Kraftwerk 1

I really enjoy listening to this CD, from beginning to end. Even tho they list 4 songs, it sounds like many songs, within each title. Perhaps what happens on this CD, is sonata forms, being stretched, and distorted, as KRAFTWERK experiments towards their own unique and super influencial sound. The CD's electronica is typical for the Berlin scene of 1970. Its not very different than "Pink Period" Tangerine Dream, Kluster, or the first Klaus Schulze LPs. What I think makes this CD so special, is the way they just sort of start a song, fade it out, fade back in playing it faster, fade out, fade back in with the song so fast, that VSO (Tape speed manipulation) must be the only explanation, and then fade out, only to fade up a last time, with raging versions at hyperspeed, of the original theme. This happens during RUCKZUCK for instance. In fact, many of the songs use fade ins and outs, and "SILENCE" as musical devices. In that sense, it suggests the classical, experimental music of Stockhausen, and Ligeti, with some Fluxus influence to boot. Other songs, like the quietly beautiful MEGAHERZ, where silence and drones push the listening experience into the deeply meditative. For those KRAFTWERK fans that only know AUTOBAHN, or THE MODEL (from Mensch Maschine), be adviced the motorik dance grooves, and dead pan vocals, were not developed at this stage. ALtho the use of a "REAL" drummer is much bantered about with this CD, the drummer is only used on two songs, from what i hear. So, what is this work aiming for? First off, very quiet, meditative places, where electronic drones and shimmering sounds dominate. The POWERPLANT (English translation of their name) is not generating proto new wave dance grooves. Instead, it's a powerplant generating a 60 Herz hum, random beeps and black outs, and an eiry dead calm. Sometimes you wonder if they are painting a soundscape of WWII, and the WIRKSHAFTWUNDER that followed it. It's a powerplant that empowers the spirit, and mind, more than the body and soul. Later KRAFTWERK LPs delved into body and soul, with their motorik dance music, clever lyrics, and robotic stage presence. In many ways, this is perhaps the most EXPERIMENTAL Krautrock album made, as far as minimalism and sonic manipulation goes. Had Ralf and Florian only explored the territory they did on their first 3 LPs, they STILL would have been considered groundbreaking pioneers of the electronic music scene. However, they built on all they developed by 1974, then added their rythym section and lyrics, to become the KRAFTWERK that wrote the book on NEW WAVE Electronic sound. They pushed into international stardom, and influenced so many musicians and trends, that the ripples are still felt from their heyday. I would suggest this CD to anyone, who enjoys minimalist and experimental electronica, and trance inducing drones. KRAFTWERK 1 is KRAUTROCK at its embryonic finest.

Many of you already know Kraftwerk as one of the major electronic pioneers, who had a big impact on synth-pop, electronic, dance, and techno. 1974's Autobahn helped launch these guys in to international superstardom. But they already had three albums released prior to Autobahn (not including 1970's Tone Float, when Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider were with a group called Organisation). After the breakup of Organisation, the duo simply decided to continue on as Kraftwerk and released their debut, Kraftwerk 1 near the end of 1970. If you're only familiar with their dancy synth albums, like Trans-Europe Express or Computer World, this album would be a big shocker. Guitars, flutes, real drums, and organs are used, but no synthesizers. The only electronic sounds here are produced off sound generators. This is the album that sticks closest to the Krautrock scene of the time (which consisted of Amon Düül II, Can, Ash Ra Tempel, early Tangerine Dream), exploring a post-psychedelic style of music relying on jams and experimental passages and electronice effects. Kinda like imagining how Pink Floyd might have sounded like if they learned a thing or two from Karlheinz Stockhausen. This isn't the dance-floor friendly stuff that they'll later be known, to say for sure! The album opens up with "Ruckzack", which will surprise anyone who grew up in the 1980s watching the PBS series Newton's Apple, as that very song from this very album was used as its theme song! The song starts off with that familiar flute theme, with the organ, then they go in to a lengthy and bizarre percussion experiment, before going back to the original theme. "Stratovarius" is perhaps the most psychedelic of the pieces, with lengthy psychedelic guitar excursions, before the electric violin kicks in and start going in to more experimental Krautrock territory. "Megaherz" reminds me a bit of Pink Floyd, especially the organ. Florian Schneider also provides us with some bass flute while the organ is being played. "Von Himmel Hoch" is perhaps the most disturbing one. Electronic sounds simulating the sounds of crashing aiplanes keep occuring for the first couple of minutes before they go off creating more strange electronic effects. This album might not be for the dance crowd like Kraftwerk's best-known albums, but for those who enjoy the experimental side of Krautrock, this is an album to get.

I'm listening to this for the first time as I write this and there's a lot going on. Picture prog-rock mixed with new age, jazz, funk, psychodelic rock...all occuring at different times in what I view as a highly experimental project, considering it was done in 1970. Very similar...in fact the predecessor...to Kraftwerk 2 (1971). If all you've heard is their "robot" electronica, you may be in for a shock...but a refreshing shock. I, on the otherhand, knew what I was getting into: a more organic, earthy sounding Kraftwerk...when they had long hair. Thus, my attempt to prepare you.