TECHNO POP
Kraftwerk was formed in Dusseldorf, Germany by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970. They were initially part of a musical movement occuring in the German underground that came to be labeled by the press, somewhat mockingly as, "Kraut-rock," which is really just another way of saying "new original music from Germany."
Although I am no expert in the origins of Krautrock, it seems to me that what the bands had in common, besides occupying the same general geographic location in time, was their experiments with incorporating noise into music. This encouraged the listener to confront and challenge their own basic beliefs regarding what music actually is, and what differentiates it from noise. Are they ultimately one and the same?
In a sense, this Krautrock movement took off from the sonic fringes of 60s psychedelic rock, such as the Seeds, The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, and Iron Butterfly - executed with calculated German precision, taken to new levels so as to become something else entirely. Something new and original.
Kraftwerk's particular identity as we now know it today involved the abandoning of traditional instruments for completely electric based ones. Using various forms of recording/playback devices, keyboards, synthesizers, and drum machines - they "mimicked" instruments, everyday noises, and even the human voice - combining them into various forms of sound collages - held within strict rhythmic pulses more similar to those found in disco, than in prog-rock of the day. Unlike most of their peers, Kraftwerk turned all of this noise into something accessable, and even dance-able, to an international audience. Something they would themselves label "Techno-Pop."
In hind-sight, Kraftwerk ended up creating music who's influence can now be fairly compared in scale to that of the Beatles on the world wide level. Hip Hop, New Wave, Techno, Industrial, etc. can trace some of their basic roots to what 1970s Kraftwerk refined in their mysterious Kling Klang studio. Even people who have never heard of them have probably HEARD THEM without even realizing it, via samples used by pop artists as varied as Africa Bambaataa and Coldplay.
But who are the individuals behind Kraftwerk exactly, and what was their goal in creating such abstract and influential music?
REGARDING THE NAME
[Flingern II Power Plant - Düsseldorf, Germany]
Kraftwerk:[German for] "Power station." - Online-Translator.com
Although the German word "Kraftwerk" stands alone quite well as a name for a group which mixes industrial noises with pulsating beats, taking the word apart yields some interesting definitions as well...
Craft: an occupation, trade, or activity requiring manual dexterity or artistic skill.
Work: "exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil. productive or operative activity." - Dictionary.com
...we call ourselves musical workers, kraft-werk. - Ralf Hütter [RH]
We always thought of ourselves as workers in sound, as studio or musical workers, not musicians or artists. But as musical workers going, going into the studio to work. - RH, Bohn 1981
Here we have RH confirming the association between the "work" the band does, and the name. "Music" being their "craft." What other definitions can be contained within the name?
THE ORGANIZATION
[Ralf Hütter (L) and Florian Schneider (R) formed Kraftwerk in 1970, and appeared to be the main individuals behind the group up until Florian's exit in 2008. Schneider passed away in 2020 and Hütter remains the sole original member, and is presumably the "band leader" to this day of 2024.]
Hütter is a secretive musician who avoids interviews. - wiki
The Kraftwerk co-founder [Florian] remained a mystery even after death... -TheGuardian.com
No other band shuns publicity with such dedication. - BBC, 2009
The pair usually kept a polite, but discreet distance from the person they were talking to in a very stilted, rather shy, almost etherial way. They were more like culture diplomats or the representatives of a humanitarian organization, than musicians. - Wolfgang Flur [WF]
Ralf’s monologues gave me the impression he was holding imaginary press conferences…his rhetoric had become more mysterious over time…I believe the nature of narrative manipulation is that you not only pretend to others but at some point, also to yourself… - Karl Bartos [KB]
It is a well documented fact that the group never answers correspondence. The detective hunt that ensued was more like trying to penetrate the corridors of a secret society or intensely private business corporation than that of a pop group…people were reluctant to talk to us without first having approval from the group. - Pascal Bussey [PB]
I can’t pretend that I know him [Ralf] really. In fact, very few people really know him, I think. - Patrick Codenys
I couldn’t have avoided joining Kraftwerk in 1973. Even if they had all been part of a criminal conspiracy, I wouldn’t have been frightened away. - WF
The above comments from various band members and friends/associates over the years seem to suggest that Ralf and Florian [Ralf in particular] are/were perhaps members of some sort of secret organization. Given that we cannot absolutely verify the nature of this secret entity, or even its' existence, let's just call it "The Organization" for convenience. I will also use this phrase when I am referring to the presumed "think tank" or "intelligence operation" behind the group.
THE CRAFT WORK
While the German word KRAFTWERK translates to "power plant," there are other ways to logically infer the meaning behind it. We have already seen how Ralf seperated the name into 2 distinct words, while describing what they do: KRAFT and WERK, or Craft Work in English. Being that I research Freemasonry as a hobby, it is obvious to me that "The Craft" is a phrase used to mean "Freemasonry."
Craft:...signifies skill or dexterity, in any art. In reference to this skill, therefore, the ordinary acception is a trade or mechanical art, and collectively, the persons practicing it. Hense, "The Craft" in speculative Masonry, signifies the whole body of Freemasons, wherever dispersed. - Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry
If we consider for a moment whether the founders of Kraftwerk were Freemasons, we find some signifficant circumstantial evidence in support of this theory, starting with the name itself. [the] Craft + Work = Freemasonic Activity!
In some of my other blogs, I have discussed the symbolism behind the Freemasonic square and compass. We know that Freemasons use symbols often having more than one meaning, depending upon the context. The "G" in Freemasonry can stand for Gnosis, Geometry, God, Genetics, Generative force, etc. I find the latter to be the most applicable generally, as demonstrated in the above image showing the Freemasonic ceremonial apron, which places the G [very intentionally, it would seem] exactly where the phallus is. Much of this GENERATIVE [or phallic] force evergy is discussed at length in Albert Pike's "Morals and Dogma" and is found all throughout Aleister Crowley's writings. [A.C. was said to have had many Freemasonic titles to his name.]
With all of this in mind, note the small step required to go from "generative force" to "power plant." A power plant IS the "generative force" of a city, and the modern industrial world. The decidedly "phallic" looking construction cone found upon the first 2 Kraftwerk albums fits right in with this concept. The cone's sillouette can also be seen as volcanic, or can be likened to a power plant tower. The cone represents a construction zone or an area where work is being done on industrial infrastructure. Building. Architecture. Masonry.
[Paul Schneider-Esleben, Father of Florian Schneider [FS], in his office, with a model of Cologne/Bonn airport, 1962.]
Great Architect of the Universe, Grand Architect of the Universe, Sublime Architect of the Universe, GAOTU, Supreme Architect of the Universe… is a conception of God discussed by many Christian theologians and apologists. As a designation it is used within Freemasonry to represent the deity neutrally (in whatever form, and by whatever name each member may individually believe in). - Freemasonry.network
Freemasons regard themselves as builders, hense the tools used to represent their various concepts. But unlike contemporary architects, Freemasons incorporate ceremonial, religious, and philosophical concepts into their craft work. Obviously, not every architect is a Freemason, but it just so happens that many city center buildings and structures were designed by Freemasons. Since we are on the topic, it is noteworthy that members of Kraftwerk's "classic line-up" had/have strong connections to architecture.
Franz, Florian’s grandfather, built beautiful, bold, early 20th century churches and helped train his son Paul to become an architect...Like his forefathers, Florian was an architect, but of sonic cathedrals. -faroutmagazine.co.uk
At one point I did [study architecture], and constructing music and live performance comes from the same spirit. - RH
The home had been built during la belle époque, and had been designed by my great grandfather, the same architect who had built the famous Berghof sanatorium featured in Thomas Mann’s novel The Magic Mountain, on Davos…I also spent some time engaged in practical training with an architect. - WF
Berghotel Schatzalp is a historic hotel built in the Art Nouveau style and listed Cultural Property of National Significance in Davos, eastern Switzerland...A former hi-tech tuberculosis sanitorium, it opened as the hotel Berghotel Schatzalp in 1953. The hotel caters for global economic and political leaders during the World Economic Forum Annual Meetings in the third week of January
At least 3 members of the classic Kraftwerk line-up were trained in architecture, and 2 of them allegedly have a family history in this field going back generations. It is important to note that these relatives of Kraftwerk members were not merely building residential housing! The World Economic Forum [WEF] is thought to be one the most, if not THE most important known gatherings for the Globalist elites [think: Illuminati, New World Order]. The fact that WF is related to an architect who built the structure this annual meeting occurs within is something I can probably fill an entire blog itself with.
I think we can safely assume that members of the "classic" Kraftwerk line-up were not just ordinary working class German artists. They are clearly connected, by blood, to the very tradition of German infrastructure. And yet, they chose to build "sonic cathedrals" rather than apply their craft in a more practical way. But music is an expression of culture, and politics is downstream from culture. So when a band reaches the level of Kraftwerk, in terms of popularity and influence, the music then becomes part of the global "cultural infrastructure," and therein lies, I believe, the hidden objective within The Organization.
Freemasons will argue that oaths such as the above are either outdated, or not to be taken literally - but that is not really of concern here. My point is this: Freemasons have a well known tradition of taking oaths of secrecy. So if we consider whether members of Kraftwerk were/are in fact Freemasons, secrecy would come naturally to them.
Whether the Organization is Freemasonic Illuminist in nature or not, I can't say for sure. But I find it interesting how easy it is to fit Kraftwerk into the "New World Order" agenda, which I will elaborate more upon in part II.
The myth of the important artist has been overexploited. It doesn’t fit anymore with the standards of modern society. Today, mass production rules…Everyone is a star. - RH, Adrien [French Magazine?], 1978
“Every man and every woman is a star.” - Aleister Crowley, "the Book of the Law" [Originally published in 1904]
[BBC interview with Kraftwerk, conducted with a Robot/Dummy version of RH]
WHAT THEY SAY
I don't like to go on and on about my own theories and assumptions for too long without allowing the group to speak for themselves. Using their own words as a guide, we can theoretically shed more light upon The Organization and its mysterious objectives:
The music of Kraftwerk didn’t actually emerge spontaneously through emotional group sessions, like that of normal bands; instead it tended to be created via a procedure one might find in a research laboratory or on a musical research program, as if an academic professor was making up a new musical format for the needy of the world. WF
With Kraftwerk, we went through a hard time as pioneers, protagonists and propagandists, but in the end our obstinacy paid off and other bands became increasingly enthusiastic about synthesizers, putting their guitars to one side and developing the individual sounds of electro pop… WF
Their music is the theme tune to the Kennzeichen D programme…there was a lot of talk among musicians about Kraftwerk’s expensive sound system, so I was aware they seemed to have plenty of money. KB [Karl Bartos, recalling his perception of the group previous to joining]
I couldn’t get my head around why we were constantly investing in extremely high end technology…the more capital went into allegedly optimizing the means of production, the less music came out at the other end. KB
The essence of Kraftwerk is not so much the musicians. Rather our friends who are from other fields like doctors, computer technologists, psychologists, writers and painters. FS
Ralf was like the unappointed leader, he was the spokesman….commercially or financially, Ralf and Florian were leading… Emil Schult
We make everything alone. We have our own music publishing house, we produce ourselves, and two months ago we got our own record company. - RH, 1975
[Pete Townsend, demonstrating the gear apparently required to play "Baba O'Reily]
[In his book "I was a Robot," Wolfgang Flür claims to have invented the electronic drum pad specifically for the group - a claim which seems to have caused legal action from his former band mates.]
When bands like The Who, Pink Floyd, and Emerson Lake, and Palmer began giving the synthesizer a prominent role in their songs, this caused people to wonder, "what is that sound?" Other musicians may have thought, "hey that's cool, how do I get a hold of that equipment?" But it's not like your average garage band could simply walk over to guitar center and pick one up! This equipment was expensive, and were sometimes invented shortly prior to use. Inventions require not only money, but experts from various fields who probably do not work for free.
Kraftwerk clearly had funding and a think tank behind them very early on, seemingly with the objective of PROMOTING the use of electronic equipment in music and to modernize the musical-cultural propaganda machine for new generations. This seemed to have taken a leap forward with the release of their 1975 album, and debut with EMI, "Radio-Activity." Although RH is quoted above as stating the band "got our own record company," this isn't entirely true if we consider that "their record company" was basically a satellite of the larger EMI. This could be percieved as an attempt by RH to hide the Organization backing them from public view, by claiming to be more autonomous than they actually were. [Quorthon, who I talk about in a previous blog, did the same early on by putting the label name "Black Mark" on Bathory albums, when it was actually released by his father's label, Tyfon Grammofon"].
It seemed to me as if Ralf was using the cycling conversation as a kind of verbal cloak of invisibility, so that he could talk about something without really saying anything…Now and then when we were alone, we did “talk” about how things were going. It wasn’t usually about music, more about strategy and tactics… KB
I wake up in the morning, I brush my teeth [laughs], I go to the studio, I work, I go back home, I eat, I sleep. RH
I wake up in the morning…then I brush my teeth [laughs]. First I read the newspaper, I go to the coffee house for breakfast, I do the daily things which people have to do. FS
I live my life like a railway, doing exactly the same thing everyday. - RH, according to KB
We played concerts here and there, at Universities, parties or happenings. We traveled around in a Volkswagen van, living at various friends’ houses in other cities. It was not a big organization like it is today...We were very lucky, at the time there were electronic music concerts, happenings, the Fluxus group, etc…we were engaged in the artistic world, galleries, universities, etc… - RH
The idea was to make contemporary electronic music…We didn’t really have a strategy, we rushed into making industrial music, abandoning all our other activities from before - our education, our classical background. It was a total rupture for us. Neither then nor now did we think about the future, or about some strategy. Why would we think about the future? - RH
We have invested in our machines, we have enough money to live, that’s it….We don’t do cola adverts, even if we might have been flattered by such proposals, we never accepted. - FS
What I get from the above are attempts by Ralf and Florian to understate the contrived nature of their group's origins. [paraphrasing] "Oh we were just lucky that there happened to be an electronic scene going on and we were just kinda there going along with it!" Also, statements like "it was not a big organization like it is today" remind me quite a bit of statements made by Quorthon to the press [again, see my blogs on the band Bathory, where he often tried to downplay Bathory's contrived nature.] These types of statements are a sort of "oh, don't look there it's not very important anyway" type of game. Or "Oh no, we didn't have a strategy at all, it all just emerged in a completely organic way! It's not like we look into the FUTURE to plan stuff or anything!"
Everyday we hear about huge trillion dollar deficits. Yet our governments always seem to have billions and billions of dollars to spend on wars, nonsense social programs that tend to accomplish the OPPOSITE of what they state up front, and wasteful environmental measures often designed to funnel money into certain people's pockets and drain it from others. Point being, if The Organization behind Kraftwerk is/was connected to some sort of "deep state" black ops entity, there was likely never a funding issue. So when Florian seems to admirably profess his dedication to "art over profit," the truth is, he probably was never lacking for funds in his life. In other words, he never needed Coca Cola's money because he already had plenty!
The interesting thing is that both of them came from families of upper middle class. Sometimes I get the feeling that they were intellectuals from the high bourgeoisie who wanted to discover another world. - Paul Alessandrini, group friend/journalist
Both came from wealthy families; Hutter's father was a well-off salesperson and Schneider's father, Paul Schneider-Esleben, was one of the most famous architects in post-war West Germany. - Pertti Gronholm
The culture of Central Europe was cut off in the 30s, and many of the intellectuals went to the USA or France, or they were eliminated. We are picking it up again where it left off, continuing this culture of the 30s, and we are doing this spiritually….We want the whole world to know we are from Germany, because the German mentality, which is more advanced, will always be part of our behavior. - RH
When RH speaks of Kraftwerk's objectives, he uses the word "WE" alot. We think he means "the band," the members of Kraftwerk. But I suspect he is referring to the Organization. The think tank he is the public face of, which only masquerades as an "eccentric artist."
SOURCES:
www.nzherald.co.nz
"The Sound of the Machine" by Karl Bartos
"Man, Machine, Music" by Pascal Bussy
"I was a Robot" by Wolfgang Flur
"Kraftwerk - The Decline of the Pop Star" by Pertti Gronholm
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