Biography

The multi-media project Kraftwerk was started in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. They set up their electronic Kling Klang Studio in Düsseldorf, Germany, where they conceived and produced all Kraftwerk albums. Bringing together music, visuals, robotics and performance art, Kraftwerk are a true "Gesamtkunstwerk – a total work of art.” They created the soundtrack for the digital age of the 21st century. AUTOBAHN 1974, RADIO-ACTIVITY 1975, TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS 1977, THE MAN-MACHINE 1978, COMPUTERWORLD 1981, TECHNO POP 1986, THE MIX 1991, TOUR DE FRANCE 2003 Their compositions, using innovative techniques, synthetic sounds and voices combined with computerised rhythms, had a major musical influence on Electro, Hip Hop, Techno and SynthPop. In their hi-tech live performances, Kraftwerk – Ralf Hütter, Henning Schmitz, Fritz Hilpert, Falk Grieffenhagen – illustrate their belief in the respective contributions of both man and machine. The 3-D concert series at MoMA 2012 was followed by further presentations at Tate Modern Turbine Hall (London), Akasaka Blitz (Tokyo) Opera House (Sydney), Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles), Fondation Louis Vuitton (Paris), Neue National Galerie (Berlin) and Guggenheim Museum (Bilbao). In 2014 Ralf Hütter was honoured with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award 2018 Kraftwerk won the „best dance/electronic album” Grammy for "3-D The Catalogue12345678" a complete 3D Audio and Video retrospective of their albums.