Amazingly, the original and easily the best synth-meisters are back in our music shops with original material. Kraftwerk, the musical power station who revolutionised music with Autobahn in the 1970s, release Tour De France Soundtracks. It’s a collection of 12 “soundtracks” that are, as you’d expect, largely instrumental save for the odd German or French computerised words spoken over the top of this wall of e-sound.

All the tracks roll into each other with effortless ease, making this a CD just short of an hour in length that has no real barriers, no real borders, just electronic themes and pop perfection. Twenty years after Kraftwerk released their landmark single, Tour De France, this is a logical progression of that celebration of the legendary French cycle race. Tour De France themes pierce the new album and can be found in tracks such as "Areo Dynamik", "Titanium", "Vitamin" and "Elektro Kardiogramm". Each track is cleverly thought out, combined with simple but effective sound effects and each has a distinct sense of individuality amidst an easily recognisable collective sound that penetrates the CD in general.

Some have called Kraftwerk the “electronic Beatles” because over the last 30 years their influence has been so wide-ranging. While this may be a title that takes some getting used to, there is no doubt at all that the Düsseldorf quartet have seen their musical excellence radiate out amongst a range of top names. In the 1970s, David Bowie and the post punk futurists pledged their allegiance, followed by New Order, Depeche Mode and a host of others in the 1980s. In the 1990s and beyond, Kraftwerk tunes have been sampled by everyone from Moby to Beck and The Chemical Brothers. It’s an impressive history and the new album is a welcome addition to what we have been presented with in the past.

A klassic! Dankeschön Kraftwerk!
01-Aug-2003 9:34 AM

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