Krautrock

Under the genre krautrock of the 1960s, the early 1970s was arranged rock music primarily West German bands from the end, which also were partially known internationally. Allen classic Krautrock bands have in common other than the geographical origin of the slope to the experimental, improvisation influenced rock music.

Identification and self- understanding

The term goes back to the word " sauerkraut " and the derogatory term " Krauts" for the German soldiers in the Second World War. For the creation of the term Krautrock to John Peel, a well known English radio presenter in 1968 by the title of Mama Düül and their sauerkraut band plays on the LP Psychedelic Underground the band Amon Düül have been inspired. In addition, in May 1973, the Hamburg group fist for Virgin Records in the studio " The Manor " in Oxfordshire their fourth LP, the first piece of " Krautrock " said. Virgin Records then took over the term as a genre name for rock music from Germany.

In Germany Krautrock was often used as a self-ironic name for your own music to express the fact that you gave Germany a pop culture developing country. Krautrock was beginning to see more as a collective term for music from Germany. There was neither a uniform movement, yet far-reaching stylistic similarities.

Apart from the use of the non flattering intentioned word " herb" is often understood by this summary of different styles and the reduction to their geographical or national origin of the term Krautrock as a derogatory term. Thus, for example, were Amon Düül and Agitation Free committed to psychedelic rock, Tangerine Dream were more likely in the field of electronic music, Guru Guru practicing first space rock a la Hawkwind and early Pink Floyd, Kraan and Embryo were the jazz rock, Birth Control attributable to the Hard Rock while an almost avant-garde composition Can attitude chose. Where the bands total often distinguished themselves through their own interpretations of the Anglo-American pattern, which brought international recognition with it.

Although there were early bands who quite naturally to German singing ( your children, Prof. Wolfff ), but German texts at that rock music still not dodge for granted and instead to the English were, some Krautrock bands chosen to virtually or entirely to dispense with texts ( eg Ash Ra Tempel ). Noteworthy is the proximity of many bands to the extra-parliamentary opposition and leftist groups ( Floh de Cologne, Sharam, Locomotive Kreuzberg). " Agitation Free " had their rehearsal room in the K1 and often played at the actions hash rebels. Also noteworthy is the fact that groups such as Omega (Hungary) and nectar (GB / U.S. ) are often counted among the Krautrockers following its success in Germany.

As the only common underlying trend, the tendency to form more complex structures would be mentioned, which was closely related to progressive rock / art rock and jazz-rock is. From today's perspective should be emphasized that experimented here a striking number of musicians with the then novel synthesizer technology. This applies to Can especially for Tangerine Dream and their environment ( Klaus Schulze, Ash Ra Tempel ), so possibly provided the basis for the eventual success of Kraftwerk ( Autobahn, 1974).

Since starting from the hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa Juan Atkins internationally many musicians of subsequent generations explicitly referred to this "electronic" field to techno - " originator ", the Krautrock retrospect comes to a quite large pop - historical significance, also if at that time neither intended nor been foreseeable. Significant krautrock influences in indie bands such as Sonic Youth (especially Can) and Stereolab (especially New! ) To notice.

Around the turn of the millennium, there was a renaissance of old Krautrock bands, first in the U.S., subsequently also in Germany. This trend continues to this day and causes it comes to Reunions, out of print recordings that have been recreated and that relatively new bands, such as the band Space Debris was founded in 2001, their music described as " Krautrock ".

Significant representatives

  • Agitation Free
  • Amon Düül
  • Amon Düül II
  • Ash Ra Tempel
  • Birth Control
  • Can
  • The Cosmic Jokers
  • Fist
  • Poison
  • Grobschnitt
  • Guru Guru
  • Jane
  • Kluster
  • Kraan
  • Power plant (in its early days from 1970 to 1974 )
  • New!
  • Popol Vuh
  • Tangerine Dream ( early phase )

Musician of electronic music and Cosmic Music

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