Krautrock, the hip genre for nerdy and high nose music fans about 10 years ago. One of the most inventive branches of rock music influencing plenty of genres or being precursors to them. Kraftwerk (Synth Pop, Electro, Techno, Hip Hop), Can (Alternative Rock, New Wave, Trip Hop etc.), Faust (Post Rock, Drone, Noise Rock), NEU! (Industrial, Techno, New Wave, Post Punk etc.), Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze (Ambient, New Age), and more.

In the 60s rock was mainly happening in the UK and US. However, Post War Germany (the Western side) used to be a culturing melting point leading to a ton of different musical branches coming together and musicians trying their version of Rock music. Be it the studied more "intellectual" ones well versed in music theory and history of "serious music" or the musicians who came more from the rock side ("popular music"). There was a point that could be met. Influences of Funk, Jazz, New Music (Karlheinz Stockhausen), Acid Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Indian Raga, Church music, Minimal, Aleatory Music (John Cage), European Classical music (not neoclassicism many prog bands did) coming together.

A common aspect is the motorik beat (steady and hypnotic. listen to NEU!'s Hallogallo for example) that often appears in many Krautrock songs but that would be too restrictive considering many bands experimented with rhythm and a lot (Klaus Dinger and Jaki Liebzeit are drumming legends) as well as sound (often very synth heavy. Especially artists such as Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Cluster etc.). Often accompanied by jamming, noise this music can be quite transcendental and hypnotic.

They often extend far the usual runtime but they are often very droney so it might be not that difficult to listen to.

The term Krautrock was mainly used by the British Press to describe this type of music they were hearing from there yet it has often been called Kosmische Musik (Cosmic Music) by musicians themselves. However, as years went by, Krautrock, became the term most associated with it, so it's basically the same thing.

This is a place to discuss this type of music and post tracks you've found that are either Krautrock or follow the ideas presented during that time or just want to share your thoughts.

Here are a few examples of imo masterpieces of the big artists

Kraftwerk

Can

NEU!

Faust (don't sleep on Faust Tapes. Most tracks on there are no longer than one or two minutes though)

Tangerine Dream

Klaus Schulze

Popol Vuh

@Elric @twinkletoez

cool thread but English space rock >>

in

where it all began imo

jam, the anniversary remix sounds even better

opus

mega opus

In

great post i love neu and can

excited to check out the others

RIP Damo Suzuki

already a thread ktt2.com/official-krautrock-thread-3812

that OP is gone however so this works

fun fact: if you like Radiohead (even moreso Smile), Stereolab, Yo La Tengo, Squid, Portishead, Mount Kimbie, Darkside, King Gizzard, Oh Sees or Föllakzoid you're likely already a fan of krautrock without knowing it

also not to forget Boredoms maybe my fav new wave krautrock

best krautrock-y band I've seen ever seen live was Vietnamese, been sitting on an interview w them for ages too super fun and sweet ppl, they're very influenced by Boredoms

rare case of a genre where the first track most ppl listen to also imo is kind of just the best track in the entire genre as well

A rather popular group in Gemany back then but now a bit forgotten. Leaning a bit more into the Prog/Space rock direction

droney industrial from Cluster

many 90s bands in general. Love them

Tortoise' Djed is basically a continuation of Kraftwerk's Kling Klang.

love that guitar solo.

the melody at the end reminds me of the soundtrack to Once Upon A Time In The West.

Klaus Dinger's band after NEU! released a song called after the city near the rhine that also brought Kraftwerk and Die Toten Hosen. the city I live in

and the band that inspired Eno a lot during the mid 70s

as well as this NEU! classic

Can't get over how perfect this is