ELECTRIC CAFÉ [AKA: TECHNO POP]

I wasn't very interested in this album at the time. I had loved Mensch Maschine and Computerwelt; not only were these pioneer works, they were also full of fun and pleasant melodies. Electric Cafe was far more rhythm oriented and had much less on offer when it comes to the latter two qualities. It was at the time also criticised for coming too late in the sense that a new generation of Kraftwerk influenced bands had developed the approach and here it was rather Kraftwerk trying to sound like them than the other way round.

Relistening, I'd say that the last objection is to some extent not justified as Electric Cafe is pretty much its own thing. I mean, I don't know everyone who did Technopop in the eighties, and I do see the similarities to some material that had been recorded in the previous years, so it's not entirely unfounded, but I do believe that nothing else sounds quite like this. The album is more self-referential, it comments on the development of technopop as much as creating it, and the specific use of repetition, revisit, redevelopment and sometimes also the glaring lack of it is really very Kraftwerk. There is also some emptiness and reliance on rhythmic patterns only here that goes further, or rather let's say is based more obviously on leaving things out than other work of this kind. Needless to say that also in the Kraftwerk discograpy this is very unique as it extends their typical minimalism even further to melodic elements and refraining from "filling the space" (except Telephon Anruf and Sex Objekt, which really take a lot from New Order and others). Also I can now more appreciate the fun factor that is still there (Boing Boom Tschak and Telephon Anruf in particular).

At the end of the day you may enjoy Kraftwerk's 1986 version of techno or not, and I can well see why many prog listeners would not like it. Personally I'm not the biggest fan of it either, however I'd say it ultimately works for what it is, and I disagree with those who say it isn't original (it isn't groundbreaking by any means, but it has its uniqueness for sure). I don't disagree quite that much with those who say there aren't many ideas on this album. It's minimalist and to some extent that's the point, but I wouldn't have complained about some more substance. 3 stars.