Kraftwerk Frequently Asked Questions
The Kraftwerk FAQ » Recent changes to the FAQ »
Updates before 12th July 2004
(by Kevin Busby)
- v.12.0, 5th March 2004
- v.11.91, 10th February 2004
- v.11.9, 11th January 2004
- v.11.83, 18th August 2003
- v.11.82, 11th August 2003
- v.11.81, 1st July 2003
- v.11.8, 30th June 2003
- v.11.7, 11th February 2003
- v.11.6, 5th November 2002
- v.11.5, 30th September 2002
- v.11.4, 5th August 2002
- v.11.3, 30th July 2002
- v.11.2, 19th July 2002
- v.11.1, 19th July 2002
- v.11.0, 12th June 2002
- v.10.4, 14th February 2002
- v.10.3, 4th January 2002
- v.10.2, 1st November 2001
- v.10.1, 3rd August 2001
- v.10.0, 21st May 2001
- v.9.0, 3rd April 2001
- v.8.0, 22nd March 2001
- v.7.7, 12th February 2001
- v.7.6, 4th December 2000
- v.7.5, 22nd November 2000
- v.7.41, 21st November 2000
- v.7.4, 20th November 2000
- v.7.3, 14th September 2000
- v.7.2, 3rd July 2000
- v.7.1, 29th June 2000
- v.7.01, 17th January 2000
- v.7.0, 13th January 2000
- v.6.5, 26th August 1999
- v.6.4, 9th August 1999
- v.6.3, 14th July 1999
- v.6.2, 13th July 1999
- v.6.1, 12th July 1999
- v.6.0, 12th July 1999
- v.5.9, 8th September 1998
- v.5.81, 11th August 1998
- v.5.8, 7th August 1998
- v.5.7, 6th July 1998
- v.5.6, 29th May 1998
- v.5.51, 8th May 1998
- v.5.5, 5th May 1998
- v.5.4, 17th April 1998
- v.5.31, 17th April 1998
- v.5.3, 16th April 1998
- v.5.2, 30th March 1998
- v.5.1, 30th March 1998
- v.5.0, 17th March 1998
v.12.0, 5th March 2004
Changed the answer to the question "Is there an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channel for Kraftwerk?".
v.11.91, 10th February 2004
Removed the download reference for the Expo 2000 jingle from the Miscellaneous page, since the audio file is no longer on the site linked to.
v.11.9, 11th January 2004
Added the question "Are there any useful email lists?".
Added the question "Are scores available?".
Slightly expanded the section "Where can I find out more about Kraftwerk and related projects?"
v.11.83, 18th August 2003
I deleted the section 'Is Tour de France available on CD?' since, with the release of the new Kraftwerk album, it's now obvious that it is.
Certain other sections were amended accordingly.
v.11.82, 11th August 2003
Updated the sections When will Kraftwerk release new material? and Is Tour de France available on CD?
v.11.81, 1st July 2003
Updated the sections When will Kraftwerk release new material? and Is Tour de France available on CD?
v.11.8, 30th June 2003
In anticipation of the forthcoming album and single Tour de France 2003, updated the sections When will Kraftwerk release new material? and Is Tour de France available on CD?
Tidied up the section Did Kraftwerk ever work with Stockhausen?
v.11.7, 11th February 2003
Updated the section "Is Emil Schult still collaborating with Kraftwerk?" (Thanks to David Davis).
Added details of new equipment used in concerts in 2002 to the section "What sort of equipment is used by Kraftwerk?" (Thanks to Tibor Bennárik).
Reworded the section "What are the best Kraftwerk albums?"
v.11.6, 5th November 2002
Added the section "How can I contact Kraftwerk?"
v.11.5, 30th September 2002
Added a useful news Web site to the section "When will Kraftwerk next go on tour?"
v.11.4, 5th August 2002
Updated the section "When will Kraftwerk next go on tour?" with news.
v.11.3, 30th July 2002
Updated the section "Are there any books about Kraftwerk?" to include Albert Koch's Kraftwerk - The Music Makers.
v.11.2, 19th July 2002
Updated the section "Where can I find news about Kraftwerk's current activities?" to mention a fan site with a useful news page.
v.11.1, 19th July 2002
Updated the section "When will Kraftwerk next go on tour?" with news.
v.11.0, 12th June 2002
This FAQ arose out of the need for an FAQ for the longest-running email list about Kraftwerk (originally hosted at xmission.com, but moved since then). It has grown considerably since 1994, and has now definitely outgrown the Kraftwerk email list. Moderation of that list has been completely neglected for several years, and the list is now in a poor state following deliberately disruptive attacks from members of a "rival" email list. The section on email lists has been removed with this version of the FAQ. I may replace it with newer information at a later date, but it is clear that the selfish and infantile behaviour of one or two disturbed individuals, combined with laziness of those who should prevent such behaviour, has further damaged and corrupted what was once a useful source of information, to the extent that it can no longer to be recommended as a worthwhile resource.
In this version of the FAQ I have also removed the "All Questions" index page, since it was not much used, and made various small updates and improvements to the sections on "equipment", "further information", "miscellaneous", "recordings" and "related projects".
v.10.4, 14th February 2002
A Mattel Bee Gees Rhythm Machine was used in the song Pocket Calculator: see the equipment page (thanks to Tom Fenn of Tele:Funken).
Updated and simplified the Email list page.
v.10.3, 4th January 2002
Added preliminary information about the new version of the " Kraftwerk" email list hosted by xmission.
Added mentions of email lists hosted by Yahoo.
v.10.2, 1st November 2001
Added a lot of new information to the section on equipment. (Thanks in particular to Stephen / Wavecomputer 360 and to Dirk Matten).
Expanded the section about Kraftwerk's political beliefs
Small updates to the section about new material
v.10.1, 3rd August 2001
Added the section What is the album Outburn?
v.10.0, 21st May 2001
Corrections to the section What sort of equipment is used by Kraftwerk? Thanks to Dirk Matten.
The video Dancing in the Streets is available in North America under the name Rock & Roll. Thanks to Russ Allert.
Other updates made to that section.
Updated the section How can I get copies of Kraftwerk's early albums?
Clarified the section How good are Kraftwerk bootlegs?
Mentioned Zero Landmine in When will Kraftwerk release new material? I heard there was a new album coming out.
Updated the section on Wolfgang Flur's book. Thanks to Yoichiro Ogo.
v.9.0, 3rd April 2001
Added the section Did Kraftwerk ever work with Stockhausen?
Expanded the section Do any copies of the album Technopop exist? They still don't. ;-)
Added the section When will Kraftwerk next go on tour?
Band trivia added to section Did you know that there is a parody of Kraftwerk in the movie The Big Lebowski? (Thanks, Kirke Sonnichsen).
v.8.0, 22nd March 2001
Many improvements and updates to the section on books about Kraftwerk.
v.7.7, 12th February 2001
Improved the section about Wolfgang Flür's book I Was a Robot.
Improved the section on Wolfgang Flür.
v.7.6, 4th December 2000
Added more information about Wolfgang Flür's book I Was a Robot.
The Aktivität website is back.
v.7.5, 22nd November 2000
The Kraftwerk IRC channel no longer exists.
v.7.41, 21st November 2000
The song Expo 2000 can no longer be heard at EMI Germany's Web site: the reference to this in the Miscellaneous section has therefore been deleted.
v.7.4, 20th November 2000
Added mention of the Expo 2000 Remix CD EP.
Reorganised the main page and moved the list of all questions to a new page.
Minor administrative and organisational changes.
v.7.3, 14th September 2000
The section on Karl Bartos's current activities now mentions his new web site.
v.7.2, 3rd July 2000
The Expo 2000 single contains a video. Thanks for pointing that out, Jason Polland.
Removed references to the defunct Kraftwerk Online Library.
v.7.1, 29th June 2000
Updated the section Where can I buy Kraftwerk T-shirts and other official merchandise?
Updated the section Did Kraftwerk perform any new songs at Tribal Gathering?
Added the section Is the CD A Short Introduction to Kraftwerk an official release?
Updated the section When will Kraftwerk release new material? I heard there was a new album coming out to include A Short Introduction to Kraftwerk
Updated the section Are there any books about Kraftwerk? to include A Short Introduction to Kraftwerk.
Updated the section What Kraftwerk videos have been made available to buy?
Added the section What is the music at the start of the bootleg CD Virtua Ex Machina?
Updated the section What is Aktivität? Where can I obtain copies?
v.7.01, 17th January 2000
Corrections to the answers about the Beach Boys, the title of Wolfgang Flür's book and the location of the recording of the bawdy version of The Model have come from Kraftwerk guru Klaus Zäpke. Thanks!
Klaus also pointed out that the Aktivität website (previously recommended in this FAQ) is now "offline" beyond the title page.
v.7.0, 13th January 2000
Added the section Did Karl Bartos sing on any Kraftwerk song?
Removed the section "Has Kraftwerk broken up?" since this is now evidently not the case even to a casual observer!
Moved the information about the controversy over Kraftwerk's jingle for Expo 2000 to its own section.
The question When will Kraftwerk release new material? has been moved to the Recordings page.
The question about news about Kraftwerk's current activities has been moved to the Further Information page. The answer to this question has been streamlined: old "news" has been removed, and pointers to the best sources of news have been introduced.
Due to the above two sets of changes, the "Current Activities" page was made redundant and has been removed.
The question "Where can I find out more about Kraftwerk and Electric Music?" has been renamed Where can I find out more about Kraftwerk and related projects?
Expanded the section on books.
Added the question Was Kraftwerk's song Autobahn influenced by the Beach Boys?
Added the question Do any copies of the album Technopop exist?
Updated and corrected the section on Newton's Apple.
Added the question Where can I buy Kraftwerk T-shirts and other official merchandise?
Added the question Which releases of the album Radioactivity were issued with a sheet of stickers?
Added the question Does the German-language version of the album Trans Europe Express have an extra track?
Added the question What is the correct track listing for the album Concert Classics?
Added the question Are the tracks on the album The Mix remixes?
Questions about equipment have been moved from the "Miscellaneous" page to a new "Equipment" page.
Added the question What is the infamous bawdy version of The Model?
Added the question Is the track Zehn Kleine Negerlein on the bootleg CD Toccata Electronica really by Kraftwerk?
Expanded the section Where are the archives for the email list?
Added the question Can a Kraftwerk song be heard in the Saturday Night Live sketch Sprockets?
Added the question Did you know that there is a parody of Kraftwerk in the movie The Big Lebowski?
Added the question Has Kraftwerk's music ever been used in movies?
Added the question What instrument provided the choir sound on Radioactivity?
Expanded the answer to the question What sort of equipment is used by Kraftwerk?
Added the question What is a sequencer?
Added the question Are there any other email lists about Kraftwerk?
Various URLs updated.
Minor clarifications and updates.
v.6.5, 26th August 1999
Expanded the section on books.
Updated the section on Wolfgang Flüer's current activities.
v.6.4, 9th August 1999
Updated poll results for the "best" Kraftwerk album.
v.6.3, 14th July 1999
Expanded the page about current activities to cover the controversy over the Expo 2000 jingle plus the CD release of Tour de France.
Expanded the section about videos.
Corrected a typo in the section about Die Dominas. Thanks again to whomever it was who pointed out the error (sorry, I've since lost your email!).
Updated URLs in the section on bootlegs.
Replaced references to Lazlo's Kraftwerk discography with references to the more up-to-date International Kraftwerk Discography.
Expanded the section " What subjects may be discussed on the list?".
Other minor changes.
v.6.2, 13th July 1999
Expanded the section about books (more to follow).
v.6.1, 12th July 1999
Expanded the section about videos.
v.6.0, 12th July 1999
Tour de France is now available on CD.
v.5.9, 8th September 1998
Updated the section on books about Kraftwerk
Expanded the section "What recordings have Kraftwerk made?"
Updated the section on Kraftwerk's 1998 world tour.
Tweaked the section "What is a vocoder?"
Added information about equipment used in the 1998 world tour.
Mentioned Wolfgang Flür's forthcoming album.
New section: "Where are the archives for the email list?"
v.5.81, 11th August 1998
Updated the section " Where is Kraftwerk's studio located?" to emphasise the privacy of the studio.
v.5.8, 7th August 1998
Updated the section " Where is Kraftwerk's studio located?"
v.5.7, 6th July 1998
Expanded the section about Aktivität to include a reference to the official website.
v.5.6, 29th May 1998
Added "Which episode of The Simpsons mentions Kraftwerk?"
v.5.51, 8th May 1998
Removed link to tickets.de's information on the Kraftwerk tour because they keep changing the URL, and I don't have time to waste chasing after it.
v.5.5, 5th May 1998
Aktivität magazine has ceased publication and is no longer available.
The reference to the Kraftwerk conventions in the UK has been removed, as these have not taken place for some years.
v.5.4, 17th April 1998
Added section about alt.music.kraftwerk.
v.5.31, 17th April 1998
Added URLs of more websites offering information about the 1998 tour.
v.5.3, 16th April 1998
Added URLs of more websites offering information about the 1998 tour.
v.5.2, 30th March 1998
News of Kraftwerk's June tour added to section on current activities.
v.5.1, 30th March 1998
Section on equipment expanded.
The imminent demise of Aktivität magazine noted.
v.5.0, 17th March 1998
The main purpose of version 5 of the FAQ was to update links to other sources of information and remove outdated references. In particular, early versions of the FAQ contained copious references to archives of postings from the Kraftwerk email list. These are no longer stored by archive number, so my cataloguing of these references was rendered useless. This was, however, probably a blessing in disguise, since the removal of these references has made the FAQ more compact and hopefully a more enjoyable read.
Version 5 also updated the FAQ to cover recent activities of current and former members of Kraftwerk.