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

[Drella]

thanks alot for that translation!
Nice to read an interview were the journalist
understand the concept of Kraftwerk. This always seem
to make Ralf a little more talkative.
/andreas

 --- Jorge Figueiredo <jorgefig at esoterica.pt> skrev: >
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
> 
> 
> -----
> 
> 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?
> 
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