Record of the day: Kraftwerk, “Trans-Europe Express”

Kraftwerk
“Trans-Europe-Express” (Cd Capitol CDP 746473-2)

In the middle of July, with the heat beating down, maybe it’s not a bad idea to cool off with a dose of chilly electronic pop from the genre’s acknowledged masters, Kraftwerk.
Pioneers of ambient and techno atmospheres, revered by many DJs and musicians of subsequent generations, who often used samples from their records (for example Afrika Bambaataa and Madonna), Kraftwerk were among the first groups ever to introduce a proposal with a blatantly and proudly European physiognomy to the record market, in years when the imitation of American rock and pop was considered obligatory (even if in reality the influence of minimalist composers from overseas is clearly evident in the group’s compositions, almost all the work of founders Rolf Hutter and Florian Schneider).

Having achieved great success with the album “Autobahn”, Kraftwerk have progressively expanded their legion of fans without having to deviate from an artistic path so linear and coherent that it seems to have been planned years in advance.
Each subsequent album has seen the German quartet explore the universe of electropop with ascetic determination; instrumentation stripped down to the bone entirely based on synthetic sounds, sub-zero atmospheres, simple melodies that are immediately memorable, lyrics that sound more like slogans than anything else. Moreover, their live concerts are also marked by the same severity of approach and see the four absolutely immobile for the duration of the concert, hidden behind their keyboards without the slightest attempt to involve the audience.

Kraftwerk’s soundscape has changed, albeit at an icy pace, over the years and the changes have mostly concerned the group’s progressive adaptation to dance sensibilities, as also demonstrated by the various remix versions of their work that they have released over the years.
Their albums are therefore (at least for me) rather interchangeable with each other; for today “Trans-EuropeExpress” is perfect, which in addition to the famous super-catchy title-track contains the disturbing “Showroom Dummies”, the synthesizer glissandi of “The Hall of Mirrors”, the industrial parenthesis of “Metal on Metal” and the enchanting sweetness of “Franz Schubert”.

Carlo Boccadoro, composer and conductor, was born in Macerata in 1963. He lives and works in Milan. He collaborates with soloists and orchestras in different parts of the world. He is the author of numerous books on musical subjects.

This text is taken from “Lunario della musica: Un disco per ogni giorno dell’anno” published by Einaudi, courtesy of the author and the publisher.