Kraftwerk
Minimum Maximum

They did it again! They're almost sixty, came back to release an official album in 2003 (Tour de France) after more than 15 years of silence, revitalized their act by putting on a new live show, essentially remixing all the old tracks, and they succeeded! Once again, Kraftwerk gives us a lesson. And we sit back and take notes. The live show uses visual aids that combined with the music create a powerful effect, leaving the audience with the impression of having attended a dissertation on modernity, the West, and its post-industrial, post-communist, ultimately post-human fate.

Conceptually, the live performance is divided into a hypnotic first half, dominated by atmospheres (all the stages of Tour de France, which are beautiful here) and a decidedly more dance-oriented, rhythmic second half (Numbers, Pocket Calculator, the up-tempo version of The Robots).
This CD is obviously a different type of experience compared to actually attending the live show as it lacks the visual side (a DVD should be released shortly). Nevertheless, the listening is always a fantastic experience that, without the presence of videos, allows greater focus on the meticulously crafted sounds.
Autobhan, Trans-Europe Express, Home Computer, Neon Lights, the sequence of tracks is impressive and the predominant feeling at the end of the listening is the confirmation of Kraftwerk's imaginative character, which has allowed their music, unlike that of many other electronic groups, to never age.
Their songs have always been soundtracks for films never made: there is an utopian aspect to their roboticism that detaches the songs from the cold mechanicity that guides them, elevating them to almost romantic hymns dedicated to the geographical, physical (Trans-Europe Express, Tour de France, Autobhan) and technological (The Robots, Home Computer, Radioactivity) topos of modern Europe.
Where Kraftwerk's cold technique pushes towards a metallic, hard, terrestrial sound, the romantic breath of their compositions counterbalances by offering an airy, light, dynamic opening (all Kraftwerk songs are basically journeys). One of the tracks that greatly benefits from the new treatment is Radioactivity, which enhances the menacing character, becoming a chilling exploration of the horror of the nuclear threat. Instead, the sped-up version of The Robots suffers a bit, it must be said. But it's a small minor blemish.

This is a titanic CD that confirms Kraftwerk as one of the greatest living musical treasures.