SMITH: Kraftwerk are unsung heroes
While The Beatles are widely recognized as one of the most influential bands in terms of the trajectory of modern-day music, a lesser-known German electronic band called Kraftwerk arguably rivals them in terms of impact. In fact, Kraftwerk was sometimes regarded as the "electronic Beatles."
Before Kraftwerk came into their own sound as a band, they emerged from a movement known as the "krautrock" movement. This movement was penned as a British joke to describe the German experimental music cropping up in the 1970s.
Two of Kraftwerk's founders, Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter, wanted to make music that reflected what Germany 'sounded' like. They ultimately named the band Kraftwerk, which means "power plant" in German, and referred to themselves as "sound chemists," indicative of their experiments using technology to invent new instruments.
Kraftwerk eventually diverged from the German experimental rock scene after making a few albums in the genre and became the so-called, self-coined "robot pop." This sound encapsulated the style they are best known for, which some consider paved the way for popular modern music. The 22-minute synth track "Autobahn," released in 1974, pioneered what modern music would sound like by incorporating more of a computerized music sound.
As Kraftwerk continued to progress in the direction of making electronic music, their ability to build and experiment with technology to make different instruments was one of the defining characteristics that made them so influential as they progressed as a band.
Kraftwerk was one of the first bands to utilize the first synthesizers that became commercially accessible. In addition to being one of the pioneers of incorporating synthesizers into their music, Kraftwerk was also one of the first to utilize computers to make music and incorporate them in a live setting.
Kraftwerk's combination of electronic music and melody through experimentation with electronic instruments left a huge, indelible impact on multiple different genres of music. This essentially opened the floodgates for multiple bands and artists regarding what could be made musically.
Kraftwerk also helped popularize many of the tropes seen in modern-day music, such as electronic sounds and sequencing, minimalism (repetitive/simply structured but deeply layered music) and disembodied vocals.
Kraftwerk influenced the trajectory of music genres such as electronic music and pop. Their influence also reached other genres, such as hip-hop, techno, rock and trance music.
Countless artists have been influenced by Kraftwerk, such as Daft Punk, Kanye West, Depeche Mode and David Bowie. Multiple artists have also sampled Kraftwerk's discography, including Coldplay, LCD Soundsystem, Dr. Dre, Lil Wayne and Miley Cyrus.
One of the most notable samples was "Talk" by Coldplay which sampled Kraftwerk's "Computer Love." Coldplay essentially took the "Computer Love" melody and changed the synths to guitars.
This sample is noteworthy, as "Computer Love" represents Kraftwerk at the pinnacle of their career, showing how they can make computerized sounds so alive and full of life with melodies so unique and fascinating.
I love that Coldplay took the elements that made "Computer Love" especially notable and made it so that their take on the song sounds fresh and original while still paying homage to Kraftwerk's impact.
This sample is the perfect example of the timelessness and enduring impact that Kraftwerk's music has had through the soundscape the band created, as it is continuously emulated and built upon. In a way, many bands and artists are sampling Kraftwerk by expanding upon the template they set for modern-day music.
Martin Gore of Depeche Mode, a synth-pop band, highlights the importance of Kraftwerk's contribution to modern-day music:
"For anyone in our generation involved in electronic music, Kraftwerk were the godfathers." Gore said.
Indeed, they were the godfathers of electronic music, spawning a sizable portion of the music we hear on the radio today.
It is a shame Kraftwerk is not more well-known amongst the general populace. I was not even aware of their existence or influence until recently. Simultaneously, they are one of the most wide-reaching yet disregarded bands.
When someone is listening to the top-10 hits on the radio or going to a party, bar or electronic music concert, there is a very good chance that the music being played would not have been the same if Kraftwerk did not make it first.
David Smith is a senior in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in Journalism and Media Studies and minoring in Psychology. Smith's column, "David's Diary" runs on alternate Thursdays.
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