LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Kraftwerk: Florian Schneider
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The story of Kraftwerk is the story of how electronic music has influenced modern music. When an avantgarde German band called Organisation trimmed down to a two-piece and reinvented themselves as Kraftwerk, they set in motion a train of events which introduced a whole new language into popular culture. Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider Esleben has pushed electronic music further than anyone ever thought possible - pre-dating electro, house, ambient and techno by more than two decades. They are, quite simply, the most influential pop group of the late 20th century.
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Kraftwerk is an electronic band from Düsseldorf, Germany. They pioneered electronic music in the 1970s and are considered one of the most important and influential bands ever. They are often known as the godfathers of electronic music. The word 'unique' is over-used in music, but Kraftwerk has a stronger claim than most to the tag. Ralf Hütter (b. 1946, Krefeld, Germany; organ) and woodwind student Florian Schneider-Esleben (b.
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Kraftwerk made a surprise return to live performance with a headline appearance at the UK's Tribal Gathering in the summer of 1997. The following year they headlined at Barcelona's Sonar festival. In December 1999, Hütter and Schneider-Esleben recorded a new single, "Expo 2000", to promote the Expo 2000 European Business Conference in Hannover. The duo's renewed creativity bore further fruit in the new millennium when they completed (with Hilpert and Schmitz) their first studio album in over 15 years, Tour De France 03. Kraftwerk then embarked on their first world tour in over 12 years.
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In 1970, Kraftwerk 1 was released, again featuring the two original members. It contained just 4 tracks, again quite experimental, but did contain signs of what was about to come in later releases. In 1971, Kraftwerk 2 was released, which again featured just the two original band members. It contained 6 more refined tracks, yet was still in the experimental stages of their development. "Kling Klang" was the longest of these tracks, running 17:36. In 1973 they released Ralf And Florian, a montage of 6 tracks that were more refined and structured.
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Kraftwerk's influence can be found in techno, house and electro-pop. Theyhad an impact on an entire generation of English new-wave acts, such as the Human League, Gary Numan, Depeche Mode and OMD. David Bowie claimed to have long been an admirer of the group. His track "V-2 Schneider" on the album Heroes is named after Kraftwerk memberFlorian Schneider.
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Kraftwerk was founded in 1970 by Florian Schneider (flutes, synthesizers, electro-violin) and Ralf Hütter (electronic organ, synthesizers). The two had met as students at the Düsseldorf Conservatory in the late 1960s, participating in the German experimental music scene of the time, which the UK music press dubbed Krautrock. This term is said to be derogatory, although it has since become synonymous with most freeform German music of the period between the late 1960s to the early-mid 1970s.
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Florian Schneider