I'm not exactly sure how long I've loved the German band Kraftwerk. Having had a long search of my memory I suspect it was back around when I was 15, so around 1983 or possibly a bit later. Sitting in a small box room playing on my Sinclair ZX Spectrum I'd listen to music cassettes when games had loaded in. Though I was influenced by lots of different sorts of music electronic and synthesiser music were rapidly becoming favourites. On leaving school and getting a relatively low paid job I persuaded my mother to sign a credit agreement so I could get into debt buying a keyboard. I think it cost around £125 and in truth wasn't that good or professional added to the fact I was poor at playing it. In time the keyboard got sold but my love of electronic remained, it was the 1980s after all and such music was flourishing.
So to the present day. Kraftwerk are still touring and remain enigmatic and iconic in the music world. Only last week they played a series of concerts in the Tate Modern in London in which they played entire albums over several nights. I was caught napping regarding the announcement and was too late to get a ticket, so unfortunately I've missed them ... again. I still have some of their stuff on vinyl including a 12" luminescent version of 'Neon Lights' and many cd's.
Added to my woes there have been some amazing reviews, two of which are here and here. One day I may get to see them though it would have been fantastic to have seen them in their formative years with the original line up. Here's a video of one of my favourite tracks called 'Numbers' though live with the extra bass sounds even more awesome, I have it on a cd somewhere, sadly YouTube losses some of the sound (but is still good).
