#179: Kraftwerk - Autobahn (1974)

Zack: A long time ago, a friend explained electronic music to be in the context of two bands: Kraftwerk and Daft Punk. As I came to understand it, Kraftwerk is the first electronic band to give everyone else the tools to make this genre of music as we know of it, but Daft Punk is the first band to really modernize the scene and make it what it is today. Essentially, Kraftwerk is Moses and Daft Punk is Jesus. Now, as you may or may not remember, I didn’t really like Daft Punk, so this had me worried. What would it mean if I like Kraftwerk but didn’t like Daft Punk? Would I have to convert to electronic Judaism? Or what if I couldn’t stand either of them? Would I then be an electronic atheist? There were some real consequences to this album that I needed to come to terms with before I did anything. Before I actually say how I felt about it, I should probably report that I really started to notice what my friend had told me back then. You could hear a lot of different electronic mainstays being utilized in Autobahn. For example, I noticed some Aphex Twin-esque ambience and some looping of instrumentals (namely a pan flute, I think). It was pretty clear that this was the fertile ground from whence an entire genre and even culture sprouted. As for how I felt about it, I think the best word is grateful. I’ve struggled to understand electronic albums in the past, especially ones that had been hyped to me. The genre, so far, has been hit or miss with a lot more misses. But I think I had a breakthrough here. The album itself was okay, but I really began to pick up on the smaller things that make an electronic album good. I think this may have been an important step for me that will help me come to better appreciate electronic music sometime in the future.

Favorite Tracks: Autobahn; Kometenmelodie 2; Morgenspaziergang

Emily: Though electronic music has been around since the '70s, it has really come into the forefront recently with the advent and rapid popularity growth of EDM and dubstep. I'm not particularly a fan of either, but my guess is that most people who have recently gotten in on the trend have no idea where electronic music got its start. Well, Kraftwerk is pretty much the start. While playing Autobahn back-to-back with, say, Skrillex's new album may sound incongruous, the connection is there. In addition to synthesizer, Kraftwerk included real instruments and vocals to create a unique and seamlessly combined sound - just like how Skrillex and his cohorts merge vocal and musical samples with their own electronic beats. All electronic music seems to have this mash-up idea at its core, and it all started with Kraftwerk driving down the Autobahn.

Favorite Tracks: Autobahn; Kometenmelodie 2; Morgenspaziergang