Remembering Florian Schneider, the cofounder of Kraftwerk.
It’s easy to parody the über-German band as a kind of high-water mark of Teutonic discipline and precision—they generally performed while arrayed side by side by side, each of them dressed exactly the same, each of them standing expressionless behind a computer platform, pushing buttons the audience couldn’t see.
—that Kraftwerk, moreso than, say, the Beatles, pioneered the sonic world in which we’ve been living for some time. They essentially created—out of thin air, complex wiring, and virtuoso songwriting—the entire genre of synthpop; their motorik rhythms were adopted and adapted by the seminal postpunk bands of the '80s; techno, hip-hop, house, drum n’ bass, and ambient music likely wouldn’t exist without them, or would exist in a vastly different form without them.
While Schneider left the group in 2008, the rest of the band was scheduled to tour the world this summer until the pandemic cancelled it all. Here’s hoping they’ll regroup for 2021. In the meantime, if you don’t know Kraftwerk—or even if you do—you’re in luck, as the band themselves recently re-recorded their entire catalog, subtly and effectively condensing certain parts that perhaps aged less well than others.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Kraftwerk Cofounder Florian Schneider Dies at 73Florian Schneider — cofounder of German electronic-music pioneers Kraftwerk, one of the most influential music groups of the past 50 years — has died, a rep for the group confirms to Variety. He was 73. “Florian Schneider has passed away from a short cancer disease just a few days after his 73rd birthday
Read more »
Florian Schneider, Kraftwerk cofounder, dies at 73Schneider, a native of Dusseldorf, cofounded Kraftwerk with Ralf Hutter in 1970, and the two remained its primary creative directors for nearly 40 years.
Read more »
Florian Schneider, electronic music pioneer and co-founder of Kraftwerk, dies at 73Electronic music pioneer and Kraftwerk co-found Florian Schneider dies after a short battle with cancer.
Read more »
Florian Schneider Dead: Kraftwerk Co-Founder DiesFlorian Schneider, who co-founded the influential electronic band Kraftwerk, has died.
Read more »
Kraftwerk founding member Florian Schneider dies at 73The German musician, best known for being a founding member of electronic music group Kraftwerk, has died at the age of 73
Read more »
Kraftwerk Co-Founder Florian Schneider Dies at 73The late David Bowie recognized Florian Schneider's influence on his own art, naming his track 'V-2 Schneider' after the musician
Read more »