerk, Can, and Neu!, Kraftwerk being the most recognized and famous of them all.

All of this was taking place at a time when new technological innovations were being made every day. The 1960s and 70s saw the earliest development of computer technology to help aid universities and businesses, and one day the personal user, but Kraftwerk saw a different use for all of this new-fangled circuitry; music. If someone could figure out how to utilize this equipment, which often makes alien sounding beeps and blips, a new form of electronically created music would literally be invented in front of their eyes. Unfortunately for them, the members of Kraftwerk were not the only eccentrics with this idea in mind. A few other bands and early computer technicians were on the same page, but that only benefited Kraftwerk in their efforts to dominate the infancy of electronic music.

Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter were students in Germany during the 1960s, and they shared a common interest in the German music scene which came to be known as “Krautrock”, which is usually characterized by an experimental use of non-musical sounds, noise, and language, and has a rather spacey atmosphere. The earliest lineup in which Schneider and Hütter performed together was actually with Kraftwerk’s predecessor, a short lived project called Organisation, in 1970. There were several other members of Organisation, but only these two founding members went on to form Kraftwerk. Likewise, the early Kraftwerk lineup shifted several times, and once even contained guitarist Michael Rother and drummer Klaus Dinger who later went on to form another influential band of the time, Neu!, but Schneider and Hütter stayed with the band all the way through. The most recognizable Kraftwerk formation consisted of the two founding members plus Karl Bartos and Wolfgang Flür, both of whom were electronic percussionists. Throughout the early part of Kraftwerk’s career, significant input was also provided by renowned producer ‘Conny’ Plank, who also worked with other respectable experimental and electronic bands of the time.

Continue reading this essay
(more…)

Kraftwerk has always loved the Tour de France dearly. This enduring annual bicycle race has been the theme for many of their songs and albums. This year, the Tour de France started in London, England, and Kraftwerk decided to show their approval for this decision by collaborating with the UK electronic band Hot Chip to do a few remixes. The result is the new single Aerodynamik/La Forme Remixes.

The single contains remixes of 2 songs from Kraftwerk’s 2003 album Tour de France Soundtracks, namely “Aerodynamik” and “La Forme” as the title describes. Each of the remixes are quite long, bringing the 2-track single to just over 20 minutes in total. Aerodynamik/La Forme Remixes will be released on September 17th.

Aerodynamik/La Forme Remixes
01. Aerodynamik (Intelligent Design Mix)
02. La Forme (King of the Mountains Mix)

News via Dreams of Horses.