Krautrock genre · 1968–1975 Also called kosmische musik Late-1960s–70s West German experimental rock: motorik pulse, electronics, and a refusal of blues-rock defaults (Can, Neu!, Kraftwerk). This file is the named school. Psychedelic rock is the long-form parent. Jazz supplies Can’s open-form kit. The hops into Electro and Techno are Kraftwerk’s machine grid. The hop into Post-punk is Can/Neu!/Kraftwerk repetition at UK club scale. The hop into Ambient is Cluster/Eno static electronics. The hop into Industrial is motorik electronics recoded as factory-noise band. Stockhausen leftover as Cologne pedagogy, not a genre parent. Berlin-school leftover as a kosmische wing. Post-rock leftover. Listen Autobahn Kraftwerk (1974) YouTube · Spotify · Amazon Trans-Europe Express Kraftwerk (1977) YouTube · Spotify · Amazon Hallogallo Neu! (1972) YouTube · Spotify · Amazon Halleluhwah Can (1971) YouTube · Spotify Phallus Dei Amon Düül II (1969) YouTube · Spotify · Amazon
Jazz → Krautrock meter and grooveperformance practicetimbre and productionstrength: mediumscholarly consensus1968–1972oralrecording MechanismKrautrock (especially Can) takes jazz’s open improvising form and drum independence and recodes them as a motorik rock pulse. Strength medium. Psychedelic rock remains the long-form parent; this hop is the jazz-room residue in the German school. Stockhausen leftover as a Cologne pedagogy, not a genre parent. EvidenceJaki Liebezeit’s kit against free-jazz independence; Can’s long vamps (Grove). Free-jazz drum language and long improvising form recoded as motorik rock pulse DebateWhether this is already psychedelia. The SF/London color-and-drone job is psychedelic rock’s; the jazz-trained kit and open form are jazz’s. Mediatorsartist: Can
Psychedelic rock → Krautrock form and structuretimbre and productionperformance practicestrength: mediumwell documented1968–1972recordingoralmigration MechanismKrautrock keeps psychedelia’s long form and studio experiment and drops the blues-rock riff as law. Strength medium. Can is the usual hinge. EvidenceEarly Can and Amon Düül II against late-1960s psych; Grove on that origin. Long-form psychedelic improvisation and studio-as-instrument recoded without the blues-rock default DebateWhether this is already progressive rock. Prog is the English suite school; this hop is the German psych-to-motorik turn. Mediatorsartist: Can
Krautrock → Ambient timbre and productionform and structuremeter and groovestrength: highscholarly consensus1974–1978recordingoral MechanismAmbient takes krautrock’s static electronics and unhurried pulse (Cluster, Harmonia) and drops the rock kit for Eno’s background-as-music. Strength high. Techno and electro keep the machine grid as dance; this hop is the listening-room recoding. EvidenceCluster collaborations and Music for Airports against 1970s kosmische sides (Grove, Starr). Kosmische electronics and static pulse recoded as background-as-music, beat optional DebateWhether ambient is already krautrock. Motorik rock remaining is krautrock’s; the named background function is ambient’s. Mediatorsartist: Brian Eno; artist: Cluster
Krautrock → Electro timbre and productionmeter and groovemelodystrength: highwell documented1982–1984recording MechanismElectro takes Kraftwerk’s machine pulse, vocoder, and sequencer hook onto an 808 hip-hop floor. Strength high. Funk and hip-hop remain the other parents; this hop is the German machine share. EvidencePlanet Rock against Trans-Europe Express / Numbers; Chang on Bambaataa’s crate. Kraftwerk’s machine pulse, vocoder, and sequencer lines sampled or recoded as electro 12-inchesPlanet Rock (1982 — Trans-Europe Express / Numbers as the named cells) DebateWhether Kraftwerk is already a second node. They sit on this krautrock school for the electro hop; a dedicated Kraftwerk-pop node is not filed. Mediatorsartist: Kraftwerk; artist: Afrika Bambaataa
Krautrock → Industrial meter and groovetimbre and productionform and structurestrength: mediumscholarly consensus1975–1981recording MechanismIndustrial takes krautrock’s motorik repetition, electronics, and studio-as-instrument and recodes them as factory pulse and noise. Strength medium. krautrock post punk is the UK club-rock hop; this edge is the machine-noise band. Kraftwerk leftover as a mediator on the krautrock node, not a second parent. EvidenceCabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle hearing Can/Neu!/Kraftwerk electronics and repetition (Grove, Starr). Motorik repetition, electronics, and studio-as-instrument recoded as industrial machine pulse DebateWhether industrial is already krautrock with a darker ethic. Motorik-and-synth rock remains krautrock’s; the named factory-noise band is industrial’s. Mediatorsartist: Cabaret Voltaire; artist: Throbbing Gristle
Krautrock → Post-punk meter and groovetimbre and productionform and structurestrength: highscholarly consensus1977–1980recording MechanismPost-punk takes krautrock’s motorik even pulse, ostinato, and electronics and runs them at punk club scale (PiL, Joy Division). Strength high. Art rock is the studio-design hop; this file is the German repetition-and-pulse hop. Kraftwerk’s later synth-pop landing is a sibling edge. EvidencePiL and Joy Division against Can / Neu! / Kraftwerk (Grove, Starr). Motorik pulse, repetition, and electronics from Can/Neu!/Kraftwerk recoded at UK post-punk club scale DebateWhether this is already art rock. VU/Eno are the art-school residue; motorik and sequencer repetition are krautrock’s. Mediatorsartist: Public Image Ltd; artist: Joy Division
Krautrock → Synth-pop instrumentationtimbre and productionmeter and groovestrength: highscholarly consensus1977–1981recordingradio MechanismSynth-pop takes krautrock’s sequencer group and machine ostinato (via Kraftwerk) as the default pop band. Strength high. Electro’s Kraftwerk hop is a sibling edge; this one is the radio-hook recoding. EvidenceTrans-Europe Express / The Man-Machine against Numan and Human League (Grove, Starr). Kraftwerk’s sequencer ensemble and vocoder recoded as a British chart-pop kit DebateWhether Kraftwerk needs its own node. They sit on this krautrock school for the synth-pop hop. Mediatorsartist: Kraftwerk
Krautrock → Techno timbre and productionmeter and groovemelodystrength: mediumwell documented1985–1990recording MechanismDetroit techno hears Kraftwerk’s machine pulse and futurist synth as a model beside Chicago house and electro. Strength medium. krautrock electro is the earlier 808 hop; this file is the techno hearing. EvidenceAtkins/May interviews and records citing Kraftwerk; Grove on that crate. Kraftwerk machine pulse and futurist synth taken into Detroit techno beside electro DebateWhether electro already carries Kraftwerk. Electro is the 1982 breaking 12-inch; techno is the later Detroit club recoding. Mediatorsartist: Kraftwerk; artist: Juan Atkins
