"Kraftwerk": From Dusseldorf to the Future (with Love)

The future of modern music began in Dusseldorf in 1970, when an avant-garde German band, "The Organisation" re-invented themselves as Kraftwerk, setting in motion a train of events which introduced a whole new language into popular culture. By pre-dating electro, house, ambient and techno by more than two decades, Kraftwerk are possibly the most influential band of the late 20th-century. Having studied compositional theory at the Dusseldorf Conservatory, they have more in common with Stockhausen and Russian Constructivism than Chuck Berry and Andy Warhol. Yet, in creating pop hits like "Autobahn", "Trans Europe Express", "The Model" and "Tour de France" Kraftwerk created a mass-market blueprint. The list of those influenced is staggering: Bowie & Iggy Pop; Human League; disco (Giorgio Moroder's seminal work with Donna Summer); Gary Numan; Sparks; Simple Minds; Depeche Mode; Orbital and much of late 1990s Dance music.