Florian Schneider founder of Kraftwerk dead :(

[Chorley]

As per the heading, Florian Schneider has passed away at the age of 73.
What a legacy him and Kraftwerk have left on the musical landscape. So much modern electronic music would not exist without their pioneering work in the early 70's and they have influenced artists as diverse as Africa Bambata and Coldplay. 

[RogerBoner]

External Link/Members Only

I am also a fan 

[cunningman]

As per the heading, Florian Schneider has passed away at the age of 73.
What a legacy him and Kraftwerk have left on the musical landscape. So much modern electronic music would not exist without their pioneering work in the early 70's and they have influenced artists as diverse as Africa Bambata and Coldplay. 

Oh no!  I feel an Autobahn coming on.  Damn thing sticks in my head for days after.  In fact, its there already.

[winkywanky]

Yes, very sad  . The older I get, the more brilliant Kraftwerk are.

Apparently a quick-moving cancer.

Dave Greenfield the other day, was actually Covid-19 by all accounts  FFS.

[scutty brown]

I read an interview with Ralph Hutter a while back and it seems as he'd regarded Florian as dead ten years or so ago....
Florian simply stopped going to the studio as he was tired of Ralph's insanities......so  Ralph removed Florian from the credits on later re-releases, taking the line that he never existed.
He'd earlier removed all credits for Wolfgang Flur and Karl Bartos and denied they were ever part of the band. I can imagine the lawyers are rubbing their hands in glee

[winkywanky]

Blimey, wasn't aware of any of that  .

[Plan R]

Sad news 
They influenced so much

[sparkus]

I read an interview with Ralph Hutter a while back and it seems as he'd regarded Florian as dead ten years or so ago....
Florian simply stopped going to the studio as he was tired of Ralph's insanities......so  Ralph removed Florian from the credits on later re-releases, taking the line that he never existed.
He'd earlier removed all credits for Wolfgang Flur and Karl Bartos and denied they were ever part of the band. I can imagine the lawyers are rubbing their hands in glee

Megalomaniac, no other word for it.

When you see the early films of their actual instrumentation it's apparent Schneider was as integral as Hutter.

Probably just jealous Bowie namechecked him on that album.

'The Model' is a standout track in every sense, even others playing around with it with more extreme tones still can't deny the melody: External Link/Members Only

[Chorley]

It still boggles my mind that this was released in 1974.
External Link/Members Only I can only imagine what people must have thought listening to it for the fist time?

[winkywanky]

Just got Autobahn up on Youtube.

All the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up  .

I guess if you think about it, perhaps it was a musical extension of a fine tradition going back to Fritz Lang's Metropolis?

[sparkus]

It still boggles my mind that this was released in 1974.
External Link/Members Only I can only imagine what people must have thought listening to it for the fist time?

The vocoder used on the track was actually put up for sale on ebay! Dnaiel Miller of Mute Records snapped it up as he said it'd be like owning Hendrix's guitar.

[Xtro]

I guess if you think about it, perhaps it was a musical extension of a fine tradition going back to Fritz Lang's Metropolis?

And connecting the dots....

In crafting “I Feel Love,” Moroder took direct inspiration from another German group, Kraftwerk, who pioneered the use of synthesizers, sequencers and computers in popular music.
Source - External Link/Members Only

Metropolis (1927) Giorgio Moroder's Edition - External Link/Members Only


My favourite Kraftwerk track is Tour De France, used to great effect in the film Breakdance (1984) - External Link/Members Only

R.I.P. Florian Schneider.   

[winkywanky]

Tour de France my fave also I think.

Thanks for the Moroder version Xtro, I shall watch that later  .

[Kool Keef]

Kraftwerk really did change the course of popular music, absolute giants, the musical landscape would be completely different now if they'd never existed.
They heavily influenced  a whole generation of black American musicians which not many white European acts have done & in turn whole new genres were created which then came back to Europe. 

Neon Lights is a favourite, that melody is so timeless, gorgeous & elegant.

External Link/Members Only

[King Nuts]

I read an interview with Ralph Hutter a while back and it seems as he'd regarded Florian as dead ten years or so ago....
Florian simply stopped going to the studio as he was tired of Ralph's insanities......so  Ralph removed Florian from the credits on later re-releases, taking the line that he never existed.
He'd earlier removed all credits for Wolfgang Flur and Karl Bartos and denied they were ever part of the band. I can imagine the lawyers are rubbing their hands in glee

I have a slightly morbid fascination with reading stories about how band members fight with each other. All the greats have done it. Beatles, Who, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Pistols, Pink Floyd and so on.

All the usual pressures of course, from money, drugs, women, wanting 'creative control' and so on. And sometimes they make up. Hell Froze Over for the Eagles. And Pink Floyd reunited with Mr Waters for the 2008 Live 8 gig, which was entirely epic.

But anyway.... Kraftwerk. Love them. Always have done. Saw them in London twice on their Computer Love tour in 1981. Not even sure they were actually personally on stage throughout, as I think they had some models or mannequins or something. Of course, that only added to the intrigue.

[BarneyBubbles]

Really gutted when I saw this...such an influential band and Schneider was a key part (despite the mad internal politics)