[KRAFTWERK] Portuguese newspaper interview with Ralf Hutter (in english)

[Jorge Figueiredo]

Hello,

Just finished the translation. Remember it was an interview probably 
conducted in english, written in portuguese, and now translated back to 
english. Hope it's OK!
It was published in the big-selling portuguese daily newspaper "Público" 
on the day of the concert. The original (in portuguese only) is 
available at:
http://ultimahora.publico.pt/shownews.asp?id=1190092&idCanal=51

Regards,

Jorge Figueiredo
Coimbra, Portugal


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Interview with Ralf Hutter, founding member of the group
KRAFTWERK: THE ROBOTS PEDAL TO LISBON

For the rock prone, Rolling Stones rules. For the pop oriented, no one 
beats the Beatles. For the electronic generations, the founding myth 
goes by the name Kraftwerk. But they're not alone. Bono, from U2, says 
that "they had a decisive influence on me", David Bowie refers to them 
as "unique", Karl Hyde, from Underworld, remembers having thought, when 
he heard them for the first time, "there's nothing like this in the 
planet where I live". Plastic artists Gilbert & George are fans.

In October last year they came back with the album "Tour de France 
Soundtracks" - their first record of originals for over a decade - but 
in their first concert in Portugal they're going to play some of their 
most iconic themes.

Through the years they have changed their line-up several times - 
Portuguese producer Fernando Abrantes joined the group in 1991 - but 
Florian Schneider and Ralf Hutter have been the leaders. The latter, 
leader and spokesman, rarely gives interviews and when he does he 
reveals the least possible, as PUBLICO confirmed. After all, the myth 
must go on.

PUBLICO - In one of your last shows, in 1998 at the Sonar Festival in 
Barcelona, you used video projections, infography animations and robots 
mingled with musicians. What has changed since then?

RALF HUTTER - In 2004, we have Kraftwerk in laptop version. All our 
analogical material was converted to digital format and that's the big 
difference. Until recently it was almost impossible to carry all our 
material from the Kling Klang studios. It was difficult to travel with 
such heavy technology. Today with laptops and the digital era, its 
easier to do a world tour like the one we are doing now.

P - In this tour shows you have played the most known tracks. Is that 
what will happen in Portugal?

RH - It will be a mixture of those tracks with the new ones from "Tour 
de France Soundtracks". It's going to have a very audio-visual 
atmosphere, with synchronized projections with the music. We were 
recently in Scandinavia and it was wonderful! People understand 
electronic music, but it was great to break the ice a little 
bit...[laughter]. We've been to Japan, returned to Europe and Portugal is 
next. In the digital era we can travel and everything works perfectly.

P - You have changed to digital, but the soundscape of the last record, 
"Tour de France Soundtracks", is the same. More than a group, you are a 
perfectly defined image-sound concept, which can create resistance to 
the ones expecting you to change.

RH - The Kraftwerk concept, such as it was defined by me and Florian 
[Schneider] in the 70s, hasn't been through much change. This is our 
identity and we don't want to lose it, but this doesn't mean we're not 
paying attention to what's around us, and that we are not trying to 
evolve in our particular way. Our electronic music has been gradually 
changing. It's more energetic and "Tour de France Soundtracks" reflects 
that.

P - Through the years, in spite of the changing line-up, you and Florian 
Schneider kept leading the group since 1968. What's the secret for the 
longevity of the relation?

RH - It has been 40 years. We are like Kling and Klang...[laughter]. 
It's a perfect electronic marriage.

P - In the last record you've come back to the concept of cycling. It's 
not exactly the first image that comes to our mind when picturing the 
future. Where does this fascination come from?

RH - I love cycling. Bikes represent energy, human values attentive and 
sustainable progress, moving forward, the perfect understanding between 
man and machine. We can't reverse with a bike. With music the same 
happens - what matters is
moving forward, pay attention to time and space, keeping the right 
balance and finding our rhythm. Last year when we were finishing the 
record we were invited by the Tour de France director to follow some 
stages in a helicopter and in the Director's Car. It was magnificent and 
allowed us to develop our latest ideas with total confidence in the 
concept we were creating. When the Tour ended in Paris we had our record 
ready.

P - You talk about rhythm and energy, but in your shows you are famous 
for the impassive faces and bare essential movements. Is it up to the 
music alone to be dynamic?

RH - Ah! But we are super active, emotionally and physically. We are 
totally aware, but the computers and keyboards handling is very 
sensitive and doesn't allow us enough ease for wide movements. We have 
to be focused not to make mistakes.

P - You are one of the big influences of pop music and one of the most 
quoted by the new generation. How do you deal with being labelled, for 
example, the "Electronic Beatles"?

RH - It's a very positive energy passed on by younger people. It's good 
to reach 50 and, wherever we go, be it Jamaica or Japan, we are 
welcomed, which proves electronic music, in spite of the different 
languages, goes beyond those cultural differences. It's a way of 
communication which has imposed itself, and that for us is a great 
compliment. When we started, in the late 60s, we were limited to art 
galleries or to universities and it's gratifying to see how things have 
changed.

P - Last year we interviewed Fernando Abrantes, who was part of 
Kraftwerk in 1991. He told us that, after the concerts, the group 
frequently went to dance-music clubs to get in contact with what was 
being played. Do you still do it?

RH - Yes, after the shows usually there's someone to take us to a music 
club. It's great to practice a bit of our robotic dance and listen to 
what's being done. We hope that in Portugal someone will invite us. I 
remember Fernando [Abrantes] well. He did a tour with us, he is an 
excellent musician and he is a good friend of one of our electronic 
engineers, Fritz Hilpert.

P - We are told that this will be the last chance to see Kraftwerk live, 
but there are those who say a live record will be released at the end of 
the tour. Is this true or are you going to be another 10 years without 
recording?

RH - The live record is a possibility, and we are going definitely to 
release more records. In June, after our last concert in this tour, in 
Moscow, we are stopping to decide what we're going to do. We have been 
so long without releasing any record due to the mastering and 
cataloguing of old material, that we are looking forward to going back 
to studio and creating new material.