Kraftwerk

There is a new DVD with a fascinating documentary about the birth of german electronic pop music, called "Kraftwerk and the Electronic Revolution". It shows how in different german cities, beginning in the late 60's, weird experiments conducted under the influence of Stockhausen and psychedelic drugs coalesced into a cluster of great bands, some of which well known, like Can or Tangerine Dream, others much less so, like Ash Ra Tempel. It then shows how Kraftwerk, working in Dusseldorf, fitted or did not fit into that scene and how they progressively hit upon their style, creating some of the most sumptuous pop music ever recorded. And finally it shows the tremendous influence they had, first of all on David Bowie who, in 1976, went to Berlin with Brian Eno to record their great masterpiece, "Low", and then on disco, british electronic pop and techno. "From station to station to Dusseldorf city, meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie" sings Ralf Florian in Trans Europe Express. The record came out in 1977, when punk rock was raging. In New York City, cool black kids in sneakers were the first to take it up. I remember hearing Trans Europe Express for the first time in Central Park throbbing out of a ghetto blaster. Check out here Showroom Dummies  from that famed masterpiece album.