The Cambridge Companion to Krautrock

The first academic introduction to Krautrock, exploring both context and legacy in addition to expert discussions of the major bands.

This first academic introduction to the 1960s/70s 'Krautrock' movement of German experimental music discusses key bands of the era including Can, Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Neu!, and Faust. It also explores the contexts of Krautrock's emergence and its wide-ranging influence on music including punk, German Free Jazz, and Detroit Techno.This Companion is the first academic introduction to the 1960s/70s 'Krautrock' movement of German experimental music that has long attracted the attention of the music press and fans in Britain and abroad. It offers a structured approach to this exceptionally heterogeneous and decentralized movement, combining overviews with detailed analysis and close readings. The volume first analyzes the cultural, historical and economic contexts of Krautrock's emergence. It then features expert chapters discussing all the key bands of the era including Can, Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Neu!, Faust, Ash Ra Tempel, Cluster and Amon Düül II. The volume concludes with essays that trace the varied, wide-ranging legacy of Krautrock from a variety of perspectives, exploring in particular the impact of German experimental music in the Anglosphere, including British post-punk and Detroit Techno. A final chapter examining the current bands that continue the Krautrock sound closes this comprehensive overview of the Krautrock phenomenon.