The Man Machine

Very catchy! I think they were the start of a bunch of German bands that became popular in the west in the 80s. Funnily enough you do not see many anymore.

sounds like a video game ost in the best way

Not even close To my preferred cup of tea but this was a surprisingly pleasant listen. Very fun

Cool album.

4☆/5 09.27.2024

As somebody who is listening to Kraftwerk for the first time, I had to double check the year this album was released; because while it came out in 1978, it honest-to-god sounds like something that could realistically be released today and it could still hang with the best electronica has to offer. Every song has an almost futuristic sci-fi dystopian feel to it; phenomenal use of keyboards, synthesisers, and vocoders with fast based drum programming. The sparse lyrics allow the music and production to speak for itself. You, as the listener, will be painting your own picture as the 6 tracks seemingly fly by. You can hear the influence this band must have had on music. Just a quick look at their Wikipedia page reveals a list of acts who borrowed from them, were influenced heavily by them overall, and they seem to be looked at as the gold standard of electronica. While I’m only discovering them for the first time here, I can definitely hear it on this album. Personal highlights: ‘Spacelab’, ‘Metropolis’, ‘The Model’, and ‘The Man-Machine’. I would honestly recommend this album to anybody. It’s a great showcase of electronica and what the genre can truly pull off. It’s simple on the surface, yet complex in its production. It’s melodic, vibrant, unashamed, and the mood it creates is absolutely captivating. I could honestly listen to a longer version of this LP as ‘The Man-Machine’ left me wanting a lot more. 4/5

This music reminds me of the colourful synthy-ness pioneered (arguably) by several Pink Floyd projects – including Any Colour You Like from The Dark Side Of The Moon and the entirety of the Wish You Were Here Album. The overlapping synthscapes here are clearly inspired by one of the best aspects of mid-career Floyd (and a lot of 70s prog rock). It's certainly the highlight of the album, and justifies some of the long track runtimes by kind of mesmerising the listener in most of the songs. Neon Lights may actually be the best track here, because despite its lack of catchy lyrical hooks, it takes you on a dizzying techno-journey that lets you forget about silly human-run reality. Sometimes you'll get bands that can't quite pull off the electro-trend (see: mid-80s Queen) but then MJ, Rush, and other 70s/80s bands – including Kraftwerk – prove that the genre has potential. There are a few things that bring this down. For one, the vocal is quite deadpan, which is either hilarious or lazy depending on what mood you're in. I personally don't mind it, but I can see how some people would, given the incredible vocals of 70s music contemporaries. Additionally, most of the tracks are six to eight minutes long, and there's little in the way of variation within each. This is a bit of a sin for me, but at least it doesn't verge into prog rock (dangerous territory). Every bit as good as Autobahn, another Kraftwerk release that's also included on this list. 4/5 Key tracks: The Robots, Neon Lights

Not bad for a bunch of robots.

Wow! Such an impressive sound for 1977. You know how you can tell they were one of the first electronic bands? Because in the first song they just repeat “we are the robots” which is exactly what someone discovering they can make that voice for the first time would say. Every song settles into a nice little groove that entrances you. And they even sprinkle in a little velvet underground-esque jam with Neon Lights.

Favorite Tracks: The Robots The Model

Estuvo bueno, pero no es mi estilo.

Yes, nice work and some deft touches well ahead of their time (our time). I wouldn’t rush to any of their gigs without a large amount of mind bending substance , but a decent listen.

As an album just to listen to it’s not amazing, but has some highlights. Robots is kinda idiosyncratic of Kraftwerk, and I’ve always found it as deliberately ironic. The Model is such an outlier, but a cool tune, which is such a precursor to tonnes of 80s acts. The rest, while the style is a bit 70s sci-fi dated, it’s really interesting hearing some of the sounds and textures which influenced, well all of future electronic music. Special nod to whatever that wave like sound acting as a bass in Spacelab and the beeps in Neon Lights is/are, the 90s owe you a massive one!

I really loved this album. It's hard for me to give it 5 stars, because, it didn't really blow me away and isn't an album I'm going to be listening to all the time, but I definitely will put it on when I need something chill or in the background while I'm working or am doing things around the house. I was surprised at how smooth and almost ambient it is, as I didn't think Kraftwerk made music like this, having only listened to their later stuff that has more teeth.

Some great innovation here with the model clearly a stand out and withstanding time - still sounds great today

Never heard this before. Kraftwerk was certainly way ahead of its time. This is a great early electronica album that's still a lot of fun to listen to. The album seems very subversive. Bears similarities to Jean-Michele Jarre's early albums which came out around the same time. "Я твой слуга Я твой работник"

This is great, I'm glad this album came up on rotation otherwise I would never have heard it. Sparse, hypnotic and melodic. Can't believe this EDM type sound was created in the 70's. Will listen again when I'm in a contemplative mood.

Although some of these are fairly simple and repetitive, they are well crafted and cleanly implemented. Geared a bit more towards a dance club, I was surprised to see the majority of Kraftwerk's output is from the '70's: well before the other electronic music. They were clearly ahead of their time and the music is impressive considering the era they had to work with. I enjoyed this and other Kraftwerk albums and will be listening to more in the future.

super funky; loved the vibes

The OG. Way ahead of their time.

A short album! Thank god Beep beep boop This was fun! 3.5 or 4/5

### **"The Man-Machine" by Kraftwerk: An In-Depth Review** "The Man-Machine" (originally "Die Mensch-Maschine"), released in 1978, is Kraftwerk's seventh studio album and one of their most influential works. It marked a significant milestone in the band's evolution, embodying their fascination with the relationship between humans and technology. This review delves into the album’s lyrics, music, production, themes, and lasting influence while providing a balanced assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. ### **1. Lyrics and Themes** "The Man-Machine" is thematically dense, reflecting Kraftwerk's vision of a future where humans and machines coexist symbiotically. The lyrics, often minimalistic, are delivered in a robotic, emotionless manner, emphasizing the connection between man and machine. - **“The Robots”** opens the album with a stark declaration: "We are the robots." The lyrics explore the idea of humans becoming like robots—obedient, efficient, and emotionless. The repetition of the phrase “we are the robots” reinforces the notion of mechanization and dehumanization. The track is partly self-referential, as Kraftwerk portrays themselves as robotic performers, blending man and machine identities. - **“Spacelab”** and **“Metropolis”** offer more abstract lyrical content. "Spacelab" suggests a futuristic vision of humanity expanding its horizons beyond Earth, possibly referencing space exploration and the quest for knowledge. "Metropolis," named after Fritz Lang’s 1927 film, draws parallels between the dystopian cityscape and the mechanized modern world, reflecting concerns about industrialization and the alienation it brings. - **“The Model”** is arguably the most accessible song, blending a satirical view of consumer culture and media obsession. Its lyrics narrate the story of a model who captivates everyone, revealing society’s obsession with superficial beauty and fame. This critique is presented in a straightforward manner, which contrasts with the more abstract themes of other tracks. - **“Neon Lights”** is the most lyrical song on the album, celebrating the urban landscape with poetic imagery of city lights. Here, the lyrics offer a rare moment of warmth, suggesting a sense of wonder in an otherwise mechanical world. - **“The Man-Machine”** brings the album full circle, contemplating the fusion of human and machine elements. The lyrics suggest a future where the line between organic life and mechanical life is blurred, creating a hybrid that symbolizes technological evolution. The album's themes revolve around mechanization, technology's impact on society, urbanization, and the loss of individuality. Kraftwerk conveys a sense of both fascination and anxiety about the future. The lyrics are deliberately sparse, allowing the listener to fill in the gaps, which aligns with the album’s minimalist aesthetic. ### **2. Music and Composition** Musically, "The Man-Machine" is a quintessential example of electronic music from the late 1970s, showcasing Kraftwerk’s pioneering use of synthesizers, sequencers, drum machines, and vocoders. The album is a balance of cold, mechanical sounds with melodic, sometimes surprisingly emotional, compositions. - **“The Robots”** uses synthetic bass lines, sequenced drum patterns, and a robotic voice to establish a futuristic atmosphere. The melody is catchy yet minimalistic, with repetitive motifs that create a hypnotic effect. The use of vocoders and synthesized voices contributes to the sense of robotic impersonality. - **“Spacelab”** is more ambient and atmospheric, with its sweeping synth textures and soaring melodies evoking images of outer space. It relies heavily on phased synthesizer lines and a steady, pulsating rhythm that mirrors the steady movement of a spacecraft. - **“Metropolis”** features a driving rhythm that reflects the industrial theme of the song. The melody is repetitive but complex, layering different synthesized sounds to create a sense of urban chaos and mechanical life. - **“The Model”** stands out with its pop sensibility. The song features a straightforward melody and structure, making it more radio-friendly. The use of bright, catchy synthesizer hooks and a steady, danceable beat exemplifies Kraftwerk’s ability to blend pop and avant-garde elements. - **“Neon Lights”** is one of the more melodic tracks on the album, with its lush synth layers and arpeggiated sequences. The track gradually builds, adding layers of sound to create a shimmering, nocturnal soundscape that captures the ambiance of a city at night. - **“The Man-Machine”** closes the album with a repetitive yet intricate structure, combining different rhythms and melodies. The song uses a mix of robotic voices and warmer synth tones, symbolizing the merging of man and machine. The composition of the album is characterized by Kraftwerk’s signature minimalist approach, with each track building on repetitive patterns that slowly evolve over time. This approach creates a hypnotic and meditative quality that draws listeners into Kraftwerk’s futuristic world. ### **3. Production** "The Man-Machine" was produced by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider, the core members of Kraftwerk, at their Kling Klang Studio in Düsseldorf, Germany. The album's production is meticulous, utilizing cutting-edge technology of the time, including analog synthesizers (such as the Minimoog and ARP Odyssey), custom-built electronic percussion, vocoders, and sequencers. The production quality is exceptionally clean and precise, with every sound carefully crafted and positioned in the mix. The album features a blend of warm analog synth sounds and crisp digital textures, creating a dynamic range that is both futuristic and timeless. Kraftwerk employed multi-tracking techniques and layered their sounds to produce rich, textured compositions that remain compelling even decades later. The use of stereo panning and spatial effects is another hallmark of the album's production, providing a sense of depth and dimension. The electronic percussion is sharp and punchy, driving the rhythm forward without overpowering the melodic elements. The production’s emphasis on clarity, balance, and texture helps to convey the themes of technological precision and modernity. ### **4. Influence and Legacy** "The Man-Machine" is widely regarded as one of Kraftwerk's most influential albums, serving as a bridge between early electronic music and the genres that emerged in the 1980s and beyond. It has had a profound impact on numerous musical styles, including synth-pop, techno, hip-hop, and even rock. - **Influence on Synth-Pop and New Wave**: The album’s clean, minimalist aesthetic and use of synthesizers influenced a wide range of artists in the 1980s, from Depeche Mode and The Human League to Gary Numan and Ultravox. Kraftwerk's approach to electronic music, focusing on melody and structure rather than just experimentation, helped lay the groundwork for the synth-pop genre. - **Pioneering Techno and Electro**: "The Man-Machine" also had a significant impact on the development of techno and electro music. Artists like Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Afrika Bambaataa have cited Kraftwerk as a major influence. The beats and rhythms of tracks like “The Robots” can be heard in early techno and electro productions. - **Impact on Hip-Hop**: The album’s rhythmic innovation and use of electronic sounds were also embraced by hip-hop artists in the early 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa’s track “Planet Rock,” for example, samples Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express” and draws heavily from their style, merging it with African-American funk and hip-hop rhythms. - **Cultural and Conceptual Influence**: Beyond its musical impact, "The Man-Machine" has influenced the cultural discourse around technology and its integration into human life. The album’s exploration of the relationship between humans and machines has resonated with discussions on artificial intelligence, cyborg identity, and digital culture, making it a significant work not only musically but also philosophically. ### **5. Pros and Cons** **Pros:** - **Innovative Production and Sound Design**: The production of "The Man-Machine" was groundbreaking for its time and remains impressive today. Kraftwerk’s meticulous attention to detail and innovative use of technology created a sound that was ahead of its time and continues to influence modern music. - **Cohesive Thematic Vision**: The album is thematically consistent, exploring the relationship between humans and technology from various angles. This thematic coherence enhances its conceptual strength, making it more than just a collection of songs but rather a unified artistic statement. - **Catchy and Memorable Melodies**: Despite its experimental nature, the album contains some of Kraftwerk's most memorable melodies, such as those in "The Robots" and "The Model." These tracks combine accessibility with complexity, appealing to both mainstream audiences and avant-garde listeners. - **Pioneering Role in Electronic Music**: As a whole, "The Man-Machine" helped to define and shape the sound of electronic music. Its influence can be seen in numerous genres, from synth-pop to techno, and it continues to inspire artists today. **Cons:** - **Repetitive and Minimalistic**: While the repetitive, minimalist nature of the album is part of its charm and innovation, it may not appeal to all listeners. Some might find the songs monotonous or lacking in variety due to their focus on repetition and subtle variation. - **Emotional Distance**: The album's cold, robotic aesthetic can be off-putting to listeners seeking emotional warmth or depth. The synthetic sounds and mechanical vocals may feel alienating, making it harder for some listeners to connect with the music on an emotional level. - **Lack of Lyric Depth**: The lyrics, though thematically consistent, are often sparse and simplistic. This minimalism, while fitting the album's aesthetic, may be perceived as lacking depth or complexity compared to other contemporaneous works. - **Niche Appeal**: As a pioneering work of electronic music, "The Man-Machine" may not cater to listeners who prefer more conventional rock or pop music. Its futuristic sound and thematic focus on technology can feel niche, appealing more to enthusiasts of electronic and avant-garde music than the general public. ### **Conclusion** "The Man-Machine" by Kraftwerk is a seminal work in the history of electronic music. With its innovative use of technology, minimalist compositions, and cohesive thematic vision, the album explores the symbiosis of man and machine in a unique and thought-provoking way. While it may not appeal to everyone due to its repetitive structures, sparse lyrics, and emotionally detached aesthetic, its influence on countless artists and genres is undeniable. Kraftwerk’s exploration of technology’s role in society remains relevant, making "The Man-Machine" a timeless piece that continues to resonate across generations.

Kraftwerk being Kraftwerk — nothing to complain about!

Solid techno vibes

very interesting, Early synth pop I guess but not that poppy. Defo some Pink Floyd influence (Welcome to the machine)

A goofy concept executed perfectly; like anything Deep Purple or the first Earth Wind & Fire album.

Sounds stereotypical now, probably revolutionary back than

This impressed me in 2024, if I heard this in 1978 my mind would've been blown.

Might be the best Werk. Interesting album. 3.5/5

favorite Kraftwerk so far

OK, this is more like it. Second Kraftwerk album in a row for me, but THIS is what I was expecting to hear from the group. Electro pop that one can dance do, but also simply sit down and digest. Most of the album sounds soft and uplifting, which you didn't really hear much in this era of early electronic music. I think this is the Kraftwerk album that you can point to in terms of being the bridge to the synth-pop era of music that emerged in the early 80's.

Pretty damn innovative, undeniably groundbreaking, but nevertheless, a little sonically sparse

i love me some electronic music WE ARE THE ROBOTS i love it its so chill but groovy at the same time my favorite song: the robots

A very high 4.

Computer Love is the sample for Talk by Coldplay!

First time listening to a Kraftwerk album. Great futuristic sound from 1978

A little too hard in spots, but so pivotal given the era

What's there to say? It's EDM... from 1978... People were trying to be like John Travolta when this came out, in their white leasure suit, pointing fingers in the air, which makes it amazing. Also, anytime you can hear a thick German accent, it's worth a listen... Metropolis!

It was pretty good. Nothing particularly had a wow factor to it but the complete package was tight, short, and well composed.

Love to listen to this while tossing power pellets into my giant triangle mouth and escaping from ghosts.

weon beep bop

If you have a band that, mainly, has a signature sound throughout their career then you should - if you are chooising one album to highlight - use the album that created that signature sound. Which, in the case of Kraftwerk would be 'Autobahn'. Instaed, the chosen album is the one with the massive hit-single. Which is great, but this album probably doesn't show the band at its creative heights. Jusdt its comercial heights. The Robots is annoyingly simplistic and Spacelab hasn;t done anything Georgio Moroda hadn't been doing for a decade beforehand. Metropolis is very Vangelis, soundtrack-esque. It appears they are wearing their influences on their sleeve rsather than influencing. Admittedly, The Model is something else. They say the sign of a perfect pop song is that you can play it on an acoustic guitar and it still sounds brilliant. This stands up to that test. The Am Em verse, C Bm G bridge is just classic less is more. No chorus. Just classic arpeggio influenced folk music all in all. Neon lights is great. {roper progressive electronic music with a classical twist. Great but not their best.

I wonder if these guys would’ve exploded if they had better lights and there was more access to MDMA when this album dropped. Definitely pioneers of the sound in general and at times sounds like modern jamtronica bands.

I finished my first listen thinking I love the music this group inspired more than these actual tracks. Daft Punk, Justice, The Midnight: all these groups (and so many more) are standing on the shoulders of these Kraftwerk giants. But this album is so blessedly short; I found myself coming back to it. No earworm, but in the moment, it's so catchy.

Hoy toca volver a esta icónica banda, que hace tiempo no escucho. El disco arranca con "Die Roboter", temazo de Kraftwerk, vanguardistas a más no poder con respecto a proyectos como Daft Punk o The Chemical Brothers. Los sonidos de éste disco me recuerdan en lo particular al Family Game (Famicom, si no me equivoco). Gran trabajo de canciones bailables y reflexivas, con ritmos mecánicos, repetitivos.

unexpected 'I know this one' with Model. a vibe for playing in the background but I need more drugs if I'm going to really get into this haha. can definitely see how it's influential

fun!

This shit rules and must have blown people's minds in '78.

Some grooves, and made a big impact on electronic music. But like their descendants, Daft Punk, many of the songs just repeat a bit too much and don't go anywhere.

favorites - The Robots, Neon Lights

I think these guys might be the robots… Good, influential, idk if I’d come back to it a ton but it’s good

The Man Machine is the seventh Kraftwerk album, and it may be their most accessible album. This collection of tracks is not "as minimalist" as their earlier work; the songs have more of a melodic sense and incorporate more danceable rhythms. Kraftwerk's minimalism - their "music made by automatons" - pioneered electronic music, and this album is a midpoint between the band's first few albums and 80's synth-pop. The Man Machine opens with "the Robots," which was part of the band's presentation of themselves as automatons.

Kraftwerk is amazing

electronica. Sounds like the soundtrack to a science fiction SNES game. To be honest, I kinda liked it. My only real complaint was that I felt that the songs were a little bit too long, which wouldn’t be a problem if they weren’t so repetitive.

Fun and very interesting. Borderline 3 or 4. I'll round up.

It was ok.

++: Das Model, Neonlicht +: Die Roboter, Metropolis, Die Mensch-Maschine +-: Spacelab 7,6/10

Kraftwerk son el grupo esencial de la música electrónica (más allá de Tangerine Dream u otros) y The Robots es una de las canciones fundamentales de la música electrónica. Spacelab, Metropolis y Neon lights anticipan el Tecno, Tecno Pop, o lo que fuera que vino después. The model es, sin duda, el tema de mayor éxito del disco. The man machine presenta un ritmo repetitivo y voces robotizadas en una oda a la industrialización de la sociedad. La portada es otro clásico. Otros discos editados en 1978: debuts de Kate Bush, Pere Ubu, Magazine, , Public Image Ltd., Dire Straits, Police, The Only Ones, Devo, The Cars y Siouxsie and the banshees, (también Chris Rea y Midnight Oil), así como discos esenciales: C´est CHic, Plastic letters y Paralell Lines, Some Girls, This year´s model, Darkness on the Edge of Town, Incantations, Équinoxe, Ambient 1: Music for Airports, All mod cons, Some girls, One Nation Under A Groove, Outlandos d´amour los directos de Cheap Trick, Thin Lizzy, Bob Marley, AC-DC y The last waltz, e incluso Grease.

Hm. Hard to review electronic music from the 70s when they probably only had a moog and basic synthesiser. But without Kraftwerk… would Joy Division, New Order, Ultravox, Depeche Mode etc etc have had the same foundation… hmmmmm

Liked it more than I expected. It's wild this sound came out of the 70s

Didn't expect to but loved this!

Brilliant synth-pop.

8/10 I love Kraftwerk, and this is a great album. I don't have to justify myself to you!!! 6-17-2024

mag das deutschsprachige Album lieber

3.8/5 - listened 4x and really like it but prefer the other Kraftwerk (TransEurope) as an overall album

LOVED this. I’d been meaning to listen to some kraftwerk for a while now and they did not disappoint. The model was a highlight

As the oft quoted Bob Dylan statement on the Man Machine said, “without Man machine there could never have been a Kajagoogoo.” I didn’t own this in 1978 only coming to Kraftwerk when “the model” made it in 1982. The precursor of so many future trends in music. A solid 4.5 out of 5 (5 is reserved for albums I still listen to frequently). I can definitely hear some Moroder here on The Robots.

Had a previous Kraftwerk album that didn't impress, but this is most likely their best one. 'The Robots' and 'The Models' are great songs that do sound old, but still hold up very well today. 'Neon Lights' is also a pretty nice song. In general I'd say it's overall a quite tight album. All songs are decent, and keeping it fairly short ensures that no other garbage gets in there. If there's one Kraftwerk album you should hear, it's probably this one.

I think this is the third Kraftwerk album we have on this list and it's the best by far. A few really good tracks "The Model" and "The robots", and the rest while not great do not overstay their welcome. It's a very unique sound. Weak 4 maybe?

Phenomenal work.

It was weird, but in an enjoyable way

Like this, and definitely a grower. Every few years or so I give it another go and always thought ‘aye its canny but I dont get the hype’. But each listen it gets better and having listened to it 3 times today already I can confirm its a grower for me. It’s quite simple in some ways, especially compared to todays electronic standard. But that simplicity helps it stand out. Becomes more accessible almost. Also, LCD Soundsystem have borrowed a loooot from this record, which is always a good thing in my books. 4.5

Thought this was loads better than autobahn, felt like autobahn was just experimenting with synthesisers while this had actual songs. For that reason I assume the man machine isn't for the purists, probably their 'sellout' album. I recognised the model but generally thought it was all very listenable. I do think most of these songs would be better with a wider range of instruments but I guess that's not the point. Not sure id listen to it again but if it came on unexpectedly I'd be happy enough. 3.5.

Been a while since we've had Kraftwerk. I think this is really on par with Autobahn. The experimentalism is a big more focussed on Man Machine, but still retains a lot of the silliness. Solid 4 stars, would be happy to listen again. Flew by.

kraftwerk have always sounded very cool to me but they dont manage to grow past being a novelty. i prefer the silver apples over kraftwerk generally. 7/10

Man Kraftwerk rules so hard. This is what I said while listening to this album. The Robots was my introduction to Kraftwerk years ago. I stumbled on a YouTube video of them playing it live and couldn’t help but think are these guys actually robots!? I’m still not sure. Their mastery of electronic music and monotone singing voices makes me question their humanity to this day. If this is what AI music had turned out to be, instead of just wonky covers of other artists, I’d be ready to assimilate. The Robots also sparked my love for vocoders. It’s easily my favorite song on the album, possibly mgmt favorite Kraftwerk song. Although, Europe, Endless is up there too. The rest of the album is also amazing. Spacelab is sparse but beautiful. Metropolis is the darkest sounding song on the album, and The Model is also eerie but less so. The Model is the low point for me, the vocals/lyrics on it kind of ruin it for me. But right after that is the beautiful Neon Lights, followed by the closer which is techs and robotic like the opener. There’s not a bad song on here! I am knocking off one star because when these guys aren’t using vocoders they are not great singers. The singing can be a bit monotonous and annoying for some. But the music is so good it doesn’t ruin the songs.

De übet Krautrock record! What a classic. The fact this came out in 1977 and bands still try to rip this sound today is testament to how cool this record is. It’s fairly short at just over half an hour but if your calculator had a favorable record, it would be this one. The first track We Are The Robots sounds a little silly but it’s a great starter. It’s cute to hear a robot German voice! The second track Spacelab is what I’d imagine hold music for the Martian consulate would sound like. Or one of those old Epcot center ride train music would be. Metropolis sounds like it would fit well on Autobahn, which is my favorite Kraftwerk record. Fun and funky little number. The Model is probably the best known track since it’s so dancey. Another fun little number. Neon Lights and The Man Machine close it all out with some highly pleasant soundscapes. Kraftwerk has always sounded intentionally sparse to me but this album is legit a relaxing and fun listen.

Engrossing grooves, definitely on the frontier of electronic acoustics. A few catchy songs that make it a great listen

I won't listen to this every day, but it is great

Really enjoyed this one - I’ll be listening to more kraftwerk for sure.

wall to wall bangers

Seminal but not quite there for a 5 I guess

exactly what I needed to round out my sexy time playlist

Very cool

06/11/24 S Tier—————————5 The Model A Tier—————————4 The Robots Spacelab Neon Lights B Tier—————————3 Metropolis The Man Machine C Tier—————————2 D Tier—————————1

The level of influence this band and album have/had on so many artists downstream earns it a high rating. From bands already experienced on this 1001 list like Underworld and Soft Cell, to so many others like Depeche Mode, New Order and especially the more recent Daft Punk. The scarcity of lyrics mixed with more simple sounds only supports the intended theme here of humans and their relationship to technology. And the fact that these German robot dudes also built many of the instruments and units used to create the sounds is pretty amazing. Life imitates art.

Noel Fielding's and Matt Lucas's portrayal of Kraftwerk in a Great British Bake Off cold open had me fully prepared for this. 3.5/5.0: Very Good

hey i already listened to this album it was very good its very good now or is it not now but later sooner or later the time would prescribe me a saint or a patron with letters or papers denied for vacants

It was definitely some interesting stuff going on here, felt symphonic at times. Warrants another listen

Fun listen, but most songs became repetitive quickly. Definitely ahead of its time though. Sounds really crisp, and likely influenced generations after.

One of the first introductions into electronic music. My first introduction to electronic music. It’s just as weird and oddly satisfying as the first time I listened to it as a kid. 8/10

Seminal bangers

I have given electronic music a lot of shit during this journey. Because I don't like it. But I always give it a fair chance when it comes up, I want people to know that. I'm not just maliciously assigning 1 star without ever trying to understand what might be worthy first. I guess most of the electronic music that comes up really is bonafide crap though. And I can see that clearly now that I've got this album to use as a gold standard going forward, because I am actually quite surprised by how much I've enjoyed this one. I think the main difference I perceive is that this feels like art. Legitimate, musical talent that has produced art. It feels like it has been thoughtfully created with a specific point of view and intentional musicianship versus all of the other acts that apparently just noodle aimlessly with dissonant tones and slap an "art" label on it at the end of the session. I can finally see the light, and I can finally hear the brilliance.

We are indeed the robots. 4/5

This is right up my alley.

Super ahead of its time, and still sounds great to this day

Only 36mins

Really enjoyed this. Crazy how well this holds up.

Los abuelos de la electrónica en estado puro

As someone who played video games in the 1980’s, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Another classic of electronic music.

Awesome.

I was expecting this to sound more outdated and corny. I'm not sure that I've heard anything as timeless as this. If someone made me guess I doubt that I'd say the 1970s. Obviously influential. Anyway it sounds great. I almost wanted to go for a 5 but at the end of it, most of it was missing a spark for me. I liked the tittle track the most.

Oh, shit, we’re vibin’! I can see this is influential on all the dark synth-based musicians out there, and I get that.

Great to listen to. Great as backdrop when doing work... Beep Beep Bop...

Way ahead of its time. Favorite track: Neon Lights

Strong 4

It's insane that this was made in the 70's. It's groundbreaking and highly influential to all sorts of music, right up to now. It sounds timeless and also nostalgic. I can't help but picture 80's video games when listening. With all that said I can't give this 5 stars as I found it a tad repetitive and annoying, and I wouldn't listen to it again. I am glad that I listened to it though.

We Are The Robots was cool, I've never heard anything like this before. The repetitiveness of it is trance-like, and it feels like the bedrock of every electronic song I've heard before, but still really catchy and earwormish, despite it's sparseness. I enjoy the way the songs build up with droning tones into the main song. I'm not normally into synth sounds, but this album is great. It reminds me of playing old video games.

Good stuff! More accessible/radio friendly compared to Autobahn, which I listened to a few weeks ago.

Not my normal rotation but a solid album

1978...still sounds modern

Much more melodic than I expected

swing~

Repetitive but some songs were enjoyably repetitive

A prelude to Daft Punk. The album was very easy to listen to. I will look into some of their other cuts.

4 für Das Model und Die Roboter

"The Man-Machine" by Kraftwerk: a classic case of musical Stockholm syndrome for me. Initially, it felt like being trapped in an elevator with a synthesizer enthusiast—interesting for the first minute but quickly turning into a "please, let me out" scenario. Yet, somehow, with time, the album grew on me, much like a quirky wallpaper you initially regret but come to love for its eccentric charm. Kraftwerk's robotic hymns and electronic landscapes turned from monotonous to mesmerizing, proving that even a digital heart can beat with a warm, infectious rhythm. It's not that the tracks became personal anthems—they didn't—but rather like those oddly specific ads that know you a little too well; you start to appreciate the craft behind them. Elevating "The Man-Machine" from a misunderstood machine's monologue to a 4/5 in my book, this album showcases how repeated listens can turn skepticism into admiration. It might not have the tracks on my all-time favorites playlist, but it's earned its spot in the "I get it now" section of my music library.

Retro-futurist synth-pop. Successfully capturing the zeitgeist. 4

Way ahead of it's time

Shows that electronica can have warmth and rhythm while still being alien as hell

4.5/5. Beep boop beep!

Very vibey, much German. I get the feeling that this was not my first time listening to this, but I can't for the life of me remember another time when I would listen to electronic music besides Daft Punk.

A milestone!

Just learned where Neil Young got Trans from. Loved it! Neon Lights especially is a synth dream

Album Nr. 60 Eine Kult-Band der frühen, deutschen, elektronischen Musik. Sehr gutes Album, aber nicht perfekt.

OMG ELEKTRON MENTIONED brooo Kraftwerk☝️☝️☝️ fun album! Enjoyed it. Good sounds

funky as fuck, but at times overly repetitive. i would listen to this doing manual labor

Loved this. Really wanna listen with my good headphones. Short and sweet and cool and out there but not in an annoying way. 8.5/10

7/10 - It was kind of all over the place but was super interesting throughout most of the pieces.

Great stuff! A very cool album and hard to imagine this hitting shops in the 70s when it was a pretty new sound. It’s basically what has evolved into Daft Punk but a bit more atmospheric rather than dance floor friendly. Definitely coming back to this one.

ohhh jaaaa, velcome to ze clahhb!!!

aged well

Moderat interessanter Elektro-pop. Ikonisch und wohl bekanntesten Lied ist "Model".

3.5

Timeless

Stylistically speaking, 1978's The Man Machine could be seen as the sequel to its predecessor, Trans Europe Express. From its fluid synthesizer melodies to its disco-informed electronic beats and Vocoder-assisted robot voices, it's the ultimate example of Kraftwerk's pioneering work with electronics. From "The Robots" to the title track, the band continued to underline their technophile aesthetic and image, perhaps even more succinctly than before. And for as many overtures to pop accessibility as they'd made on previous albums, tunes like "Neon Lights" and "The Model" were the most overtly pop-oriented tracks they'd created up to that time, with the latter becoming an international hit that went all the way to No. 1 in the U.K.

Robot Rock

Mixed, strange, getting closer

I do own Autobahn and know the track The Model but I don't think I had heard the rest of this album before. I do like it, while I won't be listening to it every day or even every month I will be once or twice a year. Several Kraftwerk albums added to favorites.

Can’t give this one less than ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, and I’m not even that into electronic music. They’re the blueprint for so much that came after but more than that, the album rocks. Give me more robot German sounds every o day.

I have no clue what this is. Wait, this is really cool. I feel like I'm playing a retro video game or something. This is super fun to listen to so far. This album started off strong but it's starting to go downhill a bit for me. Finishing strong with the final track though. 4/5 This was a pleasant surprise.

Favourite tracks: robots; the model; man machine; neon lights

Precisely my kind of goofy ass electronic weirdo shit. Not too weird, not too normal

Loved this! I ended up listening to it 3 times on the bounce. When you think if what was around at the time, I think this album is genius. Might just listen to it again.

Ok, this album was cool. And when the robots begin their takeover of earth, I hope they come out marching to the 1st track.

Klassiker, aber in Deutsch war es mindestens so gut. Jugenderinnerungen mit The Model und The Robots.

Hadn’t heard Kraftwerk before, but quite enjoyed it.

Fan of some of the songs. Enjoy the vibes.

Initially I thought I was going to really hate this album but I actually quite enjoyed it. I was not a fan of the first song but the later ones were good

Actually a really fun album, enjoyed throughout. Crazy how you can hear the influence the album had on subsequent music. Love the beeps and boops. Will listen again

they made electronic music human, HOW CAN ENJOY THIS MORE THAN I ALREADY DO.

Admittedly a little avant-garde for my taste but I could appreciate how influential this album was to Alt Rock in the '80s, particularly Depeche Mode. Thompson Twins "Lay Your Hands on Me" drew inspiration from "Spacelab."

Unique and unmatched - even in English.

sssssssspaaaaaaaaccccccee laaaaaaab

Revolutionary. Cant believe this came out in 1978!

Kinda cool and funky -Danny

Kraftwerk had a brilliant run of albums in the 70s. Thus is one of them. Way ahead of its time and beautiful.

Pretty poggers

Without Kraftwerk there would be no EDM.

Im a robot

Fun to hear! I've never listed to this band or these songs. Had to listen twice because i needed better speakers.

"The Model" is the standout. 3.5 stars rounded up.

sick!

I don't really have much to say about this one, just a fun, groovy album with lots of cool electronic and robotic themes. And it's always cool to listen to things in German since I am currently learning the language

I really love the rhythms of the music. It's different, but intriguing and wonderful to listen to. I would like to know the words. I do drum circles in schools and these pieces would be great to teach the rhythms and drum with the music, but I must be sure they're appropriate for kids. Thanks.

I was fully prepared for this to be boring—just because something was innovative 45 years ago doesn’t mean it holds up—but I really enjoyed it. The last two tracks were standouts for me.

This sounds so much like a Tony Banks film soundtrack. I love it. It likely won't be the last album of theirs I listen to.

Enjoyed “The Robots” and “Neon Lights.”

There are probably many ideal scenarios to listen to Kraftwerk’s “The Man Machine”, and my latest one was on my morning commute this week. Mid-January, temperature at a steely cold 0, sharing a packed Underground train with my fellow nameless worker droids, all enslaved by the machines in our pockets. Kraftwerk’s future has arrived. By 1978’s standards, “The Man Machine” must have only sounded like the future to the most perceptive of listeners: most probably thought “what’s all this nonsense?” and then got on with their day. Now we’re in 2024, and Kraftwerk’s influence and pioneering approach to music has become more and more bleedin’ obvious with every passing year. It isn’t too much an overstatement to suggest “The Man Machine”, and a handful of albums around it, birthed an entire genre of electronics: someone had to do it first, but this album did it brilliantly. Through a series of synth leads, pads, sequencers, vocoders and electronic drums (there are no acoustic sounds on here at all), Kraftwerk create a compelling and sinister landscape, which somehow retains a danceable energy. The production still sounds overwhelmingly clean and crisp without feeling dated whatsoever, despite the fact my girlfriend thought I was listening to the Crash Bandicoot soundtrack when I had “The Robots” on. Most of the lyrics are delivered with minimal expression, frequently through a vocoder, so they mostly just become an extra layer in a soundscape. The only song with conventional verses, sung through, is “The Model”, which takes the danceable energy to the max: it was a single and has become Kraftwerk’s best known song in the UK. It does help to make the album a good deal more palatable, breaking up the more indulgent sonic experiments. Two of my other favourite tracks are “Spacelab” and “Neon Lights”, doing so much with very little variation and managing to feel vast, expansive, thrilling, human and alien at once. If there are any weak points at all, it’s the title track coming at the end, which doesn’t really build on anything we’ve heard before: perhaps the record’s shtick is already wearing a little thin by then. It follows that I’m not a big fan of a lot of what Kraftwerk influenced, including techno, house or 90’s EDM (I’m still hoping this list will change my mind, but it hasn’t happened yet). Still, I can’t deny the importance or influence of this album… and at 35 minutes, the ideas feel infinitely more digestible and never outstay their welcome.

Magnificent

I've only ever really been exposed to Kraftwerk briefly, but I do enjoy electronic music so have always enjoyed their music. I thoroughly enjoyed this album, and listened to it back-to-back. I will listen to it again. As an added bonus,. it reminded me of the Bill Bailey Kraftwerk homage and I watched that a few times and laughed my head off as usual.

Meilenstein

Not even 20 albums into this project, and I have by second Kraftwerk album. This is truly amazing stuff for 1978.

I didn’t know I would like Kraftwerk this much. It was especially fun to work on a computer while listening. If you like this, I can’t recommend FWY! enough. Check out the track HWY 101

cool - wie in meiner Jugend

I like it more than I was expecting to. It quite easily manages to mingle in backgrounds while still be interesting. It has intricate layers much like Sigur ros, but with a totally different and unique sound. It’s motivating and even a little danceable.

fucking amazing probably a 5 in the distant future, but a 4 after first listen

amazing. still modern (...almost)

I remember not liking their other album when I had it two years ago, but I was probably more close-minded back then. I liked this one a lot. It sounds like a shimmering diamond. Torn between 4 and 5.

Веома занимљиво. The Model сам чуо раније, та ми се веома допада, то је хит. Реално је албум неких 7/10

Favorite Songs: The model (I think I like the German version even more) Obviously a good album and a fun listen, definitely one of the albums where I wish I would've experienced the impact it had at the time.

It blows my mind that this music was recorded in the late 70's.

I like this a lot more than I thought I would. Best electronica album I probably ever listened to. Wunderbar!

Really cool and catchy.

Good album. Definitely more background listening than the last few days, I definitely zoned out a bit.

Kraftwerk er sgu meget fedt. Den her plade har nok nogle af de sange jeg har hørt mest med dem, men så er der også bare de andre som bare bliver glemt.

Sehr gut.

4.25

I've heard the name Kraftwerk for years, but never gave anything a listen. This is pretty much what I expected it to sound like, but am amazed it's from the 70s. 3.5/5

Uniek en heel herkenbaar

very cool songs for/about/by german robots. this sound would have absolutely blown my mind if i were alive and had heard it in 1978. each song felt really unique and interesting, and i enjoyed what each of them brought to the table. will listen again. favorites: basically everything. metropolis was the weakest track in my opinion

Dun dun dun dun, classic.

Un clásico.

I never got super into Kraftwerk. Something about it doesn’t groove enough for me. Doesn’t catch me. Doesn’t make me feel anything. That said, this is very well done, iconic, and important. So, 3.5 - 4

Very unexpected and a little odd. Reminds me a ton of Daft Punk

This is pretty good

#35. Dial-up modem music made by robots, for robots. 4/5: fantastic

Music entanglement for the mind. Great compositions that catches your attention and lets you drift of along with the music. Solid 4.

Sounded like a proto-Daft Punk

synth

Top notch bleep bloop

Historically, this is pretty cool. By today's standards, the music is... good, but I cannot imagine what people thought listening to this almost 50 years ago.

Interesting electronic music, I did really like it 4 stars

Fun

Electronic music found its roots in Germany. By the time the late 20th century arrived, the push for more of it had made its way to the United States and Japan. But in regards to the electronic movement of the 70's and well into the 90's, there is probably none a finer group to have emerged from that scene than Kraftwerk. Most of the electronic music you listen to today can probably be traced back to this record in some way. This is just as essential of a listen as Selected Ambient Works 85-92, Autechre [LP5], and Feed Me Weird Things are. It's cool, chilling, and rhythmically hypnotic. Lyrics are sparse, which leaves only the synths themselves for you to attach yourself to. It's simple, and simultaneously dense once you begin to peel back the layers. There is also a sense of danceability to these tracks. Neonlicht, for example, instantly clicks, and is addictively fun and colorful. The drum beats are snappy and tight. Really this album has as many synth leads, pads, and arps as one could ask for. It is an excellently constructed and put together piece of electronic music, that would go on to push the boundaries of this kind of sound in more traditional and mainstream rock and pop based music. Rating: 8/10

The album had me feeling like I too was a robot in a cyberpunk dystopian environment. Seems like an album with a lot of utility. I mean I feel like I could jam to it while doing chores, while gaming, studying, or just put on some headphones and let my imagination run wild. I dig it.

Really like "Spacelab" and "The Model." Sounds great, trailblazing. I was excited to listen to this one.

meh

A minute in, I was thinking THIS IS AWESOME!!! I felt like such a dipshit not having heard it before and wondered why didn’t anybody tell me? But the album overall got pretty boring pretty fast. It’s kind of ironic because seems like they were both opening the door to and critiquing the kind of mechanized media word we live in now that could make it possible for an album like this to be boring. Seems like it would have been super fun back in the day! Also, four stars is the minimum because any one song is fun to listen to on its own plus it seems like they should get an A for effort given they were blazing a trail and all that entails.

Need to be in the mood

I only know of Kraftwerk from Big Black's cover of The Model and wasn't expecting to like this album as much as I did. The depth and complexities of sound hidden in the repetitive electronic beats is impressive.

Convenceram-me a escutar mais música eletrônica ao construir as obras sonoras ao trabalhar efeitos sintéticos no desenvolvimento de melodias pulsantes.

I listened to this while I was cleaning the kitchen and it was perfect background music, tickled the right spots in my ADHD brain to keep me focused. Very cool to see what has and hasn't changed in the genre for the proceeding decades.

Good

Favourite songs: The Robots, The Model, Spacelab, Metropolis Least favourite songs: Neon Lights 4/5

3.9 amazing it came out in 78

A pioneering electropop album that's still very listenable today and almost new sounding. More accessible than many of Kraftwerk's works, with stuff to bop along too. Outstanding tracks are The Robots and The Model, both feel like they belong to a larger concept work. In the main actually an enjoyable poppy listen rather than the bleeps and pops of some of the other Kraftwork stuff.

Cool to hear some pioneering electronic music. Crazy that was born in the 70’s!

Solid early electronic music. One or two stand out songs

Very good, bits of final fantasy x and vangelis' blade runner but with a beat. Listened again immediately to 2009 remaster which sounded better but maybe just poor quality first time.

The origins of electronic, owe a lot to this sound. Catchy I like it

Funnest electronic album on here so far

they... are the robots we... are the robots i... am a robot

Elektronisk Sväng

Snilld, eintóm snilld. Elska allt við þetta.

It’s really probably a 3 and I don’t like the arguing “but it’s so important to stuff that happened later,” but it’s so important to stuff that happened later.

Sick beats!

It took til the second listen to notice the release year. That's wild that this album is old enough to have hip problems. It sounds a little aged but damn, they rocked it here.

WE ARE DA RrrOBOTS! Great beginning and middle of an album, but it kind of trailed off toward the end. I was bumping to this one with some energy all the way through!

Kraftwerk is great such a change of pace! I am now a robot apparently. Spacelab sounds like I'm either entering or exiting a k-hole Great album to have on which you don't really have to pay too much attention but can still really enjoy the trippy beats

Weee are the ROBOTS. This is a jam. More jams that sound like video game soundtracks from the 80's! The Model rules. Definitely one of the songs I was excited to hear them play live. This album is just so crisp and perfect for background music. KRAFTPUNK

Damn good electronic album most of the album is wonderful I especially like Das Model and Neonlicht. 4 stars

love it. the model is the best track

Wow! First song had the same rhythm as Get Innocuous by LCD Soundsystem. Imitation is a form of flattery right? I might have liked this a bit more than autobahn. Bring on more kraftwerk

Classic. Perfect late night road trip music

The robots learn to dance. A little warmer than their previous work.

Icy, electronic pioneers,

Was very cool but I didn't find a favorite.

I'll be the first to admit that electronic music is not my thing. Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed this album, and will be exploring the genre more

Ik weet niet wat het is met Kraftwerk, dat dit nou de zeldzame elektronische muziek is die ik wél goed vind. Misschien doordat ik me bewust ben van hun pionierswerk, puur het feit dat dit jaren '70 is, is gewoon mindblowing. Dat iets als Autobahn 7 jaar na Sgt Peppers kwam. Dit album is ook gewoon weer erg goed. Veel bleepjes en bloopjes, maar ook gewoon heldere structuur en duidelijke muziek, en daardoor aanstekelijk.

never really been one for electronic music but even i gotta give it up for the boys

Die Mensch-Maschine. This was the formal move from strictly electronic music to synthpop. Although the hooks were rudimentary and the production still electronic-focused, The Man Machine would give way for a genre that would dominate the 80's as we know it. Sleek synths, programmed drums, soaring pads. Kraftwerk gave them the building blocks for synthpop. All they did was shove out a few tunes in German. A fair amount of the albums feels kind of mechanical and calculated, very serious in a German way. The exception to this would have to be Neonlicht, which has a sort of dreamy, nostalgic sound to it. This is the track with perhaps the most emotion. The rest of the album is still groundbreaking and amazing work, it just lacks a bit of the emotion that the genre would develop on it's own.

Great album, though some.of the songs go on just a bit longer than they really need to.

Mä en voi ikinä uskoa, että tää levy on tullut vuonna 1978! Ajatonta ja hykerryttävää.

Syntikat + Saksalainen pragmatismi = THE MAN MACHINE

My appreciation for these robot revolutionaries has deepened with each record this list has gifted me (three now), and I still might be underrating how important they were/are.

I like it, its sort of odd and reminds me of a factory level in a gameboy advance game, but occasionally a German dude is singing lightly over it.

Absolutely incredible album.

actually quite good

This has some good stuff. It sounds dated but not dated for 1978. I'm sure the fellow grey haired folk will understand what I mean.

4(-)

Awesome!

Genius in German rock. Highlight: The Model.

Loved it! The had only previously heard of this band from the Foo Fighters documentary “Back & Forth”.

Gutes, eingängiges Kraftwerk Album.

Unsurprisingly, it sounds a bit dated now but was so far ahead of its time and still sounds good to me.

Enjoyed it more than I expected to. Classic robot future music.

I’ve never really listened to these guys. But I’m digging this. Nice, chill electronic stuff. Great for working.

The last Kraftwerk album left me kinda scratching my head and thinking that it was probably only included for historical reasons. This one on the other hand totally jived with and I really enjoyed it! Just the right amount of retro-futurism and synths

Simple but beautiful

Good

First imperssion: Hey, it's kinda like Daft Punk... Second impression: ...and kinda like Jean Michel Jarre... Third impression: ...actually it's not like Daft Punk or JM Jarre... Final impression: ...but it has a certain vibe, that I can't really assign to anything, and there is plenty of fearless discoveries...

This was a very interesting album. I grew up in the 2000's so when I think of electronic music I immediately think of genres like EDM and Dubstep but this was surprisingly minimalist. I really enjoyed the stripped down production and think that it really made this album feel unlike others. It wasn't mind blowing but it was interesting and different and I appreciate that. I liked all the songs except the last one. I really liked "Neon Lights" and "Metropolis". Overall I would give this album an 8/10. Good but not great. The highlights I mentioned above are definitely worth listening to.

Sweet early electronic stuff, could hear the influence they had on Daft Punk.

This one hits me so much deeper than Trans-Europe Express. Not really sure why, it's still hilariously dorky ("we are the rrrrrrobots!") and electronic repetitiveness but I feel like this has more subtle hooks. I feel like I'm watching Doctor Who in 1979 all over again and that freaking rocks. Better actual song composition combined with an almost otherworldly sound - the various synth patches/sounds all work so well together... Not gonna think too much harder about it but this one is a nerdy keeper for me. 7/10 4 stars

Like most other Kraftwerk albums, this is a set of good, competently structured songs, but most of them file more like sketches than complete works.

Interesting music, I get a dystopian feel from it but still enjoyable

The model, the robots

Ok this is actually kind of a banger

vi-a-ze-robatz-piu-piu-piu-piu

Funky robots. There's not really much I can add that hasn't been said before. Kraftwerk is pretty ubiquitous in music nerd circles at this point. Favorite tracks: "Spacelab", "Neon Lights"

Good classic techno

Very cool, super well produced and clean sounding, also quite repetitive and a little boring, this is maybe not the album for an airport and moreso a club...

Excellent beeps n boops. ze Germans win again

very good electronic album. I loved it.

Great album. German electronic music from the 70s, who’d a thunk how great that would be, this is why I’m on this journey. Solid 4. TBz 1. The Model 2. Spacelab 3. The Man Machine 4. Metropolis

AWESOME, the model was my favorite song

Awesome chill album

Short and sweet, good.

Once again this project helps remind me how innovative bands like Kraftwerk were. Electronic music has been around for several decades now, so our ears are quite accustomed to it, but it's fun to imagine how unusual this album, which came out in 1978 and is the band's seventh album, must have sounded to 1970s listeners. Even with electronic music's ubiquity for so long, this record was enjoyable for me to hear. I'm going to read up on how they recorded and produced this album. I know that these days creators can put together similar tracks on a laptop or home computer for very little cost, so I'm curious about what it took in the 70s to make this album.

By today's standards, this sounds slightly outdated, and simplistic. I can only imagine at the time, this was pretty ground breaking and innovative. Despite the almost 45 year period since it's release, I can hear the ripples of this album in modern cultural works (most prominent in my mind is the Mass Effect OST, or how the dark arpeggios and harmonies in "Metropolis" have become ubiquitous in cyperpunk style music). In this way, this album was truly ahead of its time. I'm also impressed that 45 years ago, this group produced synthetic sounds that still feel relevant today. A lot of synthesizer work from the time feels overwhelmingly outdated, and instantly out of place. This album, despite being a little cheesy ("We are the robots"), still feels clean and a standard for high quality audio production in electronic music. If someone had played it for me blind a day ago, I would have guessed it was a retro-inspired work from the last decade. This says a lot. Kraftwerk were surprisingly ahead of their time.

Really great. Neon Lights is best. Album wise I think I prefer Computer World and Autobahn. but this is gooood.

a feverdream

Always surprises me that I enjoy this.

NEEE-ON LIGHTS WEOOOW GLITT-ERING NEEE-ON LIGHTS etc. Great, listened to it 3 times. Brilliant cycle ride to work. It's just a very nice album. Smooth whizzy synth tunes that evoke the Autobahn, long brown trench coats and a declining GDR for me, despite the historical dissonance. Lovely noises, pleasantly arranged what more could you want in an album

funkyyy and fun. definitely sounds like daft punk proto-type and more emphasis on creating a "robot" sound

This album is such a pleasant spin! And I can see how revolutionary Kraftwerk must've been back when they released albums. The futuristic sound, the cold machinelike vocals, the huge array of different electronic instruments, the lyrical themes, all very cool! There's an eerie vibe to the songs, but also a very upbeat one, some of the beats make you want to dance. Instrumentally this is very cool, the vocals don't stand out particularly, but then again, who knows if robots would be good singers? This is definitely an album I need more time with to unwrap all the musical details and layers! Key tracks: The Robots, Spacelab, The Model, Neon Lights 8,5 out of 10

Six Tracks Krafted in 1978 with German precision, humor and (what was at the time) modern synthesizers. Programmed Sonic Experiments in Popular Music — Robot Propulsion Laboratory Sequences Engineered for Aural Inspection whether it be in the Spacelab or Metropolis of your choice.

4 stars because Kraftwerk were so groundbreaking and influential, and it is a fun record, but I’d be lying if I said right now in 2023 I was blown away. The Robots is a fun intro, and the repetitive lyrics don’t bug me as much as they do on Spacelab. I think that one could use more of a switchup, which metropolis thankfully delivers. The Model is fun, but the vocals and lyrics don’t really do a ton for me. And I really like the last two songs, which add a bunch of different layers and variations,. Neon Lights is definitely my favorite track here. It’s the longest, but I think delivers the most over its runtime.

Hier alles gut

Fabulous. I really liked this. Not exactly listenable, but funny and weird and innovative.

Loved

listened to again truly revolutionary and while from the 70's somehow always sounds futuristic to me

This was another step forward for Kraftwerk

I was completely charmed by Autobahn when the album generator offered it to me last year. Loved it to bits. I find The Man Machine less delightful. Indeed my first listen I was disappointed. Feeling like they had earned another listen I did find quite a bit to like the second time through. The singing reminds me of that Icelandic group that should have won Eurovision the pandemic year. Goofy and also weirdly vulnerable. Anyway, not quite five stars this time but still a solid 4.

The layering of sound achieved here is still modern and fresh. Lots of artists still chasing and building on these ideas. I would LOVE to see this live; the light show/storyline would be insane. Super enjoyable, will listen many more times!

See I do enjoy Kraftwerk, but the repetition on this one is jarring to the point of irritation rarely heard before the invention of Cocomelon.

veryyyyyyy good

it's so much fun! and sounds like it came out yesterday. truly iconic