Explaining Krautrock - Ongoing History of New Music

Summary

Ongoing History of New Music: Explaining Krautrock
Hosted by Alan Cross
Release Date: May 21, 2025

Introduction to Krautrock

In the episode titled "Explaining Krautrock," Alan Cross delves deep into the origins, development, and enduring influence of Krautrock—a genre that has subtly permeated the fabric of modern rock music. He begins by challenging listeners to recognize the subtle influences of Krautrock in contemporary tracks, exemplified by Australian band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard's 2017 track "Rattlesnake." Cross emphasizes, “[00:41] you have heard this more than you realize,” setting the stage for an exploration of Krautrock's pervasive impact.

Historical Context: Post-War Germany and the Birth of Krautrock

Cross situates Krautrock within the tumultuous landscape of post-World War II Germany. With Germany devastated and divided—East under Soviet control and the West aligned with democratic Europe—there was an urgent need for societal and cultural rebuilding. He reflects, “[01:07] Imagine being a young person who was too young to have been in the military. What prospects did that person have growing up in a divided country ruined by war?”

Amidst this reconstruction, a generation of young Germans sought to redefine their national identity through art and music. Rejecting the remnants of traditional German music, which was tainted by the Nazi legacy, these musicians aimed to create a distinctively new sound that diverged sharply from British and American rock influences.

Musical Characteristics of Krautrock

Krautrock is characterized by its experimental approach, blending elements of psychedelic music, progressive rock, and electronic innovation. Cross describes the genre's evolution: “[01:07] Within a few years, something distinctly German had emerged. It rocked in its own way. It had elements of psychedelic music. Things could either be extremely structured or open to wild improvisation.”

The music often eschews conventional rock structures, incorporating unconventional rhythms and instrumental experimentation. This blend resulted in a sound that was both hypnotic and avant-garde, laying the groundwork for future genres.

Key Bands and Influential Figures

Several pioneering bands and individuals were instrumental in shaping Krautrock:

Kraftwerk: Perhaps the most influential Krautrock band, Kraftwerk transitioned from experimental improvisational music to pioneering electronic sounds. Cross highlights their seminal 1974 album Autobahn, stating, “[16:07] Kraftwerk with Autobahn from 1974. And that was the beginning of a string of important albums released over the next seven years.”
Can, Cluster, Tangerine Dream, Faust: These bands contributed to the diverse sonic landscape of Krautrock, each bringing unique elements that further defined the genre.
Conny Plank: A visionary record producer, Plank built a custom 56-channel recording console to facilitate the creation of Krautrock's intricate sounds.

The Motorik Beat and Influence on Later Music

A defining feature of Krautrock is the "Motorik" beat—a steady 4/4 rhythm that evokes the sensation of movement, akin to driving on Germany's extensive motorways. Cross explains, “[16:55] The motorik approach was quite popular with the German underground. It also leaked out to a few places in Britain.”

This rhythmic foundation influenced a wide array of genres, from post-punk and industrial to electronic dance music and hip hop. Notably, Kraftwerk’s work laid the groundwork for techno and EDM, while their "Trans Europe Express" became a direct inspiration for hip hop pioneers like Afrika Bambaataa, whose track "Planet Rock" is a cornerstone of the genre.

Cultural and Political Underpinnings

Krautrock was not just a musical movement but also a cultural and political statement. Emerging from a society grappling with its Nazi past, the genre embodied a desire to break free from historical constraints and forge a progressive future. Cross notes, “[01:07] These young Germans had to get rid of schlager music and build German music from the ground up.”

The intense political climate of the late 1960s in West Germany, marked by student protests and the rise of groups like the Baader-Meinhof Gang, provided a backdrop for the rebellious and innovative spirit of Krautrock.

International Reception and Legacy

Initially dismissed by many in Germany due to its foreign-sounding name—a term coined by the British as a pejorative—Krautrock gained international recognition through labels like Virgin Records. This exposure facilitated its influence on various global music movements. Cross asserts, “[25:13] Krautrock can be found in all areas of modern rock. If it's icy cold and hypnotic with a bit of synth, then chances are there's kraut rock involved somewhere.”

Prominent artists influenced by Krautrock include:

David Bowie: Inspired to move to Berlin, Bowie created some of his most acclaimed work during his time there, including the album Heroes.
Joy Division, New Order, Radiohead, Coldplay: These bands have integrated Krautrock elements into their music, from hypnotic rhythms to electronic experimentation.
EDM and Hip Hop Artists: Modern genres owe a considerable debt to Krautrock’s electronic foundations and rhythmic innovations.

Conclusion: The Enduring Influence of Krautrock

Krautrock has cemented its place in the annals of music history not merely as a genre but as a catalyst for innovation and cultural transformation. Alan Cross concludes by affirming Krautrock’s significance: “[25:13] Kraut rock's story is especially interesting because of its origins as a political, demographic, social and artistic attempt by Germany to rebuild after its Nazi past.”

He encourages listeners to explore the genre further, highlighting its extensive influence across decades and genres. As Cross aptly puts it, Krautrock’s legacy is a testament to music’s power to reflect and shape societal change.

Notable Quotes:

“Imagine being a young person who was too young to have been in the military. What prospects did that person have growing up in a divided country ruined by war?” — Alan Cross [01:07]
“These young Germans had to get rid of schlager music and build German music from the ground up.” — Alan Cross [21:15]
“If it's icy cold and hypnotic with a bit of synth, then chances are there's kraut rock involved somewhere.” — Alan Cross [25:13]

This comprehensive exploration of Krautrock by Alan Cross not only elucidates the genre's origins and characteristics but also underscores its profound and lasting impact on the global music landscape. Whether you’re a seasoned music aficionado or a curious newcomer, this episode offers invaluable insights into a genre that continues to influence and inspire.

Transcript

Alan Cross (0:00)

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Sponsor/Advertiser (0:41)

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Alan Cross (1:07)

Ebay Things People love World War II destroyed Germany. The country was divided. The east was under the control of the ussr, the west was in democratic Europe. And then there was Berlin, sitting in the east but cut into four different zones, dominated by the Russians, the Americans, the British and the and the French. Most history books look at the political and military side of things. What we don't hear about nearly as much was how German society was rebuilt. Imagine being a young person who was too young to have been in the military. What prospects did that person have growing up in a divided country ruined by war? This is where art comes in. Art is always downstream from whatever is happening in society. And in the case of West Germany, many artists wanted things to be very different. Young German musicians had some very serious ideas of what needed to be done. Many were into rock, but they were determined to create rock that was different from what was being made in the UK and America. And they certainly didn't want anything resembling traditional German music. It had been tainted by the Nazi legacy. It was time for something new, different, and away from the status quo. There were experiments in the 1950s that were pretty radical and frankly, all over the place. But the results of these experiments began to coalesce into something by the end of the 1960s. Within a few years, something distinctly German had emerged. It rocked in its own way. It had elements of psychedelic music. Things could either be extremely structured or open to wild improvisation. It certainly wasn't from any blues tradition or normal rock conventions upon which British or American rock was built. The structures of some compositions weren't exactly what you'd call normal, at least not in the context of rock. And occasionally things got political, but not necessarily in a protest sense. By the middle 1970s, we had a new, distinctly German sound. The scene was very diverse in terms of sonics, but there was a Teutonic purpose underlying everything. The Germans just called it German rock. The British, however, gave it another name. It was supposed to be a joke, but the name stuck. And looking back, this sound, this approach, this aesthetic and this name can be found throughout many different corners of the rock world. This is an explanation of a thing that has become known as Kraut rock. And believe me, you have heard this more than you realize. This is the ongoing History of New Music podcast with Alan Cross. This episode on German Music will begin with something from Australia. And don't worry, you'll soon see why. This is King Gizzard and the Lizard wizard with a track from 2017 called Rattlesnake. And what I need you to pay attention to is the beat and the VI Melbourne, Australia's King Gizzard and the Lizard wizard with a driving, pulsing track entitled Rattlesnake. And it shows very clear signs of the influence of Kraut rock. Hello again, I'm Alan Cross and this is another dive into a long standing genre that developed decades ago that has since become an essential part of rock's overall DNA. There's more Kraut rock in our music than you may realize. Plus in this case there's an interesting and social component to this particular genre that goes all the way back to Adolf Hitler. Okay, I'd better explain that. Everything starts in the spring of 1945 with Hitler and the Nazis finally defeated. Everything about Germany was in ruinsities, industries, infrastructure and of course culture. There was nothing to do but rebuild from scratch when it came to music. This rebuilding fell to a generation of post war young people, Germany's baby boomers. And the result was nothing less than a new musical identity unique to the country's west. All these people, especially those involved in German created music between 1968 and 1977, were out to create a form of rock different and separate from what was happening in the UK and North America. Like everywhere else in the democratic west, there was a counterculture movement in Germany powered by students, protesters and hippies. And the Base of it all in Germany was a desire to transcend the nation's dark past and drag the country into the future. They were helped by decades of Western aid used to reconstruct the country. And this meant western style amenities and opportunities. Germany had also embraced certain experimental approaches to music. There were a number of studios, some owned by the government, that were available to anyone interested in avant garde sounds, especially new electronic ones. But then we run into a series of non music events that set in motion a series of cascading changes. In June 1967, the Shah of Iran traveled to West Germany for a state visit. On June 2, a student named Benno Orisog was shot dead by police during a protest. Young people across the country were outraged. On April 11, 1968, almost a year later, a student activist leader named Rudi Dutchke survived an assassination attempt. Both these events helped trigger some violent reactions from both the far left and the far right in West Germany. On the extreme left there was the Bader Meinhof gang who engaged in violent guerrilla attacks within the country and without. There were bombings, kidnappings, hijackings, killings and all manner of attacks. If you know your history, you'll know that 1968 was one of the most violent years around the planet with assassinations and student led protests against the status quo. Canada, the us, the uk, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, they were all gripped by this. They were worried about authoritarianism, nuclear annihilation, pollution, overpopulation, women's rights and the rights of people of color. Things hit particularly hard in Germany. These protests were aimed toward what participants called fascism. And Germany is particularly sensitive to fascism because of their experience with Hitler and the Nazis, the greatest fascists of them all. And the people in charge of this newly rebuilt Germany just happened to be many of the same people who were Nazis or at least part of Germany's Nazi past. So this meant the German protests of 1968 were a little extra radical. Young people were trying to come to terms with the Nazi past of their parents and grandparents. They refused to join the military, they condemned political institutions. And there was also this post war intellectual thinking about how this can never ever happen again. And this permeated every corner of West German society. And then there was this problem with contemporary German music. The dominant form was known as Schlager music, a pretty cheesy and inoffensive form of easy listening tunes. Very sweet, very sentimental and very boring. And much of its tradition descended from the 20s, 30s and 40s. So you can see the problem some people had with this. Oh yeah, that's a big hit from Vico Toriani. It even has that old school oom pah pah feel, right? But if I'm a 19 year old student from, let's say, Munich, protesters fighting against the forces and memories of fascism, that's not going to be my jam. It was not the feeling in the streets. So these young people had to get rid of schlager music and build German music from the ground up. For many of these young Germans, their musical heroes became Jimi Hendrix with his radical approach to the guitar, Frank Zappa and whatever it was that Zappa did, and the darkness and nihilism of the Velvet Underground. Plus the Beatles and the Stones, of course. Some of this music came beaming in from other countries and some of it came from the US and British troops stationed in West Germany. It was all pretty good, but it was English language music. If Germany was to be reborn and rebuilt, German music had to be rehauled. And the goal was to completely remake German music culture from a blank sheet. We like this music from the west, they said, but we want music of our own. This gives us something to resist against. This is not unlike how many young British musicians felt in the early 1990s when grunge was invading the UK. They had to fight back and the result was Britpop. Young German musicians wanted their own identity and wanted to be different. It wasn't good enough just to imitate the Beetles or the Stones. Something else, something different was required. An inspiration was Karl Heinz Stockhausen, a very influential German composer who has gone down in history as one of the most important experimental musicians of the 20th century, especially when it came to the emerging world of electronic music. In fact, he has been called the father of electronic music. This is a 1966 creation called Telemusic. Now that's wild stuff today. But in 1966 these were sounds beyond what we could imagine. Young Germans also embraced elements of jazz and then they added elements of rock because, well, how could you not? And when it came to rock, avant garde was best. Psychedelic music, prog rock, early heavy metal, the modern jazz of artists like Miles Davis, the atmospherics of early Pink Floyd, the weirdness of Captain Beefheart and even the funk of James Brown had an impact. By 1968, West Germany had a large population of young intellectuals, many of whom were artists and a portion of whom were into music. Then in September 1968, there was the International Essen Song Festival, a music festival that has gone down in history as the time when independent German rock music was born. For the first time, German Musicians were able to demonstrate their headspace to a large crowd. Some really took this psychprog electronics rock to heart. A few began further experiments in the aforementioned song labs, like the Zodiac Free Arts Lab in Berlin. And just as everyone had hoped, some new sounds began to emerge. It was called Kosmish music, or Cosmic music. That name came into use sometime in about 1971 and was kind of a psyche space rock. Now, speaking of which, the idea of space permeated all culture in the late 1960s. The space race between the Americans and the Soviets, the moon landings, the plans for space stations. Some German musicians, and to be fair, others from elsewhere, saw space as where things needed to go in the future. Plus, it was all techie cool, right? Amandul was from Munich, in the heart of Bavaria, one of the areas of the country where German National Socialism really took root. Amendhul was an art collective known for its freeform style. And you can make whatever connection you want for this fact. The Bader Meinhof Gang, the aforementioned terrorist group, was a big fan of Amandul. This is Ein Wunderhubsche Madchin Tromp von Sandoza from 1969. That goes on for 17 minutes. Here's another sample from that era. This is from Klaus Schultz from 1972. That goes on for 23 minutes. Along with the cosmish music of Klaus Schulz, there were groups with names like Klister, Ashra Temple Krahn and Guru Guru. A German record producer named Connie Plank was very much involved in creating this music. He went so far as to build his own 56 channel recording console to help create these sounds. This new German music had its fans, but it also had its detractors. While most music people initially referred to this music as Deutsch Rock, it was also called Uber Rock, Teutonic Rock and Gotterdammer Rock. But it was the Brits who came up with a name that stuck. Kraut Rock. Kraut, short for sauerkraut, was a pejorative name for Germans invented by the British, stemming from World War II. So it was only natural that they went back to the well and and called this music Kraut Rock, first as an insult, then as a joke. And then once this music caught on, the name stuck and was highly respected. Maybe it was BBC DJ John Peele who came up with the name. It could have been a writer in the Melody Maker. Or maybe it was just some anonymous fan. Whatever the case, Krautrock it was. Even though a lot of Germans found it rather insulting and an unnecessary throwback to the war years. They also didn't like the Brits giving their music a name, especially one they didn't appreciate. Yet. It stuck, and here we are. Let's go back to the very early 1970s. German rock Kraut rock was at an experimental stage using mostly traditional instruments. One such group was called Organization, and they released an album entitled tone float in 1970 and they sounded like this. Now I'm gonna admit that's really challenging stuff. It's not going to trouble the charts. So Organization broke up, but out of its ashes came a brand new group, and next to just the Beatles, this group may have been the most influential band in the history of rock.