Top Of The Box

Kraftwerk – Autobahn

Autobahn, the single was an edited version of the 22 minute album track.  It features vocals enhanced by a vocoder, and was originally released in 1974. The single faired better in the UK, where it reached no. 11, than in the US Billboard charts where it peaked at no. 25.

In the making of the Autobahn album, Kraftwerk used a violin, flute, and guitar along synthesizers such as Minimoog, an ARP Odyssey, an EMS Synthi AKS and home-made synthesizer drums and other electronic instruments that put Kraftwerk years ahead of their contemporaries.

Not long after recording Autobahn, Kraftwerk became the first band not to use any traditional instruments at all in the recording of an album.

Kraftwerk are often cited as the fathers of electronic dance music.

Here is a version of Autobahn taken from one of Kraftwerk’s minimal yet absorbing live performances.