Kraftwerk’s Concert & Tour History
A famous German electronic music group is all set to perform some of its concerts on American soil. Kraftwerk has been active since 1970 and has gone on to dominate the electronic music scene. Originating from Dusseldorf in the North Rhine-Westphalia region in West Germany, their music is a blend of synthpop, avant-garde, experimental and krautrock music. Their many songs and albums have been released by the likes of EMI Records, Capitol Records, Warner Bros, Philips, Elektra, Mercury Records and Vertigo. The group has collaborated with bands such as Neu! and Organisation.
Kraftwerk’s lineup today includes lead vocalist and keyboard player Ralf Hutter, electronic percussionist and sound engineer Fritz Hilpert, sound engineer and keyboards player Henning Schmitz and video technician Falk Grieffenhagen. Founded in Dusseldorf in 1970 by Florian Schneider and Ralf Hutter, they began playing a unique style of music that combined catchy melodies with rhythms, in a western classical style and layered over with electronic sounds. Pioneers of electronic music, they were one of the first bands to make electronic music popular and went on to release many chart topping, best selling studio albums. Today, they can be seen performing live with Kraftwerk tickets in hand.
Today, Kraftwerk is a legend in electronic music, whose work has had a lasting impact in many other genres of music. Their contribution to music is aptly put by The Observer, who praises them as ‘no other band since the Beatles has given so much to pop culture’. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees, they have come a long way since they surfaced. The very first lineups of the band saw many musicians coming and going, with the music often a blend of experimental rock. Their first two albums, self-titled releases featured jam music and they were amongst the first to use distortion of sound in post production.
Their first concerts were staged in Germany and occasionally, in France. In 1973, they appeared on German TV show, Aspekte, popularizing their music. With the release of Ralf und Florian, the band’s 1973 album, their classic sound began taking shape, with drum machines and synthesizers used more heavily. A vocoder was also used for the first time, with the band working closely with engineer and producer, Konrad Conny Plank, one of the most influential producers in German music.
In 1974, the album Autobahn was released to much commercial and critical acclaim, particularly in the US where the album ranked fifth on the Billboard 200 chart. By then, the duo comprising Florian Schneider and Ralf Hutter had risen to international acclaim and followed their successful third album with a fourth, titled Radio-Activity. Certified gold in France, the album gained a lot of airplay and acclaim, marking a move to a more electronic pop sound. Their music reached David Bowie, who invited the band to support him on tour.
They followed it up with a much successful album and recorded their next album in Los Angeles, which was released to much acclaim in the US. The album ranked ninth on the UK Album Chart and also rose high up the American music charts. Since then, they have continued releasing many more chart topping, award winning albums. In 2000, they began a tour of the world, including a performance at the MTV European Music Awards.
In 2005, they released their first live album, with material from their tour, following it up with concerts in Greece, Turkey, Serbia, Macedonia, Czech Republic, Belgium, Spain, Norway, Germany and Bulgaria. In 2008, they visited American soil, performing in such cities as Denver, Minneapolis and Milwaukee, as well as headlining at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
This amazing band is set to perform some of its concerts in the US, for which Kraftwerk tickets are on sale, with many electronic music aficionados already getting hold of some.
