1.
Album
–
Album, is a collection of audio recordings issued as a single item on CD, record, audio tape, or another medium. Albums of recorded music were developed in the early 20th century, first as books of individual 78rpm records, vinyl LPs are still issued, though in the 21st century album sales have mostly focused on compact disc and MP3 formats. The audio cassette was a format used from the late 1970s through to the 1990s alongside vinyl, an album may be recorded in a recording studio, in a concert venue, at home, in the field, or a mix of places. Recording may take a few hours to years to complete, usually in several takes with different parts recorded separately. Recordings that are done in one take without overdubbing are termed live, the majority of studio recordings contain an abundance of editing, sound effects, voice adjustments, etc. With modern recording technology, musicians can be recorded in separate rooms or at times while listening to the other parts using headphones. Album covers and liner notes are used, and sometimes additional information is provided, such as analysis of the recording, historically, the term album was applied to a collection of various items housed in a book format. In musical usage the word was used for collections of pieces of printed music from the early nineteenth century. Later, collections of related 78rpm records were bundled in book-like albums, the LP record, or 33 1⁄3 rpm microgroove vinyl record, is a gramophone record format introduced by Columbia Records in 1948. It was adopted by the industry as a standard format for the album. Apart from relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of stereophonic sound capability, the term album had been carried forward from the early nineteenth century when it had been used for collections of short pieces of music. Later, collections of related 78rpm records were bundled in book-like albums, as part of a trend of shifting sales in the music industry, some commenters have declared that the early 21st century experienced the death of the album. Sometimes shorter albums are referred to as mini-albums or EPs, Albums such as Tubular Bells, Amarok, Hergest Ridge by Mike Oldfield, and Yess Close to the Edge, include fewer than four tracks. There are no rules against artists such as Pinhead Gunpowder referring to their own releases under thirty minutes as albums. These are known as box sets, material is stored on an album in sections termed tracks, normally 11 or 12 tracks. A music track is a song or instrumental recording. The term is associated with popular music where separate tracks are known as album tracks. When vinyl records were the medium for audio recordings a track could be identified visually from the grooves
2.
Psychedelic music
–
Psychedelic music may also aim to enhance the experience of using these drugs. Numerous spiritual successors followed in the decades, including progressive rock, krautrock. Since the 1970s, revivals have included psychedelic funk, neo-psychedelia, psychedelic as an adjective is often misused, with many so-called acts playing in a variety of styles. Dechronicization permits the user to move outside of conventional perceptions of time. Depersonalization allows the user to lose the self and gain an awareness of undifferentiated unity, dynamization, as Leary wrote, makes everything from floors to lamps seem to bends, as familiar forms dissolve into moving, dancing structures. Music that is truly psychedelic mimics these three effects, a number of features are quintessential to psychedelic music. Exotic instrumentation, with a fondness for the sitar and tabla are common. Songs often have disjunctive song structures, key and time signature changes, surreal, whimsical, esoterically or literary-inspired, lyrics are often used. There is often an emphasis on extended instrumental segments or jams. There is a strong presence, in the 1960s this especially using electronic organs, harpsichords, or the Mellotron. In the 1960s there was a use of electronic instruments such as early synthesizers. Later forms of electronic psychedelia also employed repetitive computer-generated beats, R. Veysey, they profoundly influenced the thinking of the new generation of youth. The psychedelic lifestyle had already developed in California, particularly in San Francisco, by the mid-1960s, with the first major underground LSD factory established by Owsley Stanley. There was already a culture of use among jazz and blues musicians. One of the first musical uses of the term psychedelic in the scene was by the New York-based folk group The Holy Modal Rounders on their version of Lead Bellys Hesitation Blues in 1964. His nineteen-minute The Great San Bernardino Birthday Party anticipated elements of psychedelia with its nervy improvisations, similarly, folk guitarist Sandy Bulls early work incorporated elements of folk, jazz, and Indian and Arabic-influenced dronish modes. His 1963 album Fantasias for Guitar and Banjo explores various styles, soon musicians began to refer to the drug and attempted to recreate or reflect the experience of taking LSD in their music, just as it was reflected in psychedelic art, literature and film. This trend ran in parallel in both America and Britain and as part of the folk, folk rock and rock scenes
3.
Electronic music
–
In general, a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound producing devices include the telharmonium, Hammond organ, purely electronic sound production can be achieved using devices such as the theremin, sound synthesizer, and computer. During the 1920s and 1930s, electronic instruments were introduced and the first compositions for instruments were composed. Musique concrète, created in Paris in 1948, was based on editing together recorded fragments of natural and industrial sounds, Music produced solely from electronic generators was first produced in Germany in 1953. Electronic music was created in Japan and the United States beginning in the 1950s. An important new development was the advent of computers for the purpose of composing music, algorithmic composition was first demonstrated in Australia in 1951. In America and Europe, live electronics were pioneered in the early 1960s, during the 1970s to early 1980s, the monophonic Minimoog became once the most widely used synthesizer at that time in both popular and electronic art music. In the 1980s, electronic music became dominant in popular music, with a greater reliance on synthesizers, and the adoption of programmable drum machines. Electronically produced music became prevalent in the domain by the 1990s. Contemporary electronic music includes many varieties and ranges from art music to popular forms such as electronic dance music. Today, pop music is most recognizable in its 4/4 form. At the turn of the 20th century, experimentation with emerging electronics led to the first electronic musical instruments and these initial inventions were not sold, but were instead used in demonstrations and public performances. The audiences were presented with reproductions of existing music instead of new compositions for the instruments, while some were considered novelties and produced simple tones, the Telharmonium accurately synthesized the sound of orchestral instruments. It achieved viable public interest and made progress into streaming music through telephone networks. Critics of musical conventions at the time saw promise in these developments, ferruccio Busoni encouraged the composition of microtonal music allowed for by electronic instruments. He predicted the use of machines in future music, writing the influential Sketch of a New Esthetic of Music, futurists such as Francesco Balilla Pratella and Luigi Russolo began composing music with acoustic noise to evoke the sound of machinery. They predicted expansions in timbre allowed for by electronics in the influential manifesto The Art of Noises, developments of the vacuum tube led to electronic instruments that were smaller, amplified, and more practical for performance. In particular, the theremin, ondes Martenot and trautonium were commercially produced by the early 1930s, from the late 1920s, the increased practicality of electronic instruments influenced composers such as Joseph Schillinger to adopt them
4.
Hitachi
–
Hitachi, Ltd. is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group and forms part of the DKB Group of companies, Hitachi is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indices. It is ranked 38th in the 2012 Fortune Global 500 and 129th in the 2012 Forbes Global 2000, Hitachi was founded in 1910 by electrical engineer Namihei Odaira in Ibaraki Prefecture. The companys first product was Japans first 5-horsepower induction motor, initially developed for use in copper mining, odairas company soon became the domestic leader in electric motors and electric power industry infrastructure. The company began as a venture of Fusanosuke Kuharas mining company in Hitachi. Odaira moved headquarters to Tokyo in 1918, long before that, he coined the company’s toponymic name by superimposing two kanji characters, hi meaning “sun” and tachi meaning “rise”. The young companys national aspirations were conveyed by its original brand mark, world War II and its aftermath devastated the company. Many of its factories were destroyed by Allied bombing raids, and after the war, founder Odaira was removed from the company. Nevertheless, as a result of three years of negotiations, Hitachi was permitted to all but 19 of its manufacturing plants. The cost of such a production shutdown, though, compounded by a labor strike in 1950. Only the Korean War saved the company from complete collapse, Hitachi and many other struggling Japanese industrial firms benefited from defense contracts offered by the American military. Meanwhile, Hitachi went public in 1949, Hitachi America, Ltd. was established in 1959. Hitachi Europe, Ltd. was established in 1982, in March 2011, Hitachi agreed to sell its hard disk drive subsidiary, HGST, to Western Digital for a combination of cash and shares worth US$4.3 billion. Due to concerns of a duopoly of WD and Seagate Technology by the EU Commission, the transaction was completed in March 2012. The talks subsequently broke down and were suspended, the joint venture began operations in February 2014. It is a high density information storage medium utilizing laser etched/readable Fused quartz, Hitachi is taking for 2016 an estimated ¥65 billion write-off in value of a SILEX technology laser uranium enrichment joint venture with General Electric. Hitachi Consulting is a management and technology consulting firm with headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Hitachi Data Systems is an owned subsidiary of Hitachi which provides hardware, software
5.
Primal Scream
–
Primal Scream are a British rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes, Martin Duffy, Simone Butler, Barrie Cadogan has toured and recorded with the band since 2006 as a replacement after the departure of guitarist Robert Throb Young. The band performed throughout 1982–1984, but their career did not take off until Gillespie left his position as drummer of The Jesus and their 1991 album Screamadelica broke the band into the mainstream. Their latest album Chaosmosis was released on 18 March 2016, Bobby Gillespie moved to Mount Florida, in southeastern Glasgow. There he attended Kings Park Secondary School, where he first met Robert Young, another schoolfriend was Alan McGee, who took Gillespie to his first gig, a Thin Lizzy concert. McGee and Gillespie were heavily influenced by rock, and they joined a local punk band, The Drains. The Drains guitarist was a 15-year-old Andrew Innes, the band was short-lived, and Innes and McGee moved to London while Gillespie chose to remain in Glasgow. After the punk movement ended, Gillespie became disenchanted with mainstream new wave music and he met up with another schoolfriend who shared his outlook, Jim Beattie, and recorded elemental noise tapes, in which Gillespie would bang two dustbin lids together and Beattie played fuzz-guitar. They soon moved on to Velvet Underground and Byrds cover songs before starting to write their own songs, based on Jah Wobble, Gillespie later said that the band didnt really exist, but we did it every night for something to do. They named themselves Primal Scream, a term for a type of cry heard in primal therapy, still essentially a partnership, Primal Scream first played live in 1982. Their first recording session, for McGees independent label Essential Records, was a track entitled The Orchard. Beattie later claimed that they burned the master tape, after the aborted recording, Gillespie joined The Jesus and Mary Chain as their drummer, and alternated between both bands. This lineup was signed to Creation Records, an independent record label founded by Alan McGee, and recorded the debut single, All Fall Down. After the release of the single, Gillespie was told by Mary Chain leaders William, Gillespie chose to remain with Primal Scream. Stuart May was replaced by Paul Harte, and the then released a new single. The b-side, Velocity Girl, was released on the C86 compilation, the band strongly disliked this, with Gillespie saying that they cant play their instruments and they cant write songs. The band toured throughout 1986, and Gillespie became disenchanted with the quality of their performances and he said that there was always something missing, musically or in attitude. The band switched to McGees newly set-up Warner Bros. subsidiary Elevation Records, before the band entered Rockfield Studios in Wales to record their debut album, McGurk was asked to leave the band
6.
The Prodigy
–
The Prodigy are an English electronic music group from Braintree, formed by Liam Howlett in 1990. The members were originally Liam Howlett, Keith Flint, Maxim, Leeroy Thornhill, along with The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, and others, The Prodigy are credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s. They have sold over 30 million records worldwide, and won music awards during their career. Awards, five MTV Europe Music Awards, and two Grammy Awards nominations, the groups genre of music uses various styles ranging from rave, hardcore techno, electro-industrial, jungle and breakbeat and big beat, adding punk vocal elements in later times. The Prodigy first emerged in the rave scene in the early 1990s and have since achieved popularity. They earned titles like the dance act for the alternative masses and the Godfathers of Rave. Liam Howlett created an initial 10-track demo, put together on a Roland W-30 music workstation in Essex, England. XL Recordings picked up the demo after Howlett played several tracks to XL boss Nick Halkes in a meeting, the Prodigys name was chosen by Liam as a tribute to his first analogue synthesiser, the Moog Prodigy. The Prodigys first public performance, with Howlett augmented by dancers Keith Flint and Leeroy Thornhill, was at the Four Aces in Dalston, London, Charly, released six months later, became a huge hit in the rave scene at the time. The release reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart, catapulting the band into the public attention. The Kaos Theory compilation series featured G Force, from their third single, critical reception to the single was generally mixed. The bands first full-length album, the critically acclaimed Experience, followed Charly as a release in the history of British rave music. The album closes with a version of Death of the Prodigy Dancers. There were five singles spawned from the album, Charly, Everybody in the Place, Fire/Jericho, Out of Space, and Wind It Up, the album was a commercial success in the UK, but failed to chart in other countries. Peaking at number 12, it was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry, after Experience and the run of singles that accompanied it, the Prodigy moved to distance themselves from the kiddie rave reputation that now dogged them. The rave scene was beginning to move on from its phase, with the Criminal Justice Acts anti-rave legislation on the horizon. The Prodigy responded to the bill by writing Their Law, in 1993, Howlett released an anonymous white label, bearing only the title Earthbound I. Its hypnotic, hard-edged sound won wide underground approval and it was officially released as One Love later that year, and went on to chart at number 8 in the UK
7.
NME
–
New Musical Express is a British music journalism magazine published since 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, in the 1970s it became the best-selling British music newspaper. It started as a newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s and 1990s. An online version of NME, NME. com, was launched in 1996 and it became the worlds biggest standalone music site, with over seven million users per month. With newsstand sales falling across the UK magazine sector, the paid circulation in the first half of 2014 was 15,830. In 2013, the list of NMEs The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, NME magazine was relaunched in September 2015 as a nationally distributed free publication. NMEs headquarters are in Southwark, London, England, the brands editor-in-chief is Mike Williams, who replaced Krissi Murison in 2012. The paper was established in 1952, the Accordion Times and Musical Express was bought by London music promoter Maurice Kinn, for the sum of £1,000, just 15 minutes before it was due to be officially closed. It was relaunched as the New Musical Express, and was published in a non-glossy tabloid format on standard newsprint. On 14 November 1952, taking its cue from the US magazine Billboard, it created the first UK Singles Chart, the first of these was, in contrast to more recent charts, a top twelve sourced by the magazine itself from sales in regional stores around the UK. The first number one was Here in My Heart by Al Martino, during the 1960s the paper championed the new British groups emerging at the time. The NME circulation peaked under Andy Gray, Editor 1957–1972, with a figure of 306,881 for the period from January to June 1964, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were frequently featured on the front cover. These and other artists appeared at the NME Poll Winners Concert. The concert also featured a ceremony where the winners would collect their awards. The NME Poll Winners Concerts took place between 1959 and 1972, from 1964 onwards they were filmed, edited and transmitted on British television a few weeks after they had taken place. The latter part of the 1960s saw the chart the rise of psychedelia. During this period some sections of pop music began to be designated as rock, in early 1972 the paper found itself on the verge of closure by its owner IPC. Alan Smith was made editor and in 1972 was told by IPC to turn things around quickly or face closure, according to The Economist, the New Musical Express started to champion underground, up-and-coming music. NME became the gateway to a more rebellious world
8.
Great Portland Street
–
Great Portland Street in the West End of London links Oxford Street with Albany Street and the A501 Marylebone Road and Euston Road. The road forms the boundary between Fitzrovia to the east and Marylebone to the west, parts of it are in the City of Westminsters Marylebone High Street and West End wards. Long sections of Great Portland Street are in two Westminster City Council conservation areas, Great Portland Street was developed by the Dukes of Portland, who owned most of the eastern half of Marylebone in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was first rated as John Street in 1726, Great Portland Street separates different areas with distinct identities, such as the grandeur of Portland Place and Harley Street, and the artistic and independent areas of Fitzrovia. Different owners and interests influenced the development of the area and affected the street layout. Great Portland Streets name is derived from the estate and several street names in the area are related to the areas ownership. Although the land up to Great Titchfield Street was controlled by the Portland Estate, the Berners family who owned land just to the east of Great Portland Street, developed from Wells Street and Rathbone Place in the mid-18th century. At the same time the Middlesex Hospital expanded on land on a 99-year lease around Mortimer Street, encroaching on Riding House, the proximity of unrelated developers with different agendas explains the unusual pattern of street grids centred on Great Portland Street, where several east-west streets terminate or originate. Great Portland Street runs straight north to south through the grid of streets. It has also resulted in it becoming a divider, emphasising the areas to either side. Development of the estate was gradual but particularly so on Great Portland Street, the trend of period groupings is another result of the slowness of the first development. Various area maps from the 18th century onward provide detail to how Great Portland Street has changed over time, the southern end of Great Portland Street has been built as part of the development begun by Edward Harley and Lady Cavendish. With the exception of small villages at Mary Le Bone and Tottenham Court, to the south, the street patterns which were the inspiration for the new development of formal squares and streets can be seen in places such as Soho Square. The street pattern of the area has been laid out almost exactly as it is today. Notable differences are the presence of Foley House where Langham Place is today, and Portland Place shown in its original design as a close of grand houses. Also, the line of Great Portland Street has been established but the buildings at the end have not been built. One other curiosity in the planning of Great Portland Street, which remains today, is its abrupt widening just north of Clipstone Street. Great Portland Streets buildings are not complete at the northern end
9.
Noel Gallagher
–
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He served as the lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis, raised in Burnage, Manchester, Gallagher began learning guitar at the age of thirteen. After a series of odd jobs in construction, he worked for local Manchester band Inspiral Carpets as a roadie and technician in 1988. Whilst touring with them, he learned that his brother Liam Gallagher had formed a band of his own, known as The Rain, after Gallagher returned to England, he was invited by his brother to join Oasis as songwriter and guitarist. Oasis debut album, Definitely Maybe, marked the beginning of the rise to fame as part of the Britpop movement. Oasis second album, Morning Glory. reached the top of the charts in many countries and their third studio album, Be Here Now. Britpop eventually declined in popularity and Oasis next two failed to revive it. However, the final two albums, Dont Believe the Truth and Dig Out Your Soul, were hailed as its best efforts in over a decade. On 28 August 2009, following an altercation with Liam prior to a gig in Paris, Noel Gallagher announced his departure from Oasis and on 23 October 2009, Gallagher would go on to form Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds. Gallagher also shared a rivalry with fellow Britpop band Blur. However, he was regarded as the spear-head of the Britpop movement. Many have praised Gallaghers songwriting, with George Martin claiming him to be the finest songwriter of his generation, in 2012, he was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork – the Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover – to celebrate the British cultural figures of his life, Gallagher was born in Longsight, Manchester, the son of Irish Catholic parents Peggy and Thomas Gallagher. He was the second child, after the birth of Paul Anthony Gallagher. Soon after the birth of younger brother Liam in 1972, the Gallaghers moved to Ashburn Avenue in the Manchester suburb of Burnage and he and his brothers were often beaten by their father, who was an alcoholic, and he was often reclusive. Liam described him as the weirdo in the family, due to their unease around their father, he and Paul both developed stammers. As the oldest child, Paul was given a room to himself, Peggy Gallagher acquired a legal notice of separation from her husband in 1976. Six years later, she left him, taking the three boys with her
10.
Manic Street Preachers
–
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh rock band formed in 1986 in Blackwood, Wales and consisting of James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore. They are often known as The Manics. After the release of their first single, Suicide Alley, Richey Edwards joined the band as co-lyricist, despite the albums failure to meet this level of success, the band carried on with their career. The group later became a trio when Edwards disappeared on 1 February 1995, Bradfield, Moore and Wire went on to gain critical and commercial success. The band have released albums and three compilations, Forever Delayed, Lipstick Traces and National Treasures – The Complete Singles. The bands later albums retained a leftist politicisation and intellectual lyrical style while adopting a broader alternative rock sound, to date, they have sold more than 10 million albums worldwide. Over their career the Manics have headlined several festivals including Glastonbury, T in the Park, V Festival and they have won eleven NME Awards, eight Q Awards and four BRIT Awards. The Manics were also nominated for the Mercury Prize in 1996 and 1999, Manic Street Preachers formed in 1986 at Oakdale Comprehensive School, Blackwood, South Wales. During this time, Bradfield, alongside the classically trained Sean Moore, Original bassist Flicker left the band in early 1988, reportedly because he believed that the band were moving away from their punk roots. The band continued as a three-piece, with Wire switching from guitar to bass, the Manics intended to restore revolution to rock and roll at a time when Britain was dominated by shoegaze and acid house. The NME magazine gave Suicide Alley an enthusiastic review, citing a press release by Richey Edwards, in 1990 the Manic Street Preachers signed a deal with label Damaged Goods Records for one EP. The four-track New Art Riot E. P. attracted as much media interest for its attacks on fellow musicians as for the actual music, with the help of Hall or Nothing management, the Manics signed to indie label Heavenly Records. The band recorded their first single for the label, entitled Motown Junk and their next single, You Love Us, sampled Krzysztof Pendereckis Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima as well as Iggy Pop. The video featured Nicky Wire in drag as Marilyn Monroe and contained references to the film Betty Blue. In a now legendary interview with then-NME journalist Steve Lamacq, Edwards carved the phrase 4REAL into his arm with a blade to prove their sincerity. He was taken to hospital and received seventeen stitches, as a result of their controversial behaviour, the Manics quickly became favourites of the British music press, which helped them build a rabidly dedicated following. Columbia Records of Sony Music UK signed the band shortly afterwards, the bands debut album, Generation Terrorists, was released in 1992 on the Columbia Records imprint. The liner notes contained a quote for each of the albums eighteen songs
11.
MTV
–
MTV is an American cable and satellite television channel owned by Viacom Media Networks and headquartered in New York City. Launched on August 1,1981, the originally aired music videos as guided by television personalities known as video jockeys. In its early years, MTVs main target demographic was young adults and it has received criticism towards this change of focus, both by certain segments of its audience and musicians. MTVs influence on its audience, including issues involving censorship and social activism, has also been a subject of debate for several years, in recent years, MTV had struggled with the secular decline of music-related cable media. In April 2016, MTV announced it would start to return to its original music roots with the reintroduction of the classic MTV series MTV Unplugged. It was also reported that the series MTV Cribs would be making a return on Snapchat, MTV has spawned numerous sister channels in the US and affiliated channels internationally, some of which have gone independent. As of July 2015, approximately 92,188,000 US households have received MTV, several earlier concepts for music video-based television programming had been around since the early 1960s. The Beatles had used music videos to promote their records starting in the mid-1960s, CBS rejected the idea, but Williams premiered his own musical composition Classical Gas on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, where he was head writer. The series featured clips from various popular artists, but was canceled by its distributor in 1971. The channel, which featured video disc jockeys, signed a deal with US Cable in 1978 to expand its audience from retail to cable television, the service was no longer active by the time MTV launched in 1981. The QUBE system offered many specialized channels, One of these specialized channels was Sight on Sound, a music channel that featured concert footage and music-oriented television programs. With the interactive QUBE service, viewers could vote for their favorite songs, the original programming format of MTV was created by media executive Robert W. Pittman, who later became president and chief executive officer of MTV Networks. Pittman had test-driven the music format by producing and hosting a 15-minute show, Album Tracks, the inspiration for PopClips came from a similar program on New Zealands TVNZ network named Radio with Pictures, which premiered in 1976. The concept itself had been in the works since 1966, when record companies began supplying the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation with promotional music clips to play on the air at no charge. Few artists made the trip to New Zealand to appear live. A shortened version of the shuttle launch ID ran at the top of hour in various forms. The first music video shown on MTV was The Buggles Video Killed the Radio Star and this was followed by the video for Pat Benatars You Better Run. Sporadically, the screen would go black when an employee at MTV inserted a tape into a VCR, MTVs lower third graphics that appeared near the beginning and end of music videos would eventually use the recognizable Kabel typeface for about 25 years
12.
Kraftwerk
–
Kraftwerk is a German electronic music band formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1969 in Düsseldorf. In the 1970s, they were among the first successful pop acts to popularize electronic music and are considered to be innovators and pioneers of the genre. The band was fronted by both Hütter and Schneider until Schneiders departure in 2008, following the releases of Computer World and Electric Café, member Wolfgang Flür left the group in 1987. They released their final album Tour de France Soundtracks in 2003, founding member Schneider departed in 2008. According to The Observer, no other band since the Beatles has given so much to pop culture, in January 2014, the Recording Academy honored Kraftwerk with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. As of 2016, the members of Kraftwerk continue to tour. The duo had performed together as part of a quintet known as Organisation. This ensemble released one album, Tone Float in 1969, issued on RCA Records in the UK, Schneider was more and more synthesizers by keyboards, a new electronic intrument that had recently arrived on the market, and decided to acquire one in 1970. While visiting an exhibition in their hometown about visual artists Gilbert and George, the same year, Hütter and Schneider start bringing everyday life into art and form Kraftwerk as critic Jude Rogers remarked it. Hütter, who left the band for eight months, played synthesizer and their first three albums were free-form experimental rock without the pop hooks or the more disciplined song structure of later work. Post-production modifications to these recordings were used to distort the sound of the instruments, particularly audio-tape manipulation, live performances from 1972 to 1973 were made as a duo, using a simple beat-box-type electronic drum machine, with preset rhythms taken from an electric organ. These shows were mainly in Germany, with shows in France. Later in 1973, Wolfgang Flür joined the group for rehearsals, with Ralf und Florian, released in 1973, Kraftwerk began to move closer to its now classic sound, relying more heavily on synthesizers and drum machines. Although almost entirely instrumental, the album marks Kraftwerks first use of the vocoder, Kraftwerks futuristic and robotic sound was influenced by the adrenalized insurgency of Detroit artists of the late 60s such as MC5 and the Stooges. The input, expertise, and influence of producer and engineer Konrad Conny Plank was highly significant in the years of Kraftwerk. Plank also worked many of the other leading German electronic acts of that time, including members of Can. As a result of his work with Kraftwerk, Planks studio near Cologne became one of the most sought-after studios in the late 1970s, Plank coproduced the first four Kraftwerk albums. The release of Autobahn in 1974 saw Kraftwerk moving away from the sound of its first three albums, Hütter and Schneider had invested in newer technology such as the Minimoog and the EMS Synthi AKS, helping give Kraftwerk a newer, disciplined sound
[12]