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"Not
only were we interested in Musique Concrete but also in playing organ tone
clusters and flute feedback sounds that added variety to the repeated note
sequences that we recorded and mixed on tape.
Then we used several acoustic drummers as we turned our attention to more
rhythmic
music,
and soon found that amplifying drums with contact microphones was desirable
for us but not readily accepted by the players. We
started off 'Kling Klang' studio in 1970,
which really marked the beginning of Kraftwerk. The studio was, in fact,
just an empty room in a workshop premises that was a part of an industrial
area in Düsseldorf. We fitted sound isolation material into the 6O
square metre room, and we now use other adjoining roams where we make instruments.
When we first moved in, we started recording with stereo tape machines and
cassette recorders in preparation for our first record. The master tapes
were then taken to the recording studio for final mixdown. This allowed
us to be 'self producing' at the time as far as we could with our own limited
resources, so we did another three LPs in this way. Don't
forget in those days successful musicians used important producers to promote
and launch their records, but we took on every aspect of the production
ourselves" Ralf commented. "It's very encouraging in England today to see
people bringing out their record/cassette labels. From the start we used
cassettes for recording 'in the field' and mixed these sounds with our instruments
in the studio. It's
been quite a common thing for groups to have their own 'home studios' in
Germany with the emphasis very much on 'do-it-yourself' activities. We made
our own record covers by taking Polaroid pictures and designing the artwork,
and did our own management. In 1971 Kraftwerk was still without a drummer,
so I bought a cheap drum machine giving some preset dance rhythms. By changing
the basic sounds with tape echo and filtering we made the rhythm tracks
for our second album. 0ur instrumental sounds came from home-made oscillators
and an old Hammond organ that gave us varied tonal harmonies with its drawbars.
We manipulated the tapes at different speeds for further effects. Commercial
synthesisers came fairly late into Germany and it was not until the third
album that we started to use them. By that time, Wolfgang Flur had joined
us to play a custom built drum system and was our first percussion player
to accept electronically produced drums. Electronic music was quite new
as a musical medium in the early '70's, of course, and many people were
just starting, like the Can group in Cologne. I think we were one of the
first groups to have an electric drummer, with Wolfgang Flur. As well as
the custom drum console, we now have two sets of drums that consist of six
metal pads triggered by metal sticks on contact. These are not touch sensitive,
so accents and dynamics come from separate volume foot pedals. Sometimes
we link one or more pedals to change other parameters, such as tone or pitch". |
A year later Karl Bartos became the fourth Kraftwerk musician because he
also believed that music could be made satisfactorily through entirely electronic
means. |
| "We
feel music is more a product of the imagination and the instruments are
made as a result of everything we do. We don't see ourselves as specific
instrumentalists - I am not just a keyboard player, nor is Wolfgang simply
a drummer, this is too limiting for each player who has developed skills
in making harmonies and melodies as well as rhythms". |
|
The Kling Klang studio equipment continued to be designed by all four musicians
and since their knowledge of electronics was limited, they employed a full
time engineer to make and service equipment as well as a mathematician to
devise the computer programs. |
|
"Our daily schedule of work lasts some 8-10 hours
in the studio. We don't regard ourselves just as musicians but as Musik-Arbeiter
(musical workers), and we designed and built up our complete portable studio
set that includes the stage backdrops, curtains, lighting, frames, staging
and stereo PA system as well as the instrument equipment stands. Multi-wired
cable looms are used for quick dismantling of each section of the movable
instrument frames. The players stand on metal box staging that hides the
mass of wiring. Fortunately, we are all about the same stature, so each
of the four players sections of the instrument gear is built to be suitable
for any of us. All the instrument racks are standard 19" width and pack
away into cases for transit." |
|
I asked Ralf about their style of performance.
|
| "So
many people move or even jump around on stage these days and it's important
for our music that we do not do this - our rather static performance is
also necessary for emphasising the 'robotic' aspect of our music (in the
new 'Computer World' LP). The
physical layout of the equipment, besides being functional, was to imply
the idea of the 'man man machine machine' which we've always talked about
- that the music does not become dominated by one or the other. For example,
some people perform with their musical machines built up high around them
in an impressive way - we prefer the low profile image, bringing man and
machine together in a 'friendly partnership' of musical creation. We have
been building the set for the last three years (since the 'Man Machine'
album), whilst composing the music and preparing the video graphics. Most
of the instruments were obtained in previous years but they were wired in
a more typical electronic music studio fashion. Besides looking rather messy,
the earlier layout caused problems in transport and hours of rewiring for
each performance. It actually takes two hours at most to install or dismantle
the new set. We always bring our own German stage crew but of course other
people often help in the local halls. To minimise component failure and
rough handling, we use industrial high spec./heavy duty devices in the equipment." |
|
It is very easy for audiences to be 'fooled' into thinking that electronic
music groups play all the music when in fact, much if not all the music
can be pre-recorded. In this way, the live performance can be made to sound
like the artists' LP version. A most important point here is that Kraftwerk
DO play most pieces completely LIVE and EVERY item on their futuristic equipment
consoles is usable in performance. On both sides of the large stage set
are the PA stacks which deliver up to 12K watts output. Their grey cabinet,
colour was deliberate to match the set and the group's own image in 'sombre'
black. When I attended Kraftwerk's concert at the Hammersmith Palais in
London, the sound was clear without distortion, even with the computer speech.
|
| Equipment |
|
The instruments and equipments used by the players contains items collected
since 1971. The four large video screens were made by Sony in Japan and
the recent UK tour was delayed because it took much longer than expected
to compile the video film and rehearse with the music and video in synchronization.
|
| "The
paint was literally just drying off as the items were packed," remarked
Ralf, "and just in case any problems were encountered, two engineers started
off our tour through Southern Europe." |
|
The video screens were chosen to compliment the four players who have their
own personal monitor screen on their part of the main consoles. The video
programmes all appear at the same time on each screen and consist of film
and microcomputer material. These are not exactly synchronised to the music
but simply start a new sequence for each piece. Occasionally the fluorescent
strip lights, overhead spots or floor strobes were used, while the screens
had a 'white snow' blank transmission picture. Some of the computer programs
were made on Atari and Texas microprocessors and Ralf plans to install a
keyboard terminal beside each TV monitor for a player to select and alter
the display in time to the music. |
| "Everybody
seems to limit themselves by saying 'I'm an instrument player' but we like
to 'play pictures' as well as share the instruments available. Gunter Spachtholz
is the video and lighting engineer handling all the visuals and he sits
on the left hand side of the stage (viewed from the audience). On the other
side of the performers is the sound engineer (we call him our dB man!),
Joachim Dehmann. Although. he makes the final balance of the total sound
output, each player mixes his instruments separately from up to eight sound
sources. We like to portray the things we do on a day-to-day basis in our
music other people might be fascinated by space flights to the moon and
so on. We did try a space lab kind of set once, but always prefer now to
relate to everyday technology, such as cars, trains and other human-controlled
machines. Our 'trip' for these current performances is based on robots.
The idea of the robot came from a tour that covered 65 places in America.
As a result we started to become automatic and 'robotic' ourselves - even
new pieces were written in 5-10 minutes (one evening in a discotheque I
wrote 'Showroom Dummies' like that). We were intrigued that the Russian
word 'Robotnik' means 'Worker' and so much related to our ideas. We generally
keep our audience contact to a metaphysical level really because we have
little time to look around - although we are very aware of their response.
The only exception is with 'Pocket Calculator'. Here,
Ralf had a mini-synth instrument, Karl and Florian had a calculator each
and Wolfgang provided the drum taps. This current single for the group was
certainly brought to life on stage and promoted audience participation in
playing the extra instruments. These were connected by signal cable to the
consoles (even though they could have used radio control) because it gave
the feeling of being linked like a robot to its main control machine.
Again, we found the instruments in a department store last Christmas, so
we took everyday items into our music from 'street level'! We both agreed
the way musical equipment is designed in the future could be as an extension
from the human being, with suitable feedback between machine and man. The
emphasis on keyboards could turn to instruments, controlled by some part
of the body, using piezo pick-ups, special electrodes and heat sensitive
elements. Even 10 years ago, I used to rub a contact microphone on my clothes
and skin to produce different sounds that would change at each performance." |
|
Ralph is 34 with the others also in the late 20's/early 30's. None of the
group are married and Karl, like Ralf and Florian has a classical music
background. Wolfgang's musical experience prior to Kraftwerk was in popular
music. Ralf originally studied as an architect and certainly none of the
group intended to become professional musicians. |
| "We
like the audience to dance and move to our music - especially as in recent
years people tended towards a more concert-listener approach, even more
so with electronic music. Electro-music is a much suitable title than electronic
music for the way music in general is going. The instruments of electra-music
help to liberate people's creativity, allowing individuals to use studio
technology in their home for almost any sound they want. When we select
an instrument sound, we don't worry if, for example, the strings are not
authentic - we simply take the sounds we like! On stage we use sheet music,
graphic diagrams and settings which cue us in our pieces to switch on or
off devices and adjust instruments, as well as reminding us of note sequences,
lead, harmony lines and rhythmic structures. The philosophy I have is that
the music becomes so complex that it has to be written down. I have this
tendency that if I can't remember it from memory then maybe that music is
not worth doing. I tend to play more like a busking musician and my rather
simplistic view is that if I forget it then it's worth forgetting so I play
something else!
Kraftwerk's latest "Computer World" was prepared over
the- last 3 years along with the present Kling Klang studio. The
pieces in many ways 'compose themselves' by us finding sounds from experimenting
with interfacing and settings. During the week, we work from 5 p.m. until
1 or 2 at night. During other times in the day we do the administration
for Kraftwerk and liase with our engineers and visitors." |
|
The Kling Klang studio arrangement gives an intriguing insight into music
of the future. Ralf and I analised the layout in the labelled photograph
and discussed the equipment working from left to right (from Ralf to Florian).
The letters in the text relate to the locations on the picture. |
|
|
A First, there are two analogue
sequencers which will produce up to 64 notes. The many rows of switches
have 'in, shift and stop' settings for bigger, rest and reset points, as
well as pitch control. The sequence can run as 2 x 32 in parallel or 1 x
64 in series LED indicators can be clearly seen from the audience during
operation. The triggers can be outputted wherever Ralf desires, generally
to the console instruments (except Karl's who prefers to play manual bass
lines). So here is the secret of Kraftwerk's superb synchronisation throughout
their performance. 'Remember, we have been playing this kind of synchronised
music for about 10 years. To play along with machines is very difficult
- a lot of people speed up or slow down when doing it. Our 'dialogue' with
the machines is to choose whenever we want the machine or human pulse. Although
we don't yet have the perfect set-up, the friendship or inter-relationship
we create with the machines makes them an extension of the musician. If
one instrument breaks down we are still able to continue, and when we finish
our current series of tours we'll be modifying the set still further." Several
master clocks are positioned around the console so that any player can be
selecting a tempo for the next piece. This explains the short gap between
numbers - "It could be even shorter but we are a little nervous. sometimes!
We can also trigger other synthesisers off stage and the clock times are
set via a digital display and key pad." |
| |
|
B Ralf's TV monitor and telephone
communication to engineers. |
| |
|
C The Roland Micro-Composer
(with expanded memory) plus a bank of switches for routing signals. "The
composer can be used for extra tracks in one or two pieces or as the time
clock in performance, although we prefer to use it when we are at home for
trying out sequence combinations. This is much easier than using the analogue
sequencers but it still takes a fair amount of time to set up." |
| |
|
D The Eventide
Digital Delay and Flanger with a small stereo mixer. Panning of sounds can
be done by the players mixers or by the sound engineer. "We are not the
biggest fans of panning!" comments Ralf. "We think stereo is a 'privileged
sound' since only those that sit in the middle hear it properly, and so
we are happier to use a mono output that has plenty of depth. Electronic
Reverberation is not used very much in performance because most venues have
enough (or too much already)." Both Ralf and Florian use headsets. Ralf
does the 'straight' vocals, often shielding the mic with his hand to avoid
feedback and increase bass volume Florian's mic feeds the vocoder and this
adds subtle changes to Ralf's voice and provides extra effects. |
| |
| F
Florian's keyboard console containing a Prophet Polyphonic Synthesiser and
trigger pad for starting his master clock. |
| |
| G
Karl's TV monitor. |
| |
| H
Ventilation grilles in corner section linking the two straight console rows. |
| |
| I
Wolfgang's TV monitor. |
| |
| J
The custom-built drum consoles. Here are the electronics for the two drum
controllers containing 6 metal pads mounted on stands. |
| |
|
K This is Karl's keyboard -
specially made in Italy to replace Korg's keyboard controller, which operates
the Korg PS-3300 Polyphonic Synthesiser set in E
console. One of its special features for us is its ability to
merge harmonic with 'non-related' overtones and its parameters stretch attack
and decay times to their limits. In E
there are also a tuning device, volts/amps meters for checking power supplies
and graphic equalisers. Incidentally, LEDs on the keyboard console panel
show notes being played to the audience. |
| |
| L
Also various filtering devices plus a Syndrum unit. One drum
pad is played by Karl occasionally and the other by Wolfgang. |
| |
| M
Next come some more equalisers including parametric types, filters, mixer
rack, Eventide Harmoniser and Digital Delay, and Limiter/compressors. |
| |
| O
Sennheiser Vocoder rack. |
| |
| P
Mixer, metering and switching facilities. |
| |
| Q
Florian's TV monitor. |
| |
| R
"I am playing three keyboard instruments stacked on my console: a special
light-disc instrument from Florida for mono choir sounds, with the Polymoog
and Minimoog synthesisers. We all have 4 foot pedals under our front consoles
for volume and/or effect control." |
| |
| S
The circuitry for the electronic flute on its stand at N
It's not actually blown but uses keys situated in flute pad positions that
are 'touched' by the fingers to give a D/A control voltage/ trigger output
for any of the synthesisers. |
| |
| T
EMS Vocoder with patch panel. |
| |
| U
Overhead stage spots for highlighting players. |
| |
| V
Special Sony Video screens with projection units. |
| |
| X
Foldback at floor level (supplemented by extra under floor speakers). |
| |
| W
Wolfgang's console contains the special drum machine built by Kraftwerk's
engineer. There are 6 rows of switches, each row having its own drum sound
that can be pulsed on when a switch is set during the sequence run (controlled
by a master clock). LED lights on its front show the audience the sequence
taking place. Wolfgang is continuously changing these to give the rhythm
plenty of variation, at the same time using his pedals to give accent. |
| |
| Y
Fluorescent named boxes. |
| |
| Z
Coloured fluorescent strip lighting (ultra-violet, red, green, yellow, white
and blue), running behind the consoles. Over each console rack are lights
for illuminating the controls, although between numbers the players use
torches to set up. The strobe lights ST are triggered automatically from
a sequencer. |
| |
|
Kraftwerk performed a substantial 2-hour programme on their UK tour that
included the following pieces: |
| Numbers,
Computer World, Computer Love, Home Computer, The Model, Neon-Lights, Radio
Activity, The Voice of Energy, Ohm Sweet Ohm, Autobahn, Hall of Mirrors,
Showroom Dummies, Trans-European Express, Pocket Calculator, Robots, It's
More Fun to Compute |
| "We
are working on digital storage for the drums. The drums we use are ideal
for our present 'fatalistic' quality - they keep on going like a machine.
We keep away from phasing because we find phase effects occurring through
the speaker system. Flanging is useful, especially on drums, provided it's
carefully controlled (we've blown quite a few speakers!). In the future
we shall try to make our instruments smaller, with more digital control
- micro-electronics should make us more flexible and allow us to perform
on smaller stages. Because 'Computer World' is based on one theme, we have
several pieces in hand at the studio for other LPs. We aim to create a total
sound not to make music in the traditional sense with complex harmony. A
minimalistic approach is more important for us. We spend a month on the
sound and five minutes on the chord changes! Germany has no predominent
pop-music scene, unlike England, so we have a thriving communication between
electronic music listeners and performers. Cassette tapes are promoting
this as well, just like your own E&MM tapes." |
|
The current Kraftwerk tour has so far covered Southern Europe, Germany and
England. Next they go to France and then America. Finally East Germany,
Russia and Japan. Meanwhile, the computer world continues and Kraftwerk
will no doubt have made a significant contribution to its musical development.
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