Electri_city: The Dusseldorf School Of Electronic Music
Electri_city: The Dusseldorf School Of Electronic Music is the definitive account of Düsseldorf's most influential electronic bands, including Kraftwerk, NEU!, La Düsseldorf, Rheingold, DAF, Propaganda and many others. Expertly written by Rudi Esch, bass player of industrial band Die Krupps, this is a fascinating insight into a secretive scene, woven from more than 50 exclusive interviews. Esch has followed the trail of all those creative figureheads who shaped and lived through this era, as well as those who were genuinely influenced by it: bands like OMD, Heaven 17, Visage and Ultravox, all of whom became ambassadors of this revolutionary new form of music. Electri_city documents the history of electronic music from its early days in 1970 through to the end of the analogue phase in 1986. In this collection of revealing interviews, Rudi Esch firmly pins down the significance of The Düsseldorf School , uncovering the myths and reality of the bands, musicians, managers, engineers and producers, as well as experts from the fields of art, advertising and fashion, who described the unique zeitgeist of the era. Interviewees include Michael Rother, Klaus Dinger, Wolfgang Flür, Daniel Miller (Mute Records), Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey (OMD), Martyn Ware (Human League), Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17), Rusty Egan (Visage), Ryuichi Sakamoto and producer Giorgio Moroder. What results is a collection of sharply-observed insights from the pioneers themselves, as well as some of their acolytes. As the Frankfurter Rundschau observed, Electri_city is nothing less than "a contribution to pop history of fundamental status."