Kraftwerk_the Man Machine_(1978)_non Remastered English Version_flac_rock

The Man-Machine is closer to the sound and style that would define early new wave electro-pop – less minimalistic in its arrangements and more complex and danceable in its underlying rhythms. Like its predecessor, Trans-Europe Express, there is the feel of a divided concept album, with some songs devoted to science fiction-esque links between humans and technology, often with electronically processed vocals ("The Robots," "Spacelab," and the title track); others take the glamour of urbanization as their subject ("Neon Lights" and "Metropolis"). Plus, there's "The Model," a character sketch that falls under the latter category but takes a more cynical view of the title character's glamorous lifestyle. More pop-oriented than any of their previous work, the sound of The Man-Machine – in particular among Kraftwerk's oeuvre – had a tremendous impact on the cold, robotic synth pop of artists like Gary Numan, as well as Britain's later new romantic movement.

The Man-Machine is closer to the sound and style that would define early new wave electro-pop – less minimalistic in its arrangements and more complex and danceable in its underlying rhythms…

Die Mensch-Maschine is closer to the sound and style that would define early new wave electro-pop - less minimalistic in its arrangements and more complex and danceable in its underlying rhythms. Like its predecessor, Trans-Europe Express, there is the feel of a divided concept album, with some songs devoted to science fiction-esque links between humans and technology, often with electronically processed vocals ("Die Roboter," "Spacelab," and the title track); others take the glamour of urbanization as their subject ("Neonlicht" and "Metropolis"). Plus, there's "Das Modell," a character sketch that falls under the latter category but takes a more cynical view of the title character's glamorous lifestyle…

The byproduct of a much anticipated, long-delayed, and ultimately scrapped album to have been called Technopop (and to have contained Kraftwerk's great dance single "Tour de France"), 1986's Electric Cafe suffers only slightly from lacking the thematic focus of previous Kraftwerk albums. Ironically, the '80s techno-pop wave had passed by band founders Florian Schneider and Ralf Hutter at this point, but their sly wit ("Boing Boom Tschak," "Telephone," "Sex Object") and melodic inventiveness still stand the test of time. Its segues virtually seamless, Electric Cafe plays like one mega-dance-mix, but with the tasteful restraint that has long been a Kraftwerk hallmark. This is club music for thinking men and women.

Mojo's bespoke Man Machine collection underlines Ralf's points perfectly, spanning three decades and showcasing the genre's evolution.
The pioneering sounds of Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream and Jean Michel Jarre sit alongside the second-gen electronic adventurers Ultravox, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark and The Orb, while the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Fujiya & Miyagi, Four Tet, Audion and M83 are among those who continue to push the genre forward.
Welcome, then, to a revolution in sound, and a compilation that proves just how far things have progressed since Autobahn's release was met with the critical, quizzical side-swipe of "It's good, but is it rock?"