Krautrock

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Krautrock is a British term for the experimental rock scene in West Germany existent between The Sixties and The Seventies.

Since it's a catch-all term, some of the bands lumped under the genre have nothing in common with each other, and the term could be used abusively to refer to all German rock music. The main distinguishing features of Krautrock are its experimentalism - musically speaking the bands of the genre drew from Psychedelic Rock, Progressive Rock, avant-garde rock bands (Frank Zappa, the Velvet Underground), Funk and Jazz - and its focus on repetition and minimalism. Krautrock bands were among the first to seriously adopt electronics and explore world music influences, and represented a significant influence on Alternative Rock (especially Post Punk and Post-Rock), Electronic Music, Ambient, and Progressive Rock.

Bands commonly cited as Krautrock:
  • Amon Düül II
  • Ash Ra Tempel
  • Can
  • Cluster
  • Faust
  • Kraftwerk
  • Popol Vuh
  • Neu!
  • Tangerine Dream