Everyone’s favourite unsmiling German cyclists have released a new CD today. I’ve held off buying in the hope it will be available on a more palatable format soon…

Anyone heard it yet? I’ve had a browse round www.kraftwerk.com - there are three different bits on show; a video of Tour de France 2003 that sounds all the world like Jam and Spoon’s Stella, then on the info page is another bit that plays automatically and also sounds like Jam and Spoon’s Stella, and a track called Aero Dynamik that actually sounds like Kraftwerk. Both the latter bits are short loops, and I’m not convinced the Aero Dynamic one loops round in time!

All of it sounds pretty damn good and the production even through headphones plugged into my Toshiba laptop sounds remarkable. Definitely some of that q-sound or whatever spatial stuff flying about.

Anyone know whether a vinyl release is planned?

Tony.

Unusually there we an interview on Front Row, BBC Radio 4, last night with one of the Kraftwerk crew.

At the time I wasn't listening very hard as I was swearing at some self assembly filing cabinets.

You can listen to it again (at least prior to 19:00 tonight I think) via the R4 website.

I'm pretty sure it didn't cover the vinyl release (or not) - but there was an interesting explanation of what they thought they are trying to do here - where they are coming from - etc.

Jonathan

For what it's worth, HMV.com are listing a vinyl version at £15.99 so you should be able to find it cheaper from a decent shop ;)

Vinyl or no, I must get this...

-- Ian

Oh, it's about Kraftwerk, I thought it was going to be about Albert Hoffmann... New Kraftwerk material is a worthy occassion, and should be an essential purchase, unless I read some very unfavourable stuff about it.

Got it today (on CD). Production is really fabulous, as expected I guess.

Not a classic Kraftwerk album, but that's not surprising, since they've influenced so much modern electronica (i.e., all of it) it's hard for them to stand out as much as they used to in their prime, but nevertheless a good record, at least three excellent tracks, and never less than interesting. Pretty funky, as well, much more beat-orientated than my favourite, sparser, Kraftwerk ("Neon Lights" and the like), but good to groove to whilst chopping onions (the closest I get to, ahem, "clubbing", these days).

It's a Kraftwerk record with lots of new music, something that makes me very happy, and obviously means it's 100 times better than just about anything else that has been or will be released this year.

-- Ian

At the time I wasn't listening very hard as I was swearing at some self assembly filing cabinets.

Jonathan

will there be an MP3 release of this? ;)

Rico

Hiya Rico

Possible "Cruder and Dorfy" DJ Re-mix on K9?
Sadly the moment was lost!

Given the nature of the thread, maybe we can get Senor Coconut y su Conjunto to do a version?


Jonathan

I finally remembered to pick this up in Tower the other night. Copy controlled, as most of EMI's output in Japan is these days (stupid w*****s).
I agree with most of the comments so far, not a classic Kraftwerk album perhaps, but it is still superb. Catchy tunes, gorgeous production and there is really nothing quite as creepily faszinatink as Germans intoning in French: De-Kon-trak'siyon
Brilliant.

I ordered the LP from Amazon ages ago, and got a message from them last week saying it was expected to be released on "...25th of August, 2003, however please know this may be subject to further delays."

As for the CD, I agree with the comments above - I prefer it to anything I've heard for a long time but Neon Lights etc. are in a different league.

Encountered the Tour de France 2003 LP in a local Tokyo music store today. A friend has mail-ordered my LP along with his, but I may decide to grab the local copy nonetheless, in case the shipment goes astray. Anyone compared the CD version vs. the LP?

OT - YMO has a new album out called UC, and although I haven't heard anything about an LP, in addition to the Redbook edition, there is an SACD-only version (not a hybrid). The SACD was not in stock, and so had to be ordered, but I imagine that I should have it by the end of the week.

jcarr