Review: Kraftwerk legend Wolfgang Flür at the Lemon Tree, Aberdeen (original) (raw)

Kraftwerk legend Wolfgang Flur is 77-year-old but is still producing cutting edge, forward reaching electronic, techno music.

Kraftwerk legend Wolfgang Flur performs at the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen. Image: DCT Media

Kraftwerk legend Wolfgang Flür seamlessly embraced his influential past and explored the future at the Lemon Tree, Aberdeen.

Renowned as the former electro drummer of groundbreaking German band Kraftwerk from 1973 to 1986 Flür has since forged an impressive solo career.

During Flür’ Musik Soldat show he played tracks from solo albums Magazine 1 and Transhuman that were cutting edge and futuristic.

However there was also a nod to his past at times with rare footage of Kraftwerk from their beginning to eventual fame and world tours.

The footage was fascinating, particularly from Kraftwerk’s first tour of the United States in 1975.

There was also rare footage of Kraftwerk playing their early synths and drum machines, which were built from scratch by the band.

Kraftwerk emerged from the same German experimental music scene in the late sixties that delivered Can, Faust, Neu, Ash Ra Tempel, Amon Düül and Tangerine Dream.

Powerful, industrial techno tracks

Flür was a key component of Kraftwerk during their run of influential albums – Autobahn (1974), Radioactivity (1975), Trans-Europa Express (1977), The Man Machine (1978) and Computer World (1981).

Kraftwerk delivered an alien, futuristic world that sounded like nothing else yet still worked within the parameters of pop.

Flür, along with Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider and Karl Bartos paved the way for every electronic genre from techno to hip-hop to drill and beyond.

Without Kraftwerk pushing the envelope of electronic music there would be no Carl Craig, Kanye West, Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Afrika Bambaataa, Underground Resistance, Drexciya… the list goes on, and on, and on.

Flür performed at The Lemon Tree with two lap-tops from which he conjured up his futuristic techno.

On a screen behind him images and videos played constantly.

One video explored the evolution of robots from early origins to the present and footage of what the mechanoids can now do was terrifying.

It accompanied a powerful, industrial techno track that built and built before the drum and bass burst into an explosive crescendo.

The track and video explored the infinite possibilities opened up by embracing technology whilst also accepting the potential dangers.

. Former Kraftwerk musician Wolfgang Flur performed in Aberdeen. Image supplied by Aberdeen Performing Arts

At 77 age is no barrier to creativity

Flür’s continued influence was also underlined by footage of his shows from across the globe from Mexico City to New York… to Blackpool!

Amongst the highlights of the performance were Best Buy and Say No, tracks from his 2022 album Magazine 1.

There was also a driving performance of Cinema, the track Flür recorded with Fabrice Lig in 2021.

Flür turned 77 in July but age is no barrier to creativity as he is still pushing to find new, futuristic musical horizons.

For the Kraftwerk legend it is very much embrace the past, but look to the future.