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Though it might seem otherwise to the casual observer, the term krautrock is neither pejorative nor disparaging. In its classic sense, the label refers to improvisationally-based rock with spare musical foundation. As the word suggests (in an undeniably gauche manner), the form originated in Germany.<\/p>\n
When one thinks of krautrock, bands that often come to mind are Can<\/strong>, Tangerine Dream<\/strong><\/a>, and Kraftwerk<\/strong><\/a> (the latter’s hypnotic, epic-length \u201cAutobahn\u201d is an exemplar of the genre).<\/p>\n The style reached its apex in the 1970s; today when one sees or hears the term, it’s nearly always in the context of music from the past. But \u2013 depending on how the term is understood \u2013 the krautrock label can be applied to modern-day music. Especially if a strictly literal interpretation is used (in other words, German rock), all manner of musical artists fit under the umbrella.<\/p>\n Certainly garage\/psych revival bands like The Roaring 420s<\/strong><\/a> don’t fit into this discussion. Nor, of course, do some fantastic American expat artists who have made Berlin their base of operations (Anton Barbeau<\/strong><\/a>, The Fuzztones<\/strong><\/a>, and Brian Jonestown Massacre<\/strong>‘s Anton Newcombe<\/strong><\/a>, to name but three). But a number of interesting artists do fit the bill, and while they’re made barely a ripple on the musical consciousness of American listeners, collectively they’ve created a body of work that bears further investigation.<\/p>\n