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Kraftwerk (band)

Kraftwerk, founded by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in Dusseldorf in 1970, is a German band known for being a pioneer of electronic music.

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All Content on this topic

Kraftwerk on stage in New York with a large projection screen behind them Photo: Peter Boettcher/Kunstsammlung NRW

Tracing Kraftwerk's enduring influence

You could call them the most German of German bands. Kraftwerk's innovative approach to music has allowed their sound to branch throughout many genres and trends that came after the band's first releases in the 1970s.
August 20, 2013

Kraftwerk - Live at the Museum

Kraftwerk was never just a band - its visual impact was almost as significant as its sound. In January 2013, Kraftwerk performed at the K20 art museum in Dusseldorf. It was the first time that they had played in their hometown in over 20 years.
MusicAugust 17, 201304:09 min
A woman's legs sticking out of the front of a VW Beetle ullstein bild - TopFoto

The very last Beetle

This "People's Car" model is a legend among automobiles. It conquered the silver screen as Herbie, and cropped up at several key junctures of music history. Production of the car ended on July 30, 2003.
July 30, 2013
Kraftwerk on stage in front of a red background Copyright: Peter Steffen/dpa

The beat goes on

With a new series of concerts underway, electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk continue to fascinate.
January 23, 2013

Kraftwerk - German Sounds in New York

They're arguably the most influential German band ever: The electro pioneers have just finished a successful series of concerts in New York's Museum of Modern Art.
MusicApril 21, 201203:48 min

Climate: Geothermal Energy in El Salvador

El Salvador is known for its volcanoes. Now, the country is using them as a source of geothermal energy. Power plants have been built that pump water 1,200 meters into hot strata below ground. There it turns to steam that is used to drive turbines and generate electricity.
BusinessJanuary 31, 201205:45 min

Eleven bands

Can't tell Kraftwerk from Rammstein, Nena from Lena? Take a short course on German bands.
April 8, 2011
Kraftwerk CD cover Mensch-Maschine

In the beginning

With minimalist beats, Kraftwerk is the band that put German postwar pop music on the map.
April 8, 2011

Read DW's Newest Series on German Pop Classics

'Eurovision' is Europe's great annual song contest. Last year's winner: German darling Lena Meyer-Landrut, the latest product of Germany's storied pop music industry. What other German bands have made history? Read on.
February 21, 2011
Kraftwerk

Out of Kraft

Florian Schneider's departure means a lot for Kraftwerk -- and for pop music in general.
January 7, 2009
Kraftwerk bandmembers in 2004

Autobahn Exit

The co-founder of pioneering German electronic band Kraftwerk quits.
January 7, 2009
A man listens to music on headphones

Copyright Question

Songwriters can sample parts of others songs to compose their own, says Germany's highest court.
November 20, 2008

Krautrock Created a New Sound for a New Generation

Germany's children of World War II alchemized the revolutionary spirit of the 1960s into sound and vision, ushering in their own musical genre.
October 26, 2005

Kraftwerk is Back

For almost two decades, the legendary German electronic formation Kraftwerk was silent. Now, the pioneers of electronica have returned with a new album top Germany's charts.
August 7, 2003