Did anyone else ever watch Newton’s Apple on PBS? I was surprised to learn that the theme song came from one of the first Kraftwerk albums. Odd trivia…
did watch the show, but don’t remember the music–ages ago.that would make sense tho.
Also, for those Mike Meyers fans, that silly “Sprockets” SNL skit uses a faster version of Kraftwerk’s Electric Cafe (the actual EC song on the EC album).
The uses (intentional or otherwise) of KW samples are really far too extensive to document anywhere.
On a related note, here’s a nice YouTube version of the original “demo” version of TechnoPop. Super stuff & far superior to the reworked version that eventually ended up on Electric Cafe some 3 years later:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogP_9ftTqa0
Saw Kraftwerk last week in a big tent.
The guy who was always on the right was replaced by a new guy (who wassnt as good, he was a bit nervous). Other than that it was a great gig. ‘Numbers’ was a bit dissapointing but the other tracks were great. ‘Radioactivity’, ‘Autobahn’, ‘Trans Europe Express’ were highlights but the best was ‘The Model’. Pure class.
Mention of Popol Vuh on another thread got me rather kraut-sessed lately and I went on a bit of an emusic download spree. Very happy to hear Eno Moebius Roedelius album again after many years and am currently enjoying Cluster’s rather farty and sparse “Curiosum” which I’d never heard before. The last track sounds like a softened up version of Throbbing Gristle. It’s from '81 and really good.
What other Krautrock stuff are all y’all listening to right now?
Big fan of Cluster, as well as Tangerine Dream (halfway-counts), Faust and OH YEAH! Can, of course!
Anyone fans of Neu?
Some of my fave krautrock:
Agitation Free
Amon Duul II
Eno & Cluster
Brainticket
Annexus Quam
Faust
Can
Cluster
Guru Guru
Klaus Schultz
Ash Ra Temple
Popol Vuh
Neu!
Harmonia
Tangerine Dream
Love me some krautrock.
Never heard any of that music in my life except Tangerine Dream. They play TG on the Soundscape channel on my cable TV. That was all I listened to for a while when my son was brand new b/c it’s so so sooooooothing.
Some of my fave krautrock:
Agitation Free
Amon Duul II
Eno & Cluster
Brainticket
Annexus Quam
Faust
Can
Cluster
Guru Guru
Klaus Schultz
Ash Ra Temple
Popol Vuh
Neu!
Harmonia
Tangerine Dream
Love me some krautrock.
Lots of great stuff there, I haven’t heard any Agitation Free, Brainticket or Annexus Quam. What are the ones to start with for them?
Kraut rock always seems to make for a great palate cleanser after more aggressive forms of music.
No expert on the genre, but I enjoy the breadth there is between the psychedelia of some of the earlier Amon Duul II and the sound Kraftwerk later pioneered in the mid 70s.
Recently found the first Guru Guru album and it makes me want to hear more. First listen strikes me as improvisational noise, but there’s definite structure to it. Anyone have any insight on the rest of their 70s work?
Can can’t be recommended enough. “Tago Mago” and “Future Days” are tops for me but I’m also in the minority for liking a lot of cuts from their second period. Just stay away from the “reunion” album they recorded with their first vocalist.
I’ve never actually listened to later era CAN outside of the “I Want More” single (which I quite like and I was first made aware of the song due our friend Chris’ Fini Tribe cover). Is there one later era CAN you’d recommend over others?
I only have Guru Guru album “UFO”. I think that’s their first. It’s not one of my favorite Kraut albums so I haven’t explored their other material. A good friend of mine with great music tastes assures me that “UFO” will eventually click for me, so I keep it on hand waiting for that day.
“I Want More” is great and maybe the most memorable song in their whole catalog. If you’ve got a minute see if you can find footage of them performing it on TV from '77 (also seen on the Can DVD). The rest of the album doesn’t hit like that song but is distinct enough to keep my interest most of the way through, so it edges out the successive albums by a margin. The last two (not including Rite Time hah) have some great and focused ideas but don’t come together as very thorough albums.
I only have Guru Guru album “UFO”. I think that’s their first. It’s not one of my favorite Kraut albums so I haven’t explored their other material…
I recently compiled my ‘100 Favourite Albums Of All Time Blah Blah Blah’ list for an overseas buddy and ‘UFO’ came in at number 12. Absolutely love that album to pieces. My college room-mate eventually got hooked on it I was listening to it so often - and he was into British punk!!
Peligro name dropped a few excellent bands in his post and I definitely recommend those bands to all members of this forum. Brainticket and Agitation Free have to be heard to be believed. ‘Cottonwood Hill’ by Brainticket and ‘Malesch’ by Agitation Free are required listening - without or without the use of ‘pharmaceuticals’.
Another great album - although a little more difficult - is ‘Phallus Dei’ by Amon Duul II. Some nice creepy atmospherics there.
There must have been something in the German water around 1970 for some much great music to have been made by so many diverse bands.
There must have been something in the German water around 1970 for some much great music to have been made by so many diverse bands.
Seriously it is mind boggling how much good music came out of Germany over the course of 5 years. So much of the peak kraut stuff is all '69-'74.
I’ve been really getting into Amon Duul II’s “Yeti” but “Phallus Dei” has yet to hit me. I’m sure it will given time.
Been listening to Moebius & Plank on my bike ride home tonight. Great innocent and farty electronic music with no pretension.
Just listening to “Celestial Ocean” by Brainticket - Jesus Christ this is a fucked up and brilliant album!
I’m really enjoying eMusic right now, they got a 50 Downloads for $20 deal going on right now and I’ve dropped a $100 scored a ton of krautrock. Back in the day $100 would have bought 4-5 import CDs.
Been listening to heaps of Popul Vuh and Cluster over the weekend.
The weather is really cold and shitty, so I’ve been rugged up, drinking hot chocolate and pouring through the collection.
The first Popul Vuh album is require listening for stormy days I can assure you…and all along it’s been hiding at the back of the rack here with me forgetting it and all…
Also digging the Jean Herve Peron (Faust) & Andrew Liles (Nurse With Wound) collaboration ‘Fini’. Really bizarre stuff.
whats the general consensus on German Oak
I just found out this great BBC documentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B89-69icyc&feature=player_embedded
And you can check a little video I made for you of a Faust concert I went last year.
Popul Vuh’s In Den Garten Pharaos is great music for walking in the snow.
My girlfriend’s been really into Faust lately.
All my issues with cleopatra go out the door when I saw the really nice brainticket boxed set at amoeba! Really nicely put together with a bunch of side material I didn’t know about! Anyone else get?