Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk performing in Kiev, Ukraine, in 2008
Background information
Origin	Düsseldorf, West Germany
Genres	Electronic synthpop electropop avant-garde art pop krautrock
Years active	1969 (1969)–present
Labels	Kling Klang EMI Capitol Warner Bros. Philips Vertigo Astralwerks Elektra
Associated acts	Neu! Organisation Ibliss
Website	kraftwerk.com
Members	Ralf Hütter Fritz Hilpert Henning Schmitz Falk Grieffenhagen
Past members	Florian Schneider Houschäng Néjadepour Plato Kostic Peter Schmidt Karl Weiss Thomas Lohmann Eberhard Kranemann Andreas Hohmann Klaus Dinger Michael Rother Emil Schult Wolfgang Flür Klaus Röder Karl Bartos Fernando Abrantes Stefan Pfaffe

Kraftwerk (German pronunciation: [ˈkʀaftvɛɐk], "power station") is a German electronic music band formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1969 in Düsseldorf. In the 1970s, they were among the first successful pop acts to popularize electronic music and are widely considered to be innovators and pioneers of the genre. The band was fronted by both Hütter and Schneider until Schneider's departure in 2008.

Kraftwerk began as part of Germany's krautrock scene in the early 1970s, releasing three albums in an experimental rock style before embracing electronic instrumentation, including synthesizers, drum machines, vocoders, and self-made instruments. On commercially-successful albums such as Autobahn (1974), Trans-Europe Express (1977), and The Man-Machine (1978), they developed a distinctive style which combined electronic music with simple pop melodies, sparse arrangements, and repetitive rhythms, while adopting a stylized visual image which often employed matching suits. Following the releases of Computer World (1981) and Electric Café (1986), member Wolfgang Flür left the group in 1987. They released their final album Tour de France Soundtracks in 2003. Founding member Schneider departed in 2008.

Kraftwerk have exerted a lasting and profound influence across many genres of modern music, including synthpop, hip hop, ambient, industrial, post-punk, techno, and club music, and have inspired a wide and diverse range of artists. According to The Observer, "no other band since the Beatles has given so much to pop culture." In January 2014, the Recording Academy honored Kraftwerk with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. As of 2016, the remaining members of Kraftwerk continue to tour.