Wolfgang was in the band for about a week at this point, and he built the drum pads 3 days before this performance. I read about this on his biography. He goes in depth about the concerts
This version is actually a hybrid of Heimatklänge and Tanzmusik. The backing chords and flute notes are from Heimatklänge (which is a much mellower song) while the keyboard melody and electronic drums are from Tanzmusik. Very cool how they could combine these two songs into one.
they are the fathers of 'Techno' 'Electronic' styles, i m sure there could be others too, but these guys have strange melody, no matter what decade you are, even 1970 doesn't matter, it yields to every generation and my favorite is the vocoder part. Their experiments can be used as lessons in today's world for making melodious stuff. thx for this upload and thx Kraftwerk, love your music always :)
Ralf with long hair and Florian with *any* hair! Plus Wolfgang "the Ringo Starr of Kraftwerk" Flür (quote: Wolfgang Flür) looking like a Thunderbirds puppet playing a biscuit tin lid. And it's a classically beautiful variation on the album version with shades of "Tongebirge"... The speaker sounds *very* like the voices of "News" from "Radio-Activity" - maybe the style of voice of news radio at the time. Except the Bavarian one. ;)
It's wonderful to listen how their music developed from the very experimental, but fascinating 'Tone Float' to this song, which is quite reminiscent of the master piece that was to follow. But what makes this video great is that it shows their already elaborate use of electronics. Just look at the number of cables and sockets they had to use for this! And Wolfgang Flür had \joined the group by this time!
This is the best video EVER. Everything about it is so gloriously pleasing. Everyone looks wonderful. The typography at the end of the show is amazing. So classic! And Wolfgang is the most beautiful man...
What an amazing piece of history. This is the exact television appearance that wolfgang flur talked about in his book. It's a truly great experience to see what they really preformed like before they became famous.
Just realising : at 3:50 how Ralf mutes the beautiful drone the Minimoog produces almost the entire song, giving the bass for this amazing song. Kraftwerk, heros since my four years old, thank you.
I didn't even realize that there were already electronic drum pads in 1973! These guys were cutting edge pioneers of electronic music! This song reminds me of stuff that my friends and I used to create when jamming in the 80s and 90s. It trips me out to hear this early stuff that sounds so much like music that I use to create years ago. I had heard of Kraftwerk in the early 80s, but I had maybe only heard one of their songs until now. :-o
During that time period, to me Ralf looked like Walter "Radar" O'Reilly with long hair, and Florian looked like Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce from MASH. But back then I smoked a lot of weed during those days when I was a teen listening to Kraftwerk in the early mid 70's. And of course their albums after Autobahn.
It's young Wolfgang Flür, their long-time electronic drummer until 1990, who had just joined the duo after the recording of their "Ralf & Florian" album in 1973.
God, we have laptops and digital synthesizers and computer programs designed to do this kind of stuff, and we still can't create anything on this level. Pure genius.
Yes remember that this was -73 they had the music in their heads. but no electronic equipment was available. so they built thier own machines! outstanding :) sweden fan
The further back in time i go listening to Kraftwerk songs,the more ahead of their time they become!!! Just awe inspiring! Music without melody is nothing. Kraftwerk ARE melody!!
Really incredible! So along ago, a great part of future was written by them, almost anonimously... Nowadays we can see a bit of the primary effects of the progression, evolution, the development of th recorded idea, the initial concept, fist steps of the these big dream called 'Future'... Exequiel from Buenos Aires, Argentina
Das ist ein Beispiel für absolute richtungsweisende musikalische Kunst..... Wunderbar, gehört zu meiner Jugend wie zum momentanen Dasein..... geil, einfach geil.....
Ich bin so dankbar für diesen Ausschnitt. ich hatte die Platte damals "Ralf & Florian" in der Hand und dummerweise wieder ins Regal gestellt. Heute kann ich mich dafür ohrfeigen.
Thanks! I became a fan in the early 80s when I was in high school, but just found a video from 1971. It was fantastic!! I'm going to explore the earlier work more.
This was the beginning of electronic and technosound which was made in Germany. In time of Abba and other folksmusic in the 70s, Kraftwerk shows new ways of music and this was the base for todays electronic clubmusic. Thanks to Kraftwerk for this beautiful revolutionary music style!
The first commersially available drum machine was from the late 50's. It was controlled by a mechanical "sequencer" (like a washing machine) and was called the "Wurlitzer SideMan". Hammond made their first organ drum machine in the late 60's and Yamaha had key operated drum sound on their organ models D-2B and D-7 from 1967.
an incredible creative moment in time, refining and defining their future sound, whats so magical is its kind of wagnerian and childlike at the same time..sublime genius, understated and yet epic..and what the future would bring in terms of influencing future generations x
When my fellow American's talk about the great contributions to world culture from France, or Italy, I can only shake my head and think about Kraftwerk, Shopenhauer, Gropius/Bauhaus, Beethoven, Benz, Gutenberg, Leibniz and the countless others who make Germany an inspiration to all
WAY ahead of their time. WOW some of that electronic gear is homemade, you can tell by looking. Cutting edge for 1973. Some of their music STILL sounds like it is from the future.
these guys were the pioneers of most electronic music you hear today, including some electronic instruments such as electronic drum pads and sequencing!
I'm glad I came across this video...This gives me a whole new perspective on Kraftwerk...I just rediscovered them all over again!!...Beautiful!... Just beautiful!! Thanks for uploading this!!...
