Album 1: Kraftwerk - (Trans-Europe Express)

I will admit that I have a few personal favourites out of the list of albums in the brief, that I can apply to my module.

I have picked a handful of albums that have struck an interest in me, after listening to the choices available to me via the brief. I have come up with a shortlist of three.
An album by the electronic band 'Kraftwerk', will be featured in my first album research blog.

The band Kraftwerk is an interest of mine, they are one of the bands that I have listened to before, and I find the ethos of the band very interesting, due to their very unique place in the music industry. They are a very experimental band, and are labelled as pioneers in the field of electronic music. The band have a very technical theme, quite a number of their songs are based heavily around such things as transportation, technology, futurism, and culture.

http://www.eleventhvolume.com/miscellany/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/picture-11.jpg < image reference at this link.

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/1/25/1359130888562/Kraftwerk-albums-001.jpg < image reference at this link.

http://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/1589/cover_15166672009.jpg < image reference at this link.

http://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/1589/cover_1742103092009.jpg < image reference at this link.

The album cover below, (which is on the brief), highlights their exploration into the theme of transportation, hence the imagery of the train, as well as the title of the album, 'Trans Europe Express'.

The album was first released in 1977, in Germany, and under a record label called 'Kling Klang'.
Its genre is electric.

http://mute.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/kraftwerk-trans-europe-express-stumm305-560x560.jpg < image reference at this link.

http://www.bahnbilder.de/1024/der-trans-europ-express-tee-500816.jpg < image reference at this link.

There is a clear link between the album artwork, and this photo of the real Trans-European Express, (TEE), train service which is no longer in operation.
The service emerged in 1957, and was developed by the UIC, (International Union of Railways).

To me, when I look at the existing album artwork for 'Trans-Europe Express', I see a very minimalist theme. The simple white on black look allows for a really effective contrast, and makes the artwork stand out. The simple individual white shapes that are placed tightly together, make up a train, and spelt out on the front are the letters T, E, E, which clearly refers to the 'Trans-Europe Express'.
The photo above is a real train that was once part of the 'Trans-Europe Express for comparison.

The TEE allowed for international travel between a large amount of nations, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and West Germany.
At the height of its service, the network comprised of 45 trains, but ceased operation in 1996.

Screenshot taken from Spotify.

I have been listening to the album on Spotify.

Below are some examples of the music that Kraftwerk produces, these are shown via a few selected videos. The latter one shows a live performance, which highlights their robotic, and mechanical themes, as well as their style on stage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcK_xHGbp74 < video reference at this link. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-G28iyPtz0 < video reference at this link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68C-r9kSLNE < video reference at this link.

http://www.inventingeurope.eu/story/trans-europe-express http://www.discogs.com/Kraftwerk-Trans-Europa-Express/release/75547 < blog references at these links.







Thomas.