Kraftwerk
- Composer
- Actor
- Music Department
Kraftwerk is a German band that was formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider-Esleben. Widely considered to be the electronic version of The Beatles, it was among the first successful acts to popularize pop-oriented electronic music. The group began as part of West Germany's experimental krautrock scene in the early 1970s before fully embracing electronic instrumentation, including synthesizers, drum machines, and vocoders.
On commercially successful albums such as "Autobahn" (1974), "Trans-Europe Express" (1977), "The Man-Machine" (1978), and "Computer World" (1981), 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. Following the release of "Electric Café" (1986), the classic quartet members Wolfgang Flür left the group in 1987, followed by Karl Bartos in 1990. Founding member Schneider retired in 2008 and died of cancer in 2021.
Perhaps the most influential musical group of all time, the band's work has influenced virtually every genre of modern music, including synth-pop, hip-hop, post-punk, techno, ambient, and club music. In 2014, the Recording Academy honored Kraftwerk with a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award. The band later won the Grammy award for Best Dance/Electronic Album with its live album "The Catalogue 3-D" (2017) at the 2018 ceremony. As of 2020, the band continues to tour. In 2021, the band was finally voted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.
On commercially successful albums such as "Autobahn" (1974), "Trans-Europe Express" (1977), "The Man-Machine" (1978), and "Computer World" (1981), 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. Following the release of "Electric Café" (1986), the classic quartet members Wolfgang Flür left the group in 1987, followed by Karl Bartos in 1990. Founding member Schneider retired in 2008 and died of cancer in 2021.
Perhaps the most influential musical group of all time, the band's work has influenced virtually every genre of modern music, including synth-pop, hip-hop, post-punk, techno, ambient, and club music. In 2014, the Recording Academy honored Kraftwerk with a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award. The band later won the Grammy award for Best Dance/Electronic Album with its live album "The Catalogue 3-D" (2017) at the 2018 ceremony. As of 2020, the band continues to tour. In 2021, the band was finally voted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.
