The ones I listen to... #11
When thinking about electronic music, I always think first of Vangelis, Kitaro, and Jarre. Each of these artists has their distinctive and unique style. One thing they have in common, relatively speaking, is their general tendency toward simple and evocative melodies that contrast surprisingly well with the somewhat cold nature of synthesizers. However, some artists were drawn to a more clinical side of these instruments. These often fall under the term “Krautrock”. I first came across the name in the past twenty years or so, thanks to the Internet. However, I was familiar with music itself back in the 1980s, when I was still just a child.
Funny, though, my first exposure to Krautrock came through a popular Croatian TV show for youth called “Smogovci”, which first aired in 1982. In the beginning, this was a charming suburban tale of an unusual family, but with time, some detective and even SF elements were added in. The music editor was clearly a connoisseur of electronic music, which turned out to be an almost perfect musical backdrop for certain scenes. His often choice for music cues was Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk, the most well-known representatives of the mentioned style.
Tangerine Dream was founded in West Berlin in the late 1960s. Its founding and core member was Edgar Froese, who was also interested in other arts besides music. Over the years, the group had many members. Some of the most notable and long-lasting ones were Klaus Shultze, Peter Baumann, and Christopher Franke. Their music revolved heavily around synthesizers and early samplers, most notably the Mellotron. They also used additional acoustic and electric instruments from time to time.
The music of Tangerine Dream is a fusion between art and science. While listening to their works, particularly the earlier ones, you can easily picture a scientist in a white coat working in a lab. I read some critiques claiming that there is more “fiddling with equipment” than artistic intention in the music of Tangerine Dream, but this is not true. Their work might not be as accessible as that of other greats in electronic music, but it still features recognizable motifs and an abundance of atmosphere.
Perhaps it's best to dive into their most important works. “Phaedra” from 1974 is an eerie sound collage that feels like a blend of a nightmare and a wonderful dream. It always reminded me of a forest in the night. The follow-up, “Rubycon”, is all about movement with hypnotic quality. “Stratosfear” introduces additional electric and acoustic instruments that make it a more organic-sounding release. “Force Majeure” is a progressive-sounding album, much like Mike Oldfield's earlier works. Finally, “Tangram” from 1980 marks the shift toward more lyrical melodies and new age sound, and it's frequently recommended as the starting point for newcomers.
The music of Tangerine Dream often has a cinematic quality to it, and it's quite “photogenic”, as proved by many visually attractive live performances. They were also involved in composing music for numerous films and documentaries. The most notable film titles featuring music by Tangerine Dream are “Sorcerer” (1977) by William Friedkin and “Thief” (1981) by Michael Mann.
The legendary German music group Kraftwerk was founded in 1970 in Düsseldorf by Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider. Kraftwerk is not only one of the electronic music pioneers and greats; they’ve successfully bridged the gap between electronic music and pop, while still retaining their artistic vision. Kraftwerk were amongst the first ones who ended the dominance of popular music relying primarily on guitars and drums, by replacing those with synthesizers, samplers, and drum machines.
The music of Kraftwerk may seem robotic, clinical, and overall minimalist at first glance, but this is often a façade. They frequently use catchy melodies and intricate rhythms that originate in classical music. Much of their music is instrumental, but they also use lyrics. These are somewhat mechanical and “up-to-the-point”, in accordance with the ethos of the group. They, however, also have songs with poetic quality, most notably “Spiegelsaal” (The Hall of Mirrors) and “Schaufensterpuppen” (Showroom Dummies).
The albums by Kraftwerk are largely conceptual and inspired by a certain theme. For example, “Autobahn” from 1974, “Die Mensch-Machine” from 1978, or “Computerwelt” from 1981. An interesting case is their release “Tour de France”, which came out years later in 2003. Though this was produced with modern equipment, the group still retained its inimitable sound and aesthetics.
Kraftwerk might not be for everyone, but those passionate about music and art should at least be familiar with their work.