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""Trans-Europe-Express" sees Kraftwerk forsaking the experimental side in favor of a sound sophistication of the highest order."
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5/5
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Two years have elapsed since the release of "Radioactivity", during which Kraftwerk has notably been travelling on the roads to perform live, these peregrinations being favourable to the birth of new melodies and a new concept for their future production. And after the road and the radio waves (active or phonic), it is around a concept once again with double meaning that the duo Hütter/Schneider will build "Trans-Europe Express", dealing of course with the journey of the mythical train, but also with Europe in the broad sense.
Published in two versions, a German one (with a track sung in French!) and an international one in English, "Trans-Europe Express" opens with a classy pop track, 'Europe Endless', which spreads its repetitive synthesizer loops over almost 10 minutes, all orchestrated by one of the band's first sequencers. The arpeggio motif that supports the melody becomes very quickly heady and the charm operates immediately, with in the background the inspiration that OMD was able to find there some time later.
If the two other tracks of this first versus are a little bit darker, they are still as exciting, a real compendium of electronic pop music for the future generations. A special mention for 'Les Mannequins', a French version of 'Showroom Dummies' and present on the German version of the album, where the French lyrics and the particular accent of the Germans bring an additional charm to a repetitive music.
The second versus side of the original vinyl is dedicated to the suite 'Trans-Europe Express', whose titles are linked to the rhythm of the journey of the fantastic train. And it is on a rhythmic that one can easily identify and that is so reminiscent of the rolling of the train that Kraftwerk is carrying us, if not towards the East, at least in a long journey, endlessly repeating his original theme, declined beyond the eponymous title in an industrial version keeping only its rhythmic part ('Metal on Metal') before resuming and finishing his race with a softness ('Abzug') Franz Schubert' then 'Europe Endless' come to finalize the concept, referring both to the inaugural title of the album.
- Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Europe Endless
02. The Hall Of Miracles
03. Showroom Dummies
04. Trans-europe Express
05. Metal On Metal
06. Abzug
07. Franz Schuvert
08. Endless Endless
LINEUP:
Florian Schneider: Chant / Claviers
Karl Bartos: Batterie
Ralf Hütter: Chant / Claviers
Wolfgang Flür: Batterie
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STAFF:
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