Krautrock is an innovative direction of experimental rock music that arose in Germany in the late 1960s and the 1970s. Young German musicians deliberately refused to imitate British and American models and began to seek an entirely distinctive, futuristic sonic language.
Krautrock is characterised by hypnotic, extended compositions built on repetition; an even, “mechanical” beat that came to be called “motorik”; and the wide use of synthesizers and studio experiments. Key bands are Can, Neu!, Kraftwerk, and Tangerine Dream. The significance of krautrock is colossal: it effectively paved the way for all of contemporary electronic music, ambient, techno, and new wave, deeply influencing musicians around the world. It is one of the most important and progressive experiments in the history of 20th-century popular music.
