On the main melody part of Spacelab, you're unlikely to notice it on the first listen, but there's a second synth line that drops an octave each time that section comes around. It's almost as though the spacelab is slowly dropping from orbit. And then the interlude in the middle, that synth is like an alarm sounding. Great review by the way, looking forward to part 2.
I was 14 when this album came out and I remember hearing it for the first time back then and the hairs on the back of my neck standing up - it was like hearing the future. Nothing else sounded like it at the time. 44 years on and it sounds like it was recorded yesterday.
I appreciate your reacting to this album. My 23 year old son is nonverbally autistic, and he loves this album, especially the opening track. Thanks for making my day!
Although the sounds of this album are very electronic, this does not take away the charm and beauty of the melodies of each song. Also, a great production. This band surely influenced the sound of 80s music.
@@Pstephen I might have argued in favour of The Beatles once, but since the 1980s, electronic music and production have become ubiquitous, carrying Kraftwerk's DNA to every corner of modern music.
Finally!! "Welcome to the machine" Justin 😂, I can't imagine how many electronic music bands that came later, were influenced by this fantastic album and the previous ones, but without a doubt there were many, the B side is also excellent and even has a "mini" hit (The model) that was widely played on FM radio in the early 80's.
Florian Schneider-Esleben (7 April 1947 - 21 April 2020) was a German musician. He is best known as one of the founding members and leaders of the electronic band Kraftwerk, performing his role with the band until his departure in 2008. Schneider died from cancer on 21 April 2020,[18][19] fourteen days after his 73rd birthday, having suffered from the illness for a short time.[20] Legacy David Bowie titled his "Heroes" instrumental track "V-2 Schneider" after Schneider,[21] and was heavily influenced by Kraftwerk's sound during his "Berlin period" in the late 1970s.[9] On 12 May 2021, Kraftwerk was announced as one of the inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[
The first time Kraftwerk caught my eye in the record store, I was already a science nerd studying electronics. So I couldn't resist picking up an album called Radio Activity... And when I read one of the titles on the back, "Ohm Sweet Ohm", I said to no one in particular, "Ah, well, that's a sign, if there ever was one, that I should be taking this one home!" ;-] (For those wondering wtf I'm talking about, 'OHM' is a measure of electrical resistance.)
"Ohm sweet ohm" was also sampled by The Chemical Brothers in "Song to the siren". As for the album itself, it's a favourite of mine. During their live concerts, Kraftwerk add some hard facts onto the start of "Radioactivity" (and are spoken in an incredible robotic bass voice), and that intro always gives me goosebumps.
Kraftwerk are touring, I highly recommend their show. I’ve seen them twice, and I would put them in the top ten best shows I’ve ever seen. Check out their live shows on YT. Then realize the visuals are projected in 3D--yes you wear 3D glasses for the whole show, and it is trippy!!
Kraftwerk has held a major place in my music history. I got introduced to them in 1979 when I was 18 years old and stationed in Germany. I had learned enough German to chat and get around, but admittedly I didn’t know everything they were singing until I got back to the states and bought all their music in the English version. I got to fulfill a life’s wish when I got to see them live when they came to Boston. Peace ✌🏻
I love this album, but their peak really lie in the two albums between Autobahn and this one. Radioactivity and Trans Europe Express. Anyway, this was my first Kraftwerk album, bought it shortly after it came out. In 1978-79, this was absolutely mind blowing!
I think their peak is Trans-Europe Express and The Man-Machine, that's where the band fully delved into all the rhythms and melodies that really defined synthpop for the next decade. Autobahn and Radio-Activity are great albums but they're not perfect, both have uninspired fillers in them, whereas TEE and TMM are perfect from beginning to end.
Mind blowing indeed. We were shitty little Florida beach kids listening to Boston and Van Halen, and then our hip neighbor dropped this on us like a BOMB.
Their best album, alongside TRANS-EUROPA-EXPRESS and COMPUTERWELT with two of their biggest hits on it (Die Roboter and Das Model, the latter being played on the radio for about 20 years). Still extremely catchy with some great sound ideas and lots of things going on in the background, although being Kraftwerk-style, thus minimalistic. Some of the tracks were really influential for some 80s music - not to mention the sometimes Disco-like quality of songs like Spacelab. This was their second album being released in both German and English language versions, although most of the songs are pretty much the same. On this one, Die Roboter, Das Model and Die Mensch-Maschine were recorded in both versions. I'm looking forward to you listening to side two - Das Model is one of those super duper songs you'll never get out of your head. By the way, one of my sons became a big fan of Die Roboter when he was six. He's eight now and still loves it (along with Das Model, Nummern and Computerwelt - and some Sparks, too). You surely can get your children used to good music when giving them good music :).
Deus ex machina means God from the machine, not in the machine. This is from wiki: Deus ex machina was coined from the conventions of ancient Greek theater, where actors who were playing gods were brought onto stage using a machine. The machine could be either a crane used to lower actors from above, or a riser that brought them up through a trapdoor. Aeschylus introduced the idea, and it was used often to resolve conflict, and conclude the drama. The device is associated mostly with Greek tragedy, although it also appeared in comedies.
I saw Kraftwerk live a few years ago. The show was in 3-D, meaning you had to view the projected 70s-style computer graphics with 3D glasses. When they played “The Robots”, it wasn’t them on stage, but animatronic robot versions of themselves.
The greater melodic and pop elements of Man Machine and Computer World were driven by the increasing influence of Karl Bartos within the band - he’s standing at the front in this cover. Originally hired as a drummer, his musical sensibilities pushed Kraftwerk towards the mainstream. He had a successful solo career and released more new material after he left Kraftwerk than Kraftwerk did. Check out 2003’s Communication (which is more Kraftwerk than Kraftwerk) and 2013’s Off the Record (which in many ways is a retrospective of those early years). Bartos has been called the heart of Kraftwerk.
Always compered Kraftewerk sound not to cyberpunk visuals precisely, but to something between Metropolis and Equlilibrium - cold robotic streets, cult of science and of cource Speer brutalistic architecture (with the fleur of 70s). Deeply german work in it's core and vibe.
Another thing : while some music genres work best in a comfy room, through great speakers, this is definitely headphone music ( as is Jean Michell Jarre 😉 )
I'm ashamed to say I never listened to this album as a whole. I agree that Space Lab has a beautiful and affecting melody. I am sure you will love Neon Lights for the same reason. The fresh approach they took to electronic music, though, freeing them from the by then hackneyed clichés of rock music allowed them to have some fun with their personae and ironically make genuinely affecting and appealingly human melodies which are almost child-like.
Yay! Two of my first LPs ... Die Mensch-Maschine and Oxygene :D I got the Kraftwerk LP on my twelfth bithday, which was 1978! And I really miss the time when I was listening to the record and watching the big cover (just like you did). But I must say that I only miss the record covers ... not the crackling vinyl sound! Well, Kraftwerk had a big influence on my career as a musician, especially this album, and I really hope to see them live before Ralf Hütter dies. Have fun with side two, especially with the second half of Neonlights!
Another hugely influential album. For instance, there could never have been a Yellow Magic Orchestra without this. I'm glad they've finally been nominated for the R&R HOF. If there's any justice in the world they should be a shoo-in.
In the MoMa musuem in NY there is (was?) a section where they displayes album covers. When I was there, the only album cover to feature twice was this one from Kraftwerk.
I used to listen to this, as a young teenager, sat on my bedroom window ledge, gazing upwards to the sky on a dark clear night, seeing the stars and contemplating. Brilliant album. Still have a thing for the first Kraftwerk album I bought though, Elektro Kinetic and Kometenmelodie2.
Justin, Kraftwerk are such an influential band in the electronic genre and I first came across them with Ralf Hütter & the late Florian Schneider's Kraftwerk Album, simple called 'Ralf & Florian'. That was 1973 and this is where they started the real experimental synthesiser music they later became famous for.....it was fascinating to listen to. 'Autobahn' came next and where they started to become noticed. 'Radioactivity' was next with all things 'Radio' and 'Electronics' and to me was very whimsical. 'Trans-Europe Express' is where they became more serious about using more melodic structures to their music and finally 'The Man Machine' which, although has more commerciality, I find mesmeric. It is something to sit and listen to with headphones on and be absorbed by. 'Space Lab' has always been a favourite number because of it's melody. They are a mysterious group because of their private nature and not giving many interviews which just adds to their....quirkiness....but I just love them! If you get the chance to see them, Justin, you will be amazed at the music and the graphic nature of their shows....truly an experience.
Hi JP. Great Album and definitely my favourite Album by Kraftwerk which I know and love since the mid eighties. The second track of the record 'Spacelab', even inspired me to do my own spacy track 'The Voyage'. It's not similar to 'Spacelab' but has that spacy ambient feeling too. Greetings from Germany.🙂
Yes, the sensation is robotic but also very poetic in a way, almost romantic. the melody line of "Spacelab" is almost classical. As you said, behind the synthetic nature of the music, there's soul inside ! I bought The Man-Machine when it was released in '78 and it was another step up from the excellent Trans-Europe Express. For me, this is the last great album from Kraftwerk (which will only repeat the same old formula with Computer World).
Almost classical you say? Spacelab is a version of the OLDEST song we know, the hymn to Nikkal (from ancient Ugarit, 3.500 years old). Surprised? Me too ruclips.net/video/59ZqUrMPoXk/видео.html
Я ТВОЙ СЛУГА Я ТВОЙ РАБОТНИК Gets me every time. For the best experience you'll have to watch their video-clip Wir sind die Roboter, the one where they are walking together. Back in the days, when I worked for one corporation, we, strapping young lads in our our department always ironically cosplayed this silly mechanical walk, going out right after any group meeting in conference room. But what gets me even more, is the fact, how they evolve from the very first ToneFloatGerat experimental and fancy records to something like THIS. Also, 2nd fascinating fact is how such a pioneer music never gets old and easely passes test of time. Still as fresh, expressive and atmospheric as back in the 70ths! HALF A CENTURY!!! Keep that in mind! Also, love your associative lines and the way you transfer music into word expressions.
Glad you like this Album, Justin. I can recommend their live performance at the Tate Modern in London. It’s Kraftwerk in optima forma: music, presentation, screens etc.
I know very well Radioactivity and The Mix, where the Robots appear. It doesn't differ much. They invented the mix. In fact, let me tell you a story. I had a neighbor whose father worked on discotheque montages. He constructed the speakers, prepared the lightning, those machines that spread the smoke (heatten glycerin) and so on. His father was on many years with that job. But my neighbor was a dumb musically speaking. One day I showed him The Mix, still on K7 (which I still have) and he listened and loved. He said it was very very good. This is no surprise, for it's the sound he was used to. And then he asked me this: - Now, who mixed it? And I Said: - Well, Kraftwerk. - No, really, Kraftwerk is the band, but who's the guy behind these mixes? -I told you, Kraftwerk. - Oh, forget it... (this was in the nineties, short after I bough the K7. The conversation was not ipsis verbis but closer.) So...as you see... Take your own conclusions. One of them I already said:my neighbor was a dumb...
I really got into electronic music back in the 70's. Radioactivity is my favorite then Man Machine then Autobahn. My daughter was 5 and played this record on her Rainbow Brite record player way back when. Thanks for showing appreciation to these musical pioneers!
"Fun" fact: after having been nominated and rejected twice for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, they've finally been inducted as an "early influence" in 2021 next to artists "whose music predated rock and roll but had an impact on the evolution of rock and roll and inspired rock's leading artists", such as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. We're talking about a band whose first album came out after the Beatles broke up, btw.
Please watch the video for "The Model". You'll get sort of idea what sort of instruments they were using, including the self - assembled electronic drum kit. The song was # 1 hit in the UK abetted by the then up and coming New Romantic movement which spawned several electronic oriented bands.
I have 2 suggestions to add to your neverending request list. My favorite 1970's electronic album.....Synergy. Electronic realizations for a rock opera and 10CC How Dare You! Love your channel. You're my favorite.
The key shifts are also the subtlety of their musicality, along with classic basslines... all of it supports the bigger innovation of the keyboard riffs & the then new drum machines... famed producer Giorgio Moroder took the Kraftwerk innovation to the American charts with his soundtrack for Midnight Express & Donna Summer's club hit 'IFeel Love'... this changed modern music forever
I got see them in LA. Very cool. I seem to remember them just standing behind keyboards evenly space on an otherwise bare stage and yet they produced this cool music. For Pocket Calculator they had small handheld devices. So futuristic.
I like this better than Autobahn (maybe because it's so nice and precisely numerical, but I also like the melodies better). Great review, so all I really needed to say was "+1". I think you might also enjoy Computer World - even if it's for the difference in the way people are experiencing the greater spread of computing from what was imagined, back in the day when they were things in big buildings that designed death rays for the big corporations of the future to use on us.
The robots, once again good structure effective and simple, just two chords in the end major(higher) and minor(lower) repeating with vocals. Metropolis probably my fav from 1 side. Those sirens (2. verse), like You are standing near. So atmospheric!
I can't overstate how mindblowing it was to put this album on my portable record player as a young guy and hear these super lush and crisp tones coming out after growing up listening to chonkier 70's rock. Even the repetitive nature of the songs was so different & thought-provoking. It sparked a love of synths that endures to this day. I still compose music that is rooted to some degree in Kraftwerk's influence. Well, probably in most ways, as most of the other electronic music that also influenced me was heavily influenced by Kraftwerk as well. For a more modern take on these venerable tracks, listen to their live album Minimum Maximum - they influenced a generation of musicians, then they themselves listened to those bands and subtly reworked their classics to fit in with a more modern sound. Much of what was changed was the rhythm tracks, which have a bit more groove and variety to them... less strictly mechanical. BTW, you want to close your turntable lid while playing records, as the airflow and static electricity can attract dust to your LPs while they are playing, and the needle hitting them can fix them in place. I think. It's been a loooong time since I had a turntable! :D
This had to be an inspiration for some video game music composers too. The 2nd track gives me some Final Fantasy vibes, and the 3rd track sounds like Scrap Brain Zone in Sonic, ha
It's cool that you are reacting to the vinyl, and that we are hearing it. It actually sounds really good, no surface noise. I grew up listening to vinyl and I always thought it sounded good, but eventually surface noise would get worse, requiring the album to be replaced after many, many listens. I had only heard The Robots from this album. It will be cool to hear the rest of it. Their sound is reminiscent of Tangerine Dream. I don't know who influenced who, the 2 bands were more or less contemporary.
i think of the line we are the robots every time I have listen to telephone instructions; press 1 for.... 2 for..... and so on. For an electronic album, it's very melodic and a great chill out. the U.S had Rock and Roll. Germany were masters of electronic music. Germans are of course famous for their efficiency. This music exemplifies that.
You should check out the video for the song Showroom Dummies (from the previous album Trans-Europe Express)... it was my first exposure to Kraftwerk as a kid, and it freaked me out! In the best way possible...
From this album I only know The Model, which is very in the same mood that We are the Robots. Great song. I love The Model because of the cover made by Chris Whitley. This blues songwriter you have to discover one day. Start with his interpretation of The Model could lead you in him. Do both versions on one video, could be really great !!!
Please react to the german marching band 'Meute' that has specialized in reworking known electronic music tracks like 'What Else Is There' (Röyksopp - Trentemøller Remix), 'Kerberos' (Marc Romboy & Stephan Bodzin), 'The Man With The Red Face' (Laurent Garnier). They also have some great collaborations e.g. with n'to 'Zig Zag' or with the duo Ätna 'Weirdo' and also making their own compositions like 'Raw (live)' or 'Peace'.
I've heard of them but never actually heard them. I agree that there is warmth, soul and melodicism woven through the robotic soundscape; much more than I expected. I hear the influence on Daft Punk, and on bands like OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark). The Oxygene T-shirt is also very appropriate. I enjoyed it. Thanks
Music Deus Ex Machina (punk band), (s. 1989), a Greek hardcore punk band Deus ex Machina (band), (s. 1990), an Italian jazz-rock band Deus Ex Machina (heavy metal band), (s. 2004), a Singaporean death/thrash metal band Deus ex Machina (Daugherty), a 2007 composition for piano and orchestra by composer Michael Daugherty
(pointing to the machines) -This has no soul! - It has no soul because nobody put it there. Bjork (I know this quote by heart. And I know you like it as well)
"Neon lights, shimerring neon lights.." is my favorite but it's on side 2. Great album ! A bit repetitive sometimes but hey, it's some robots who made this album.
The cover art is a reference to the Sowjet constructivism, therefore also the lyric parts in Russian.There is a live video of the Robots (Die Roboter) from 1978 in German TV ruclips.net/video/v2RTk53WtZ0/видео.html and also from the song Das Modell. It's is cool to watch their live performance in that time.
When you get onto side 2, let’s see how many mentions there are to Coldplay that asked Kraftwerk if they could use a tiny snippet of Neon Light for one of their songs (I won’t say which one) but months later, after requesting, Kraftwerk replied… with a simple ‘YES’
And here I was thinking some would dump on this album, very surprised at how vaulted these guys are, as influ as the Beatles? Wow, I can’t argue. Pete Townshend rock and roll over. So far, I’m in KW heaven, these are my only albums. Well one was 8track. I suggest seeing David Byrne on Sessions at West 54th do “the Kraftwerk song”, (The Model) with the Balanescu Quartet, very cool. Peace and robotictoc Music
Great comments, JP - and some KW purists may disagree with me, but after this album I'd suggest you check out The Mix if you think this version of The Robots is "more danceable". Look forward to you working your way thru the entire Kling Klang catalog!
The Mix is a completely useless album, especially since it trashes some of the band's emblematic songs by giving them a 90s-style techno treatment. Kraftwerk is no longer innovating, it is modeled on the trends of the moment. vapid !
So, Justin, how do you feel holding a record while you listen to it? It's a treasure of an experience, in this music dematerialized age... We grew up like this and we know it's not the same nowadays. It feels different. The attention you give to it allows you another dive...
Plus, there was that “new album smell” as you plonked the record on the turntable and settled back in your beanbag chair to read the liner notes for the first time…
This album and Trans Europe Express are their best albums. Side Two Is Just as Amazing As Side 1. When Kraftwerk Became Robots - This album
They sometimes describes their music genre as Robotpop
TEE is Kraftwerk best album, all ithere were the second best
Their best album. Even if it was released today, it'd still be ahead of its time.
On the main melody part of Spacelab, you're unlikely to notice it on the first listen, but there's a second synth line that drops an octave each time that section comes around. It's almost as though the spacelab is slowly dropping from orbit. And then the interlude in the middle, that synth is like an alarm sounding. Great review by the way, looking forward to part 2.
I was 14 when this album came out and I remember hearing it for the first time back then and the hairs on the back of my neck standing up - it was like hearing the future. Nothing else sounded like it at the time. 44 years on and it sounds like it was recorded yesterday.
I appreciate your reacting to this album. My 23 year old son is nonverbally autistic, and he loves this album, especially the opening track. Thanks for making my day!
Hey there HD! I'm so glad to hear that, I hope you and your son are having a nice weekend :)
Although the sounds of this album are very electronic, this does not take away the charm and beauty of the melodies of each song. Also, a great production. This band surely influenced the sound of 80s music.
Is there a more influential group? I can't think of any.
@@Pstephen I might have argued in favour of The Beatles once, but since the 1980s, electronic music and production have become ubiquitous, carrying Kraftwerk's DNA to every corner of modern music.
Finally!! "Welcome to the machine" Justin 😂, I can't imagine how many electronic music bands that came later, were influenced by this fantastic album and the previous ones, but without a doubt there were many, the B side is also excellent and even has a "mini" hit (The model) that was widely played on FM radio in the early 80's.
Florian Schneider-Esleben (7 April 1947 - 21 April 2020) was a German musician. He is best known as one of the founding members and leaders of the electronic band Kraftwerk, performing his role with the band until his departure in 2008.
Schneider died from cancer on 21 April 2020,[18][19] fourteen days after his 73rd birthday, having suffered from the illness for a short time.[20]
Legacy
David Bowie titled his "Heroes" instrumental track "V-2 Schneider" after Schneider,[21] and was heavily influenced by Kraftwerk's sound during his "Berlin period" in the late 1970s.[9]
On 12 May 2021, Kraftwerk was announced as one of the inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[
One of my absolute favourite albums. A fantastic recording to show off on a premium Hi-Fi but just a work of art from music to packaging. Love it.
Spoken like "Dee" for "Die"
As you can tell, the vocals are really just part of the music, very minimal and usually loaded with effects. Love this band.
The first time Kraftwerk caught my eye in the record store, I was already a science nerd studying electronics. So I couldn't resist picking up an album called Radio Activity... And when I read one of the titles on the back, "Ohm Sweet Ohm", I said to no one in particular, "Ah, well, that's a sign, if there ever was one, that I should be taking this one home!" ;-]
(For those wondering wtf I'm talking about, 'OHM' is a measure of electrical resistance.)
"Ohm sweet ohm" was also sampled by The Chemical Brothers in "Song to the siren". As for the album itself, it's a favourite of mine. During their live concerts, Kraftwerk add some hard facts onto the start of "Radioactivity" (and are spoken in an incredible robotic bass voice), and that intro always gives me goosebumps.
Kraftwerk are touring, I highly recommend their show. I’ve seen them twice, and I would put them in the top ten best shows I’ve ever seen. Check out their live shows on YT. Then realize the visuals are projected in 3D--yes you wear 3D glasses for the whole show, and it is trippy!!
Kraftwerk has held a major place in my music history. I got introduced to them in 1979 when I was 18 years old and stationed in Germany. I had learned enough German to chat and get around, but admittedly I didn’t know everything they were singing until I got back to the states and bought all their music in the English version. I got to fulfill a life’s wish when I got to see them live when they came to Boston. Peace ✌🏻
I love this album, but their peak really lie in the two albums between Autobahn and this one. Radioactivity and Trans Europe Express. Anyway, this was my first Kraftwerk album, bought it shortly after it came out. In 1978-79, this was absolutely mind blowing!
I think their peak is Trans-Europe Express and The Man-Machine, that's where the band fully delved into all the rhythms and melodies that really defined synthpop for the next decade. Autobahn and Radio-Activity are great albums but they're not perfect, both have uninspired fillers in them, whereas TEE and TMM are perfect from beginning to end.
Mind blowing indeed. We were shitty little Florida beach kids listening to Boston and Van Halen, and then our hip neighbor dropped this on us like a BOMB.
This is the quintessential Kraftwerk sound for me. Fun album!
This is great. A whole concept guides Kraftwerk (music, age, design, appearance, concert performances,... Ideology, in the end).
Their best album, alongside TRANS-EUROPA-EXPRESS and COMPUTERWELT with two of their biggest hits on it (Die Roboter and Das Model, the latter being played on the radio for about 20 years). Still extremely catchy with some great sound ideas and lots of things going on in the background, although being Kraftwerk-style, thus minimalistic. Some of the tracks were really influential for some 80s music - not to mention the sometimes Disco-like quality of songs like Spacelab. This was their second album being released in both German and English language versions, although most of the songs are pretty much the same. On this one, Die Roboter, Das Model and Die Mensch-Maschine were recorded in both versions. I'm looking forward to you listening to side two - Das Model is one of those super duper songs you'll never get out of your head.
By the way, one of my sons became a big fan of Die Roboter when he was six. He's eight now and still loves it (along with Das Model, Nummern and Computerwelt - and some Sparks, too). You surely can get your children used to good music when giving them good music :).
Computerwelt for sure
I want your shirt! Fantastic reaction! I strongly believe this is their magnum opus hands-down
Deus ex machina means God from the machine, not in the machine.
This is from wiki:
Deus ex machina was coined from the conventions of ancient Greek theater, where actors who were playing gods were brought onto stage using a machine. The machine could be either a crane used to lower actors from above, or a riser that brought them up through a trapdoor. Aeschylus introduced the idea, and it was used often to resolve conflict, and conclude the drama. The device is associated mostly with Greek tragedy, although it also appeared in comedies.
I saw Kraftwerk live a few years ago. The show was in 3-D, meaning you had to view the projected 70s-style computer graphics with 3D glasses. When they played “The Robots”, it wasn’t them on stage, but animatronic robot versions of themselves.
The greater melodic and pop elements of Man Machine and Computer World were driven by the increasing influence of Karl Bartos within the band - he’s standing at the front in this cover. Originally hired as a drummer, his musical sensibilities pushed Kraftwerk towards the mainstream. He had a successful solo career and released more new material after he left Kraftwerk than Kraftwerk did. Check out 2003’s Communication (which is more Kraftwerk than Kraftwerk) and 2013’s Off the Record (which in many ways is a retrospective of those early years). Bartos has been called the heart of Kraftwerk.
Another old favourite! Thanks JP. I'd definitely second Trans Europe Express and add Radio Activity to the list.
Always compered Kraftewerk sound not to cyberpunk visuals precisely, but to something between Metropolis and Equlilibrium - cold robotic streets, cult of science and of cource Speer brutalistic architecture (with the fleur of 70s). Deeply german work in it's core and vibe.
Another thing : while some music genres work best in a comfy room, through great speakers, this is definitely headphone music ( as is Jean Michell Jarre 😉 )
Agreed Sonny!
I'm ashamed to say I never listened to this album as a whole. I agree that Space Lab has a beautiful and affecting melody. I am sure you will love Neon Lights for the same reason. The fresh approach they took to electronic music, though, freeing them from the by then hackneyed clichés of rock music allowed them to have some fun with their personae and ironically make genuinely affecting and appealingly human melodies which are almost child-like.
Yay! Two of my first LPs ... Die Mensch-Maschine and Oxygene :D
I got the Kraftwerk LP on my twelfth bithday, which was 1978! And I really miss the time when I was listening to the record and watching the big cover (just like you did). But I must say that I only miss the record covers ... not the crackling vinyl sound!
Well, Kraftwerk had a big influence on my career as a musician, especially this album, and I really hope to see them live before Ralf Hütter dies.
Have fun with side two, especially with the second half of Neonlights!
Oxygene and Man-Machine - this is my childhood. Still love it.
Another hugely influential album. For instance, there could never have been a Yellow Magic Orchestra without this. I'm glad they've finally been nominated for the R&R HOF. If there's any justice in the world they should be a shoo-in.
Still got the original vinyl record from 1978, an iconic album!
Krafwerk is the definition of PIONEERS,Making electronic pop music in the 70s,3 decades later it was open field.
Really enjoyed your reaction, I hope that you may enjoy the vinyl experience also. Thx. 🎹👍
In the MoMa musuem in NY there is (was?) a section where they displayes album covers. When I was there, the only album cover to feature twice was this one from Kraftwerk.
I used to listen to this, as a young teenager, sat on my bedroom window ledge, gazing upwards to the sky on a dark clear night, seeing the stars and contemplating. Brilliant album.
Still have a thing for the first Kraftwerk album I bought though, Elektro Kinetic and Kometenmelodie2.
Some things never change! I’m 16 and do the same as you used to 😂
Justin, Kraftwerk are such an influential band in the electronic genre and I first came across them with Ralf Hütter & the late Florian Schneider's Kraftwerk Album, simple called 'Ralf & Florian'. That was 1973 and this is where they started the real experimental synthesiser music they later became famous for.....it was fascinating to listen to. 'Autobahn' came next and where they started to become noticed. 'Radioactivity' was next with all things 'Radio' and 'Electronics' and to me was very whimsical. 'Trans-Europe Express' is where they became more serious about using more melodic structures to their music and finally 'The Man Machine' which, although has more commerciality, I find mesmeric. It is something to sit and listen to with headphones on and be absorbed by. 'Space Lab' has always been a favourite number because of it's melody.
They are a mysterious group because of their private nature and not giving many interviews which just adds to their....quirkiness....but I just love them! If you get the chance to see them, Justin, you will be amazed at the music and the graphic nature of their shows....truly an experience.
At last Kraftwerk. My favourite LP is Computer World.
Hi JP. Great Album and definitely my favourite Album by Kraftwerk which I know and love since the mid eighties.
The second track of the record 'Spacelab', even inspired me to do my own spacy track 'The Voyage'. It's not similar to 'Spacelab' but has that spacy ambient feeling too.
Greetings from Germany.🙂
i love this album and i also love that you looked at all the album art, that was always part of the experience.
Yes, the sensation is robotic but also very poetic in a way, almost romantic. the melody line of "Spacelab" is almost classical. As you said, behind the synthetic nature of the music, there's soul inside ! I bought The Man-Machine when it was released in '78 and it was another step up from the excellent Trans-Europe Express. For me, this is the last great album from Kraftwerk (which will only repeat the same old formula with Computer World).
100% with you, in that this is the last great album by Kraftwerk. They were always ahead of their time, but after Man Machine...Time caught up!
Almost classical you say? Spacelab is a version of the OLDEST song we know, the hymn to Nikkal (from ancient Ugarit, 3.500 years old). Surprised? Me too
ruclips.net/video/59ZqUrMPoXk/видео.html
Я ТВОЙ СЛУГА
Я ТВОЙ РАБОТНИК
Gets me every time.
For the best experience you'll have to watch their video-clip Wir sind die Roboter, the one where they are walking together.
Back in the days, when I worked for one corporation, we, strapping young lads in our our department always ironically cosplayed this silly mechanical walk, going out right after any group meeting in conference room.
But what gets me even more, is the fact, how they evolve from the very first ToneFloatGerat experimental and fancy records to something like THIS.
Also, 2nd fascinating fact is how such a pioneer music never gets old and easely passes test of time.
Still as fresh, expressive and atmospheric as back in the 70ths!
HALF A CENTURY!!!
Keep that in mind!
Also, love your associative lines and the way you transfer music into word expressions.
They are touring the US this year. The show is called Kraftwerk in 3D. The multimedia experience of course. Look for them in June.
Great review of a fantastic album. If you like this you'll like No1. In heaven by sparks. Also recorded in 1978, but released in 1979.
I know Kraftwerk more than fourthy years. He showed me what is an electro icon music and I interested in that music.
Great reaction, knew you'd love this.
Glad you like this Album, Justin. I can recommend their live performance at the Tate Modern in London. It’s Kraftwerk in optima forma: music, presentation, screens etc.
Luv the shirt JP - Got tickets to Kraftwerk in Toronto - postponed just now. But soon.. Keep up the great work and positivity
Great album. A lot of this sounds familiar. I probably heard it back in the day. Definitely a ground breaking group.
I know very well Radioactivity and The Mix, where the Robots appear. It doesn't differ much. They invented the mix. In fact, let me tell you a story. I had a neighbor whose father worked on discotheque montages. He constructed the speakers, prepared the lightning, those machines that spread the smoke (heatten glycerin) and so on. His father was on many years with that job. But my neighbor was a dumb musically speaking. One day I showed him The Mix, still on K7 (which I still have) and he listened and loved. He said it was very very good. This is no surprise, for it's the sound he was used to. And then he asked me this:
- Now, who mixed it?
And I Said:
- Well, Kraftwerk.
- No, really, Kraftwerk is the band, but who's the guy behind these mixes?
-I told you, Kraftwerk.
- Oh, forget it...
(this was in the nineties, short after I bough the K7. The conversation was not ipsis verbis but closer.)
So...as you see...
Take your own conclusions.
One of them I already said:my neighbor was a dumb...
I really got into electronic music back in the 70's. Radioactivity is my favorite then Man Machine then Autobahn. My daughter was 5 and played this record on her Rainbow Brite record player way back when. Thanks for showing appreciation to these musical pioneers!
"Fun" fact: after having been nominated and rejected twice for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, they've finally been inducted as an "early influence" in 2021 next to artists "whose music predated rock and roll but had an impact on the evolution of rock and roll and inspired rock's leading artists", such as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. We're talking about a band whose first album came out after the Beatles broke up, btw.
Groundbreaking music..changed a lot of things..big influence on dance music as well as hip hop later on.
Please watch the video for "The Model". You'll get sort of idea what sort of instruments they were using, including the self - assembled electronic drum kit. The song was # 1 hit in the UK abetted by the then up and coming New Romantic movement which spawned several electronic oriented bands.
Big album
I have 2 suggestions to add to your neverending request list. My favorite 1970's electronic album.....Synergy. Electronic realizations for a rock opera and 10CC How Dare You! Love your channel. You're my favorite.
The key shifts are also the subtlety of their musicality, along with classic basslines... all of it supports the bigger innovation of the keyboard riffs & the then new drum machines... famed producer Giorgio Moroder took the Kraftwerk innovation to the American charts with his soundtrack for Midnight Express & Donna Summer's club hit 'IFeel Love'... this changed modern music forever
Legendary album, saw them live under the techno period and it was fun. The model was synthpop 3 years before everybody else.
I got see them in LA. Very cool.
I seem to remember them just standing behind keyboards evenly space on an otherwise bare stage and yet they produced this cool music. For Pocket Calculator they had small handheld devices. So futuristic.
I like this better than Autobahn (maybe because it's so nice and precisely numerical, but I also like the melodies better). Great review, so all I really needed to say was "+1".
I think you might also enjoy Computer World - even if it's for the difference in the way people are experiencing the greater spread of computing from what was imagined, back in the day when they were things in big buildings that designed death rays for the big corporations of the future to use on us.
Been awhile since I played this one. I have both the English and German versions of it. Amazing and brilliantly minimalist.
The robots, once again good structure effective and simple, just two chords in the end major(higher) and minor(lower) repeating with vocals. Metropolis probably my fav from 1 side. Those sirens (2. verse), like You are standing near. So atmospheric!
Spacelab is my favourite Track on this excellent Album.
They're touring their 3D tour this summer. Highly recommend you go and see these legends if they're playing near ya 👌🤖🤖🤖🤖
I can't overstate how mindblowing it was to put this album on my portable record player as a young guy and hear these super lush and crisp tones coming out after growing up listening to chonkier 70's rock. Even the repetitive nature of the songs was so different & thought-provoking. It sparked a love of synths that endures to this day. I still compose music that is rooted to some degree in Kraftwerk's influence. Well, probably in most ways, as most of the other electronic music that also influenced me was heavily influenced by Kraftwerk as well.
For a more modern take on these venerable tracks, listen to their live album Minimum Maximum - they influenced a generation of musicians, then they themselves listened to those bands and subtly reworked their classics to fit in with a more modern sound. Much of what was changed was the rhythm tracks, which have a bit more groove and variety to them... less strictly mechanical.
BTW, you want to close your turntable lid while playing records, as the airflow and static electricity can attract dust to your LPs while they are playing, and the needle hitting them can fix them in place. I think. It's been a loooong time since I had a turntable! :D
Ty for the tip Craig, had no idea lol
This had to be an inspiration for some video game music composers too. The 2nd track gives me some Final Fantasy vibes, and the 3rd track sounds like Scrap Brain Zone in Sonic, ha
Oh I'd definitely think so! :D
Great album great live band
It's cool that you are reacting to the vinyl, and that we are hearing it. It actually sounds really good, no surface noise. I grew up listening to vinyl and I always thought it sounded good, but eventually surface noise would get worse, requiring the album to be replaced after many, many listens. I had only heard The Robots from this album. It will be cool to hear the rest of it. Their sound is reminiscent of Tangerine Dream. I don't know who influenced who, the 2 bands were more or less contemporary.
We Are Programmed To Do. Exactly What You Want Us To.
i think of the line we are the robots every time I have listen to telephone instructions; press 1 for.... 2 for..... and so on.
For an electronic album, it's very melodic and a great chill out.
the U.S had Rock and Roll. Germany were masters of electronic music. Germans are of course famous for their efficiency. This music exemplifies that.
So there's Robert Johnson, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis, the Beatles and the Stones, Iggy and Bowie and Lou, and this.
You should check out the video for the song Showroom Dummies (from the previous album Trans-Europe Express)... it was my first exposure to Kraftwerk as a kid, and it freaked me out! In the best way possible...
Pleasant work - I actually like this - the sound is similar to their Computer World album..
From this album I only know The Model, which is very in the same mood that We are the Robots. Great song. I love The Model because of the cover made by Chris Whitley. This blues songwriter you have to discover one day. Start with his interpretation of The Model could lead you in him. Do both versions on one video, could be really great !!!
Please react to the german marching band 'Meute' that has specialized in reworking known electronic music tracks like 'What Else Is There' (Röyksopp - Trentemøller Remix), 'Kerberos' (Marc Romboy & Stephan Bodzin), 'The Man With The Red Face' (Laurent Garnier).
They also have some great collaborations e.g. with n'to 'Zig Zag' or with the duo Ätna 'Weirdo' and also making their own compositions like 'Raw (live)' or 'Peace'.
I've heard of them but never actually heard them. I agree that there is warmth, soul and melodicism woven through the robotic soundscape; much more than I expected. I hear the influence on Daft Punk, and on bands like OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark). The Oxygene T-shirt is also very appropriate. I enjoyed it. Thanks
The OMD influence is a fact: their first album is called Organisation in honor of Kraftwerk previous band.
Their first two albums are even more interesting. They made this kind of music without synthesizers (using flutes).
They were so ahead of their time!
Based on your comments about Space Lab, I think you'd like Computer Love.
Music
Deus Ex Machina (punk band), (s. 1989), a Greek hardcore punk band
Deus ex Machina (band), (s. 1990), an Italian jazz-rock band
Deus Ex Machina (heavy metal band), (s. 2004), a Singaporean death/thrash metal band
Deus ex Machina (Daugherty), a 2007 composition for piano and orchestra by composer Michael Daugherty
(pointing to the machines)
-This has no soul!
- It has no soul because nobody put it there.
Bjork
(I know this quote by heart. And I know you like it as well)
Exactly!
"Neon lights, shimerring neon lights.." is my favorite but it's on side 2. Great album ! A bit repetitive sometimes but hey, it's some robots who made this album.
Man machine was sample on Fearles 4 Rocking it
You hands down do the best reaction videos!!!!!!!!!!!
Well thank you Renee :)
The cover art is a reference to the Sowjet constructivism, therefore also the lyric parts in Russian.There is a live video of the Robots (Die Roboter) from 1978 in German TV ruclips.net/video/v2RTk53WtZ0/видео.html and also from the song Das Modell. It's is cool to watch their live performance in that time.
Please, make a reaction video of this very, very rare album: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automat_(Romano_Musumarra_and_Claudio_Gizzi_album)
…and of course “Ya tvoy snodda, ya tvoy rabotnik” is semi-Russian for “I am your servant, I am your worker”.
Love the T-shirt!
I have tix to see them in June. Highly recommend the show, you would really enjoy it.
Nice! I looked at tickets a while back, maybe I'll check em out :)
Same here in Toronto
I strongly recommend the German schoolchildren remake of ‘The Robots’ 😂
Playing vinyl, what a star!
🤘
Cheers from the Scottish Highlands!
@@stevenkeatley7486 Sending you some Orlando sunshine!🔆
I’ve been there, good weather for sure!
When you get onto side 2, let’s see how many mentions there are to Coldplay that asked Kraftwerk if they could use a tiny snippet of Neon Light for one of their songs (I won’t say which one) but months later, after requesting, Kraftwerk replied… with a simple ‘YES’
The snippet Coldplay used wasn't from Neon Lights, but from Computer Love.
@@jfkoetse yes, my mistake, I always mix those two songs up, similar’ish tempo to me. Thanks for correcting me 👍
And here I was thinking some would dump on this album, very surprised at how vaulted these guys are, as influ as the Beatles? Wow, I can’t argue. Pete Townshend rock and roll over.
So far, I’m in KW heaven, these are my only albums. Well one was 8track.
I suggest seeing David Byrne on Sessions at West 54th do “the Kraftwerk song”, (The Model) with the Balanescu Quartet, very cool.
Peace and robotictoc Music
Here’s a link:
ruclips.net/video/LoyOGoE0Q4Q/видео.html
Please do Fun Fun Fun on the Autobahn!
Great comments, JP - and some KW purists may disagree with me, but after this album I'd suggest you check out The Mix if you think this version of The Robots is "more danceable". Look forward to you working your way thru the entire Kling Klang catalog!
The Mix is a completely useless album, especially since it trashes some of the band's emblematic songs by giving them a 90s-style techno treatment. Kraftwerk is no longer innovating, it is modeled on the trends of the moment. vapid !
Yes, maybe it wasn't necessary to do those mixes. Besides, they are not as different as the original songs...
But I like them anyway.
Much of the vocals are not vocals whatsoever but handcrafted 'speach synthesis'. Consonants in particular are often strange...
So, Justin, how do you feel holding a record while you listen to it? It's a treasure of an experience, in this music dematerialized age...
We grew up like this and we know it's not the same nowadays. It feels different. The attention you give to it allows you another dive...
Plus, there was that “new album smell” as you plonked the record on the turntable and settled back in your beanbag chair to read the liner notes for the first time…
before Hip Hop, yes they were influencial on Hip Hop
Not a bad album but not a patch on the albums that preceeded it - particularly the first 3.
Masterpiece....side 1
❤
Before Kraftwerk was Silver Apples.
You should react to Felidae (1994).
excellent!
Ty PM! Hope you're having a nice evening :)
@@JustJP oh yes! thanks! you too I hope