krautrock
An experimental rock genre that emerged in West Germany in the late 1960s, blending psychedelia, electronic music, and avant-garde influences.
In Depth
Krautrock — a term originally used mockingly by the British music press but later embraced — encompasses the diverse experimental music that emerged from West Germany's post-war cultural ferment. Bands like Can, Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Faust, and Neu! rejected Anglo-American rock conventions in favor of hypnotic motorik rhythms, electronic experimentation, extended improvisation, and conceptual approaches influenced by Stockhausen and the avant-garde.
The genre's influence on subsequent music is incalculable. Kraftwerk's electronic minimalism directly spawned synth-pop, techno, and hip-hop. Can's rhythmic experiments anticipated post-punk and world music fusion. Neu!'s "motorik" beat — a steady, propulsive 4/4 pattern — became the rhythmic foundation for bands from David Bowie to Stereolab to Radiohead. What began as a marginal movement in a divided nation became one of the most influential musical movements of the 20th century.
The "motorik" beat — Neu!'s hypnotic, driving rhythm — was created by drummer Klaus Dinger, who said he was trying to capture the feeling of driving on the Autobahn.