Under the Needle.

JULY 1981-HIGH GEAR Page 9

Better living through electronics (Kraftwerk computer music)

By Steve Del Nero

KRAFTWERK: Computer World (U.S. Warner Bros. HS 4549)

Kraftwerk's two biggest hits. "Autobahn" (1974) and "TransEurope Express (1977) are two landmarks in rock history: the drone as possible Top 40 format, and electronic disco. A deep Kraftwerk influence is apparent in Donna Summer's "I Feel Love," Cerrone's "Supernature," and in new wave disco (Blondie's "Heart of Glass"). Kraftwerk, whose experimentalism was necessary for this type of music, has just released a new album, Computer World, which reminds us how important this group is.

interesting that this music is still today by many, some of them being re-issued and listened becoming our future stars!

After three rather experimental albums with little commercial potential (for which they deserve all the praise they can get). Kraftwerk released Autobahn in 1974. The melodies, rhythms, and vocals--all sounded more "popular" than any previous Kraftwerk release. "Autobahn," however, turned out to be a novelty single in America. Those who bought the album got a 22% minute version of "Autobahn," and four obscure electronic landscapes which few people understood.

Little by little, Kraftwerk became more commercial, and in 1977 they released the first of

of the first electronic disco albums, Trans-Europe Express.

Formed in 1970 in Dusseldorf, Germany, Kraftwerk leaders Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider were pioneers of that harsh elec-what is now considered to be one tronic music later called "Krautrock." They were contemporarles of many legendary psychedelic bands, such as Tangerine Dream, Kluster, and Amon Duul Il in Germany, and Pink Floyd and Gong in England. A lot of this music was inspired by hallucinogens imported to Europe by American Gl's. With the era of psychedelics long behind us (don't believe what you hear), it's

This album, Radioactivity, and The Man Machine have been very influential. Electronic music as a genre would probably not exist today without them. There are also a host of non-disco bands who have used Kraftwerk's music as a stepping stone for their own works. David Bowie, Ultravox, and Gary

Numan are good examples, as are the current futurist bands (Visage, Spandau Ballet, Yello), and even the omniscient Brian Eno has absorbed something.

Most of these bands are more machine-oriented than the current marketing of rock music allows. Any songs by these bands that break on Top 40 or AOR markets are considered novelty items, even though many of them can be played in discos across the country. It seems that having started the trend, Kraftwerk has decided to finally get some compensation for it!

The fans (remnants of the In Crowd) get off on the electronic keyboards and synthesizers drowning out everything else. The meat of the music is not guttar, but synthetic percussion, mutated vocals, and abstract rhythms. Few songs of the genre deal with love, and rarely are the day-to-day hassles of living mentioned.

An atmosphere of smug alienation is obvious sometimes, but most of these bands can rock out, too! Acclimatize yourself-the union of space music, electronic rock, and futurist disco exists in Kraftwerk.

With Kraftwerk not having

released anything in three years, this Kraftwerk album may be a disappointment to its rabid fans due to its not doing anything new. Instead, they seem to be copying at times the bands they have been fathering recently.

Don't let this deter you. It's easily one of their best albums. Sure, the synthesized vocals on "Numbers" (where they count in Spanish) and the droney disco of "Computer Love" have been heard before, but the whole tone of the album is so insistent, that you'll want to hear it over and

over.

The snappiest tracks on Computer World are "Pocket Calculator," "Home Computer," and "It's More Fun to Compute." In "Pocket Calculator" (which my spies inform me is getting airplay!) Kraftwerk shows us all the things we can do with this new machine-add, subtract, control, and compose little melodies. "Home Computer" sounds like the Kraftwerk we know and love. By programming your home computer, you can beam yourself into the future!

While "Home Computer will have dancing, the last cut, "It's More Fun to Compute" will have you poured out like jelly on

the floor. A computer voice repeats the title again and again. The Tazy, somnambulant beat and the synthesizer will ooze up on top of you. It's more fun to compute than what? Indeed! New Ultravox!

Speaking of Kraftwerk influences, Ultravox has a new 12" single "All Stood Still/Alles Klar /Keep Talking." This is one of their most ambitious releases yet, but it's hard to believe that they are still paying their dues after six years. "All Stood Still" is – a longer remix of the rocker from their excellent Vienna LP. "Alles I Klar" and "Keep Talking" are very electronic with heavily avant-garde rhythm and melody.

Since Ultravox's association with German producer Conrad Plank (who produced the earliest Kraftwerk albums, by the way). they have adopted most "Krautrock" as their own.

Although Ultravox is primarily a rock band rather than a disco band, they're one of the most danceable bands around.

With this futurist dance music, you can be sure they'll be one of the biggest bands of the decade.

So much for this month's bag of goodies. Keep those letters comin' in!

DEAN'S

For the Man About Town

DEANS

11120 Clifton Boulevard Cleveland, Ohio (216) 961-7407 Monday-Saturday: 4 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Sunday: 2 p.m.-1a.m.