Following the recent announcement of Kraftwerk’s 3-D The Catalogue (Dolby Atmos Surround Mix) and 5 German language studio albums (Trans Europa Express, Die Mensch-Maschine, Computerwelt, Techno Pop and The Mix) being made available to stream for the very first time, Parlophone Records have confirmed that the 2009 UK and German vinyl 12345678 Catalogue remasters are to be made available as limited edition, individual heavyweight LPs, most of which have never been pressed on coloured vinyl before.
There are the 8 UK LPs – Autobahn, Radio-Activity, Trans Europe Express, The ManMachine, Computer World, Techno Pop, The Mix and Tour De France – and 6 German LPs in total.
The German editions are the 5 German language versions with the addition of Radio-Activät which features German song titles on the artwork although the audio remains the same as the UK pressing.
The new vinyl reissues are pressed on 180g heavyweight vinyl, and the range of coloured vinyl is dynamic; from the striking translucent neon yellow of Computer World through to the translucent blue of Autobahn, they sound and look immaculate. The sleeves are pressed to the highest production standards, bringing new vibrancy to the stunning cover artworks and visuals conceptualised, created and produced over five decades by Ralf Hütter. Each of the albums comes complete with an illustrated booklet featuring some of Kraftwerk’s most visionary and iconic imagery.
Kraftwerk’s unrivalled influence on electronic music and popular culture can be currently found on display at London’s Design Museum where the critically acclaimed “Electronic: From Kraftwerk to the Chemical Brothers” exhibition is currently being held. Kraftwerk’s 3-D showroom is one of the stand out moments of the exhibition, a fully immersive experience which encapsulates the uniqueness of a Kraftwerk concert with its state-of-the-art audio and visual presentation.
Kraftwerk Coloured Vinyl LPs are released by Parlophone on 9th October.
Kraftwerk’s eight iconic studio albums, all pressed on 180gm coloured vinyl:
ENGLISH titles:
Autobahn – Translucent blue vinyl; 12-page booklet
Radio-Activity – Translucent yellow vinyl; 16-page booklet
Trans Europe Express – Clear vinyl; 16-page booklet
The Man-Machine – Translucent red vinyl; 16-page booklet
Computer World – Translucent neon yellow vinyl; 16-page booklet
Techno Pop – Clear vinyl; 16-page booklet
The Mix – White vinyl; 20-page booklet
Tour De France – Disc 1 – Translucent blue vinyl; Disc 2 – Translucent red vinyl; 20-page booklet
GERMAN titles:
Radio-Activität (same audio as UK release, but some titles are in German on artwork) – Translucent yellow vinyl; 16-page booklet
Trans Europa Express (German Version) – Clear vinyl; 16-page booklet
Die Mensch-Maschine (German Version) – Translucent red vinyl; 16-page booklet
Computerwelt (German Version) – Translucent neon yellow vinyl; 16-page booklet
Techno Pop (German Version) – Clear vinyl; 16-page booklet
The Mix (German Version) – White vinyl; 20-page booklet
The multi-media project Kraftwerk was started in Düsseldorf, Germany 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. They set up their electronic Kling Klang Studio where they conceived and produced all Kraftwerk albums.
Kraftwerk created the soundtrack for the digital age of the 21st century. AUTOBAHN 1974, RADIO-ACTIVITY 1975, TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS 1977, THE MAN-MACHINE 1978, COMPUTER WORLD 1981, TECHNO POP 1986, THE MIX 1991, TOUR DE FRANCE 2003. Their compositions, using innovative techniques, electronic sounds and synthetic voices combined with computerised rhythms, had a major musical influence on Electro, Hip Hop, Techno and Synth-Pop. In 2014, Kraftwerk founders Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider were honoured with the “Lifetime Achievement” Grammy Award.
In recent years and under the direction of Ralf Hütter, Kraftwerk have presented their immersive 3-D The Catalogue 12345678 live show through festivals and art museums, which began with a performance at the Venice Biennale in 2005. Their first retrospective was held at The Museum of Modern Art, New York in 2012, followed by a further presentation at Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf in January 2013.
Since then, the group have taken The Catalogue 12345678 show through Tate Modern Turbine Hall (London), Akasaka Blitz (Tokyo), Opera House (Sydney), Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles), Fondation Louis Vuitton (Paris), Neue National Galerie (Berlin) and Guggenheim Museum (Bilbao).
In 2018, Kraftwerk won the Grammy for “Best Dance/Electronic Album” for “3-D The Catalogue 12345678”, a complete 3D Audio and Video retrospective of their albums. In July 2018, working with the European Space Agency, Kraftwerk hosted a live satellite link up with German astronaut Alexander Gerst on board the International Space Station, where he joined Kraftwerk from space in a performance of ‘Spacelab’ from their legendary 1978 album ‘The Man-Machine’.
For their hi-tech live performances, Kraftwerk – Ralf Hütter, Henning Schmitz, Fritz Hilpert, Falk Grieffenhagen – illustrate their belief in the respective contributions of both man and machine.
Find Kraftwerk online on their official website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Comments