Neu!
Neu! (pronounced "noy", meaning "new!") was a German band from the early 1970's, and one of the pioneering bands of the experimental movement now referred to as "Krautrock."
The Krautrock Sound
The band formed in Düsseldorf, Germany by Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger, both former members of Kraftwerk. Their sound was based around Dinger's repetitive, workmanlike drumming (which would be referred to as "motorik" --"motor skill"--style, for its similarity to the sound of pistons in an engine), and Rother's droning guitar soundscapes.
Legacy
Creative differences broke up the band in 1975, after only three albums, although a fourth album surfaced containing material recorded during an aborted comeback attempt in the mid-1980's. Although they didn't sell many records, like the Velvet Undergound before them, their sound would become extremely influential many years later. Klaus Dinger died of heart failure on March 21, 2008, while Michael Rother continues to make music.
Fast Facts
- Years active: 1971-1975
- Current record label: Astralwerks (U.S.) Grönland Records (Europe)
- Briefly reunited in the mid-1980's
- Sold few records, yet were highly influential
- Influenced by: The Velvet Underground
- Artists influenced: David Bowie, Joy Division, Stereolab, Radiohead, Tortoise
- Members went on to record as solo artists, and in the band La Düsseldorf
- Their music did not appear on CD in the U.S. until 2001
- Featured on the soundtrack for the 2003 Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill Volume 1
- The band Negativland is named after a Neu! track
Quotes
- "There were three great beats in the ’70s: Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat, James Brown’s funk and Klaus Dinger’s Neu! beat."— Brian Eno
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