The Shock Of The NEU!

Formed in 1971 by two early members of Kraftwerk, Neu! became not only an important band in the emerging krautrock movement but also kosmische pioneers. With the expansive new box set, 50!, out now, Prog catches up with surviving member Michael Rother to revisit the band’s core albums and explore their influence on modern music.

Rob Hughes

“In 1972, Klaus and I weren’t thinking about the future beyond maybe a span of several months. I would never have thought we’d be talking about Neu! 50 years later.” It’s December 1974 and silence reigns inside Conny Plank’s studio in Cologne. Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger – the duo who comprise Neu! – are locked in a battle of wills. They’ve been sitting here for five or six hours now, with neither prepared to give in. They’re midway through sessions for their third album, Neu! 75, and Rother is aggrieved that Dinger has reneged on a deal they’d struck beforehand. “Klaus had suggested we record the album with two drummers: Thomas Dinger and Hans Lampe,” explains guitarist Rother. “But I only wanted to record with just him and me.…

You're reading a preview of

Prog (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 137

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.