Widely acknowledged as the pioneers of modern dance music, the German band Kraftwerk began to take shape in the late 1960s under the direction of Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider. At first improvising with flute, electric guitar, cello and vibraphone as the then Organisation, they explored the sounds of the modern industrial world, setting up their own studio, Kling Klang, which remains at a secret location in Dusseldorf. Experimenting with tape loops, synthesizers and vocoders they released two eponymous albums in 1971 and 1972, before making their international breakthrough with Autobahn in 1974. A string of concept albums followed: Radioactivity, Trans-Europe Express, The Man Machine and Computer World each exploring a new theme with precision artwork and instant hooks. Their influence has stretched far and wide, from New Order and The Human League to Arthur Baker and Afika Bambaataa.

from notes by Joby Burgess © 2008