KRAFTWERK - TRANS-EUROPE EXPRESS @ 45

 

45 years ago this month, Kraftwerk put their sixth LP on the tracks as the iconic Trans-Europe Express hit the shops in March of 1977. It would solidify their conceptual identity while becoming one of their most influential albums.

If there had been any trace of the band’s early free-form experimentalism typical of their first three LPs remaining on Autobahn & Radio Activity, it was thoroughly excised with the release of TEE. Everything on this album adhered to the strict, controlled compositional aesthetic which had been taking over as their trademark. Part of the reason for this was the introduction of the Synthanorma Sequenzer, a customized 32-step 16-channel analog sequencer made for the band by Matten & Wiechers. This piece of gear allowed them to finally realize the precise machine-like rhythms they’d been dreaming of while freeing them from the drudgery of having to perform these repetitive maneuvers manually. The effect on their sound was immediate and profound.

This impact was even manifest in the way the group presented themselves on the LP’s stylized cover. They were dehumanizing themselves by creating a visage that more resembled mannequins, something which would be literally implemented by the next album and further enhanced in later years with the introduction of actual robotic replicas and, finally, CGI avatars. This attitude extended beyond mere visual representation of the group. They also adopted a strict set of guidelines in terms of their public behavior and demeanor, enacting rules such as restricting themselves from indulging in intoxicants while socializing or performing.

Conceptually, the group were keen to distance themselves from any perception of being associated with Nazis. This was something which had been a bit of an issue with the Autobahn album and its controversial celebration the German Third Reich’s enduring infrastructural achievement. To accomplish this, they adopted an idea suggested by their friend, Paul Alessandrini, who encouraged them to write about the new Trans-Europe Express rail system. This was something that would emphasize the European identity, an idea which was further reinforced by the song, Europe Endless. This aligned them with the values of the emerging European union, moving them away from anything that smacked of Germanic nationalism. Parallel to their emphasis on European culture, the group also focused on the concept of personal identity and self-reflection as embodied by songs like The Hall of Mirrors and Showroom Dummies, the latter of which was key in terms of the construction of their new image.

In terms of the impact of the album, while it did respectably in terms of sales, the cultural impact it would manifest over the years and even generations is immeasurable. Most profoundly, its title track managed to find its way into the hands of emerging hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa, who sampled it for his 1982 classic Planet Rock single. It would then go on to influence the Detroit techno community, along with the groups followup LPs, Man Machine and Computer World. The ripple effect within the world of electronic dance music was only matched by the synergistic works from Giorgio Moroder, who’s epic disco hits like I Feel Love and The Chase, dovetailed elegantly with Kraftwerk’s similar emphasis on powerful electronic sequenced rhythms. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. Innumerable artists within the general world of pop and rock music were turning to Kraftwerk for inspiration at this time, including artists like Davie Bowie, who was embarking on his “Berlin” phase at the time TEE was being recorded and who, along with Iggy Pop, found themselves immortalized within the very lyrics of Kraftwerk’s titular song.

Nearly a half century after its release, the album remains a touchstone for anyone who picks up a synthesizer or plunks away on a drum machine. You simply can’t have techno without Trans-Europe Express laying the tracks for it to travel into the future. Only The Beatles can lay claim to having a bigger impact on modern popular music and there are many who could justly debate who had the larger influence.