Across over 500 partially interactive exhibits, the exhibition looks at music genres falling under broad category of “electronic music.” Including musical instruments, self-made sound generators, pictures, radio files, videos, and graphical work, it covers a broad spectrum of media. From the first electronic musical instruments to the use of AI in contemporary production, visitors discover electronic music history through their own scope.

Celebrating electronic music history, the exhibition covers musicians Jean-Michel Jarre, Laurent Garnier, Kraftwerk, and others. People can also can tune in to weekly Free Digital Electro streams covering music production, the evolution of dance music, and more.

“New musical genres emerging in the 1980s, such as Detroit techno, Chicago house and hip-hop, as well as the rave culture of the 1990s will be presented both acoustically and visually through art photography,” reads a statement on the Kunspalast website. “A particular highlight of the show is the spectacular staging of the oeuvre of the multimedia project Kraftwerk founded by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in Düsseldorf in 1970. ‘Electro. From Kraftwerk to Techno’ invites visitors to embark on a journey of discovery of the exciting and highly ramified history of electronic music.”

Produced and executed with the Kunstpalast, the exhibition is curated by the Musée de la Musique – Philharmonie de Paris. For more information on the schedule, restrictions, and exhibition in general, visit the Kunstpalast website.

First eligible for induction in 1996, the group didn’t make it onto the ballot until 2003. They were included on the ballot five more times but did not receive enough votes to be inducted. That all changed on Saturday, October 30th at the 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony when the group was finally inducted as part of the “Early Influences” category.

Music producer and Kraftwerk fan Pharrell Williams gave the induction speech. In a recorded video, Williams said, “I’m going to suggest that we create a new hall within the Hall, reserved for artists who invented their genre, because Kraftwerk belongs there.”

He went on to list the many ways Kraftwerk inspired popular artists such as Afrika Bambaata. He also expressed gratitude for being able to meet the late Florian Schneider, who passed away in April of 2020. Schneider was one of the founding members of the group and performed with them until his departure in 2008.

Founded in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1969, Kraftwerk were one of the first acts to popularize electronic music. They began as part of West Germany’s experimental “Krautrock” scene before fully embracing electronic instruments such as drum machines, vocoders, and synthesizers.

Schneider, along with bandmates Karl Bartos, Wolfgang Flür, and Ralf Hütter, were inducted as part of the ceremony.

Jay-Z, Todd Rundgren, LL Cool J, Foo Fighters, Tina Turner, and Carole King were among the other 2021 inductees. Kraftwerk will join them and others at the 36th Rock Hall induction ceremony, slated for October 30th, 2021.

The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame said in a statement that Kraftwerk “established the blueprint for modern electronic music.”

“Kraftwerk are entirely unique,” the statement continued. “They have produced number one chart success with their song The Model and were invited to perform at [The Museum of Modern Art in New York] and the Tate Modern for their contributions to avant-garde art.”

Kraftwerk are widely cited as innovators and pioneers of contemporary electronic music, and they’re credited for helping popularizing the genre throughout a career that has spanned over 50 years. The group often used homemade instruments and custom electronic devices to produce their music.

Last year, Kraftwerk founding member Florian Schneider died of cancer at age 73.

So far Underworld, Kraftwerk and Nile Rodgers & Chic have been announced for the three-day festival. Respectively, they will headline the main stage on July 30th, 31st, and August 1st. Additional headliners will be revealed in the months leading up to the event.

2020 would have marked Playground Festival’s second annual edition, but the pandemic prevented organizers from moving forward with the event as planned. The inaugural 2019 event billed such artists as De La Soul, Hot Chip, DJ Format and Maribou State. Next year the event will return to Rouken Glen Park, which is to the southeast of Glasgow.

Organizers will make a subsequent announcement on November 25th, the day before tickets go on sale for the 2021 gathering. More information is available on the Playground Festival website.

In 1971, Shepherd got to work building an array of machinery called Special Telemetry Research and Tracking (S.T.R.A.T.) in his grandparents’ living room (he would later move it to a separate building on their property). From then to 1998, he broadcast “non-commercial music” by the likes of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream in addition to jazz albums like Mysteries by Keith Jarrett, reggae efforts such as Itals‘ Give Me Power!, or krautrock like Future Days by Can.

“I like rock, but there’s plenty of it out there,” Shepherd told Pitchfork. “It’s a pretty common broadcast. Rather than loud guitars just wailing away, I wanted to go towards where the soul was and have more meaning in that sense. I wanted something that explores human emotion in a warm and effective way. In sending out music, the idea was to communicate that sense of humanness, that feeling and drive, that ecstasy.”

John Was Trying to Contact Aliens also explores Shepherd’s various life struggles, such as coming to terms with himself as a homosexual or his tenuous relationship with his single mother, according to Mixmag.

Learn more about John Was Trying to Contact Aliens on the Netflix website.

Kraftwerk co-founder Ralf Hütter broke the news to the general public. In a statement obtained by Billboard, he shared “the very sad news that his friend and companion over many decades Florian Schneider has passed away from a short cancer disease just a few days after his 73rd birthday.” Only days before, the band had called off their 50th anniversary tour.

Remembering Florian Schneider

Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider started Kraftwerk in 1970. Perhaps best known for their 1974 single, “Autobahn,” the band’s impact on electronic music and beyond cannot be overstated. They were among the first pop culture acts to incorporate synthesizers into their performances, and their futuristic brand of krautrock directly influenced rock, electro, hip-hop and techno. Hütter is the only member of the quartet’s original lineup who continues to perform and record music with them.

Schneider was as much a technological innovator as he was a musician. According to Pitchfork he and Hütter filed patents for a drum kit as well as the Robovox vocoder, both of which became hallmarks of the band’s sound. “Thank you all ladies and gentlemen for listening to my compositions,” reads a post to his Facebook page made on Tuesday. “I am grateful to you.”

Florian Schneider was laid to rest in a private burial according to The Guardian.

A now-deleted post to the group’s Facebook page obtained by Resident Advisor read, “DUE TO CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ALL CONCERTS RESCHEDULED FOR 2021.” Prior to that, several individual dates included on the tour – which was to run from February to August, 2020 – had been called off. Among them were appearances at All Points East and Festival Antigel.

Kraftwerk’s history predates that of popular electronic music regimes such as house or techno. The krautrock band were among the first to use various electronic instruments during performances, and are perhaps best known for their 1974 single, “Autobahn.” Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider were the group’s founding members, but after a revolving door of collaborators Hütter now performs alongside Fritz Hilpert, Henning Schmitz and Falk Grieffenhagen.

No makeup dates have been announced for Kraftwerk’s 50th anniversary tour at the time of writing.

As the name suggests, the exhibition will highlight stage shows for the likes of The Chemical Brothers and Kraftwerk. It will also touch on the work of Weirdcore for Aphex Twin and a virtual reconstruction of Jean Michel Jarre‘s studio. It will be soundtracked by none other than Laurent Garnier.

“Evoking the experience of being in a club, the exhibition will transport you through the people, art, design, technology and photography that have been capturing and shaping the electronic music landscape,” reads verbiage on the Design Museum website.

“Sound is only part of the story when it comes to this category of music,” said Exhibition Curator Gemma Curtin in a quote obtained by NME. “It has built communities on and offline, democratised music technology and provided a safe space for free expression.”

More information on Electronic: From Kraftwerk to The Chemical Brothers can be found on the Design Museum website.

“Because of rather bad driving experiences in the recent past in various parts of the world, we feel obliged to reiterate the way, band and crew are being transported and looked after while in your territory (sic),” the document begins. “Furthermore it needs to be understood that the designated drivers are responsible and experienced professionals.”

Specific makes and models of transport vehicles are just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to the more reasonable request that drivers be sober, the rider also requires that they keep the radio off for the entire drive, refrain from turning on air conditioning unless asked to do so, and “have a moderate driving style.”

Have been sitting on this illicit snap of Kraftwerk’s transport rider for so long now. It’s so wonderfully Kraftwerk. Enjoy. #SuaveBreakers pic.twitter.com/aZAGTbvKDX

— frozen reeds (@frozenreeds) June 18, 2017

After cutting their teeth in Germany’s krautrock scene in the early ’70s, Kraftwerk were among the first artists to achieve commercial success by incorporating synthesizers, drum machines and vocoders into their music. Their signature “robot pop” style played no small part in influencing early electronic music, especially Detroit techno, as Juan Atkins of the Belleville Three commonly cites them as an influence.

Kraftwerk continue their current tour with daily 3D concerts in London, United Kingdom starting July 21st.

Source: NME