Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk is German for power station, and that tells you a little bit about this famous band's focus, namely industry and technology. With vocoder singing, an electronic, catchy sound, and huge projected images and words behind them, Kraftwerk had an entirely new aesthetic for their time. The extensive use of technology in their music and performances suggests an appreciation for modern electronics, an appreciation which contrasts with sometimes pessimistic lyrics ("Stop radioactivity") about the modern age.

This quote from this article I think really encapsulates what Kraftwerk, and other German bands, were about:"They were not the first band to make music with electronic keyboards, but they were probably the first musicians to fuse those innovations with pop melody (for better and for worse). When they pursued that fusion, they...replaced conventional drumming with electronic rhythms, or, better, the essence of Afro-American civilization with the essence of European civilization." The German music scene in the 1960s and '70s was all about finding a European and distinctly German musical culture amid the influx and prevalence of Ango-American rhythms and melodies. Kraftwerk, for one, refused to allow American rhythmic influences from jazz and rock to be the defining trademark of German music; instead, they used it as a jumping-off point to incorporate more of a European, electronic sensibility.



Also, check out their website. It can provide hours of entertainment.