Tour de France Soundtracks

Performer: Kraftwerk
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: It is a testament to Kraftwerk's brilliance that some 30 years after pioneering the electronica revolution they were able to keep pace with the legions of acts they inspired. 2003's TOUR DE FRANCE SOUNDTRACK is as crisp, modern, and appealing as any minimal techno turned out in the 2000s, and is all the more impressive for its direct link to the band's legacy from the 1970s. Like the music on their landmark releases AUTOBAHN and TRANS-EUROPE EXPRESS, the meticulously calibrated synth-scapes of TOUR DE FRANCE SOUNDTRACKS conjure visions of machines churning in mechanized perfection and sensations of robotic ecstasy. The cerebral yet infectious beats that characterize the three versions of the single and tracks like "Chrono" and "Titanium" are ambitious and compelling, full of clicking polyrhythms and edgy, icy funk. As usual, these are layered with electronic micro-melodies and Vocoder-filtered vocals. The theme of France's famous bike race plays heavily in the album, from the song titles to the heatbeat and heavy breathing in "Electro Kardiogramm." Kraftwerk began this project in 1983, when they released the "Tour de France" single; though it took the band 20 years to complete the album, the results are fresh as anything Kraftwerk ever released.

Rolling Stone (9/4/03, p.136) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Masterminds Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider mapped out the continent of electronic pop, and even now they belong and thrive there as much as anyone..." Q (10/03, p.102) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...There are moments where the glory years are emulated: 'La Forme's' gorgeous instrumental section and the eerie 'Regeneration' both exult in Kraftwerk's extraordinary magic..." Uncut (01/04, pp.84-7) - Ranked #12 in Uncut's "Albums Of The Year 2003" The Wire (01/04, p.38) - Included in Wire's "50 Records Of The Year [2003]" Mojo (Publisher) (9/03, p.101) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...A work of near-genius..."

Kraftwerk was initially part of the hippie-era krautrock boom. However, this pioneering German electro-pop group soon set themselves apart from their long-haired contemporaries by forsaking acid-soaked jams for a clean, precise sound whose mechanical aspects were part of its charm. Their catchy, simple synthesizer melodies were a key influence on subsequent generations of electronic musicians. They can be seen as the fathers of both '80s synth-pop and '90s electronica.

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