Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk I

I consider Kraftwerk to be among the most mentally deranged geniuses in musical history... that’s why I like them.
Now, I don’t want to go on repeating how Kraftwerk were and still are, though less frequently, important and pioneers in the evolution of the global electronic scene, because it’s well-known (or at least it should be ;) ...
What perhaps not everyone knows, is the existence of three previous "albums" (if it’s even allowed to call them that) before the epic "Autobahn" (1974) — namely this "Kraftwerk I" and the even less known "Kraftwerk II" and "Ralf und Florian" respectively from '71 - '72 - '73, all created when the band members were only Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider.

Well, in this first CD, lasting 40 minutes, it’s not obvious to recognize the same hands that created "The Man Machine" and so on, and it will be a big surprise for everyone to clearly hear on a couple of tracks (then pushed to the extreme thanks to their masterful electronic) rhythmic drums, accompanying basses, melodic/grinning guitars, and transcendent flutes.

Everything opens with "Ruckzuck", a track where initially flutes blow from the synthesizers accompanied by drums, bass, and guitar with a captivating rhythm only to increase more and more in intensity and tempo (an evolution that always distinguishes their works) distorting through every possible time/brain space...
"Stratovarius" might first suggest that the name was given by the sound produced from the gutting of "stradivari" strings indeed, but all this leads to nothing but a handful of steps and mumbling that open a second part genuinely played, followed by their masterful electronic manipulation... and off they go with a new rush with ensuing mental ejaculations... peaks that immediately give way to a succession of hypnotic and slow reprises.
Halfway through the CD, you’ll realize you’re in the midst of an enchanted forest with elves, gnomes, and fairies until after further, longer or shorter progressions, you find yourself in the last part that can only be considered an orgy where everything comes back, oozing with tones and colors among the most disparate, skillfully blended by these two crazy geniuses of sound manipulation...

What can I say? In this album, there’s nothing obvious, and nothing is left to chance; few know how to change your mood from one moment to the next like Kraftwerk: turning you from calm and serene to jumpy and hysterical in the blink of an eye... it’s pure musical alchemy.

The rating is 4/5 anyway just because I wouldn’t want to scare some newbies upon listening and have them tell me "what is this stuff?!"... but if it were up to me, they’d get a solid 5 ;)
Pure cerebral sensations and bursts! Yattah!