Kraftwerk Orientation Mix!

Greetings friends, I have created a playlist on YouTube that showcases Kraftwerk’s better-known music and its historical significance in my life. It took me a few years to become a really crazy fan, and whether you get as crazy as me or not, I’m pretty sure you’ll walk away from this mix with an appreciation for their talent.

Instead of doing something obvious like presenting their stuff in chronological order, or like a top-ten or something, I’m going to let you hear it (mostly) in the order I discovered it, and I’m going to write down some thoughts for you to read as you check out the tunes. I think this is an ideal primer for new fans who are about to go to one of their concerts, but would like to have a bit more familiarity with their music. If this is you, I strongly advise against watching any of the myriad of live videos on YouTube shot at Kraftwerk’s recent concerts! It could ruin the experience for you, as the 3D visuals do not translate well to YouTube and the sound is usually pretty crappy.

Just remember, this is not techno, and the older music in particular will lack the punch you’re used to hearing in modern recordings. Kraftwerk is very likely to perform reworked, modernized versions of almost every song I list here. Continue reading →