The Cambridge Companion to Krautrock

The first academic introduction to Krautrock, exploring both context and legacy in addition to expert discussions of the major bands.

Uwe Schütte (Edited by)

9781009005272, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 27 October 2022

320 pages
24.5 x 16.9 x 1.9 cm, 0.6 kg

'If you're going to stand a chance of passing your Electronic Sound exams this year, you'll need a copy of The Cambridge Companion To Krautrock … edited by Kraftwerk egghead Uwe Schütte, so you know you're in safe hands.' Electronic Sound

This Companion is the first academic introduction to the 1960s/70s 'Krautrock' movement of German experimental music that has long attracted the attention of the music press and fans in Britain and abroad. It offers a structured approach to this exceptionally heterogeneous and decentralized movement, combining overviews with detailed analysis and close readings. The volume first analyzes the cultural, historical and economic contexts of Krautrock's emergence. It then features expert chapters discussing all the key bands of the era including Can, Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Neu!, Faust, Ash Ra Tempel, Cluster and Amon Düül II. The volume concludes with essays that trace the varied, wide-ranging legacy of Krautrock from a variety of perspectives, exploring in particular the impact of German experimental music in the Anglosphere, including British post-punk and Detroit Techno. A final chapter examining the current bands that continue the Krautrock sound closes this comprehensive overview of the Krautrock phenomenon.

Introduction Uwe Schütte
Part I. Context: 1. Krautrock: definitions, concepts, contexts Ulrich Adelt
2. Krautrock and the radical politics of 1968 Detlef Siegfried
3. Krautrock in the British and American Music press Alexander Simmeth
4. Infrastructure of the German music business Jan-Peter Herbst
5. The sound of krautrock Heather Moore
Part II. Music: 6. Kraftwerk Uwe Schütte
7. Can Patrick Glen
8. Tangerine dream Sean Nye and Michael Krikorian
9. Neu! David Stubbs
10. Faust Alexander Henkle
11. Cluster/Harmonia David Pattie
12. Popol Vuh Sascha Seiler
13. Ash Ra Tempel, Manuel Göttsching and Klaus Schulze Pertti Grönholm
14. Amon Düül II Ryan Iseppi
15. The flip side of Krautrock Jens Balzer
Part III. Legacy: 16. Krautrock and German Punk Jeff Hayton
17. Krautrock and British post-punk Alexander Carpenter
18. Krautrock and German Free Jazz, Kraut Fusion, Detroit Techno Marcus Barnes
19. Krautrock Today Alex Harden
Index.

Subject Areas: Cultural studies [JFC], Electronic music [AVGV], Rock & Pop music [AVGP]