Kraftwerk "EXPO2000" EMI 7243 8 87984 2 6 1999 (22:56)
EXPO2000 Radio Mix (3:38)
EXPO2000 Kling Klang Mix 2000 (6:51)
EXPO2000 Kling Klang Mix 2002 (5:38)
EXPO2000 Kling Klang Mix 2001 (6:49)
Music Data - Huetter, Schneider, Hilpert.
Wow ... is this *really* something *new* from Kraftwerk I'm holding in my hands, looking at and listening to? I can hardly believe it. This is the first new release in nearly 15 years save for the 'update' of classic songs on 1991's "The Mix". Kraftwerk have played a handful of well received shows in the U.S. and Europe the past few years which has only helped increase the hype for the long awaited "new album". Their next scheduled live appearance is the EXPO2000 event in Hannover, Germany on June 9, 2000. Kraftwerk wrote an official jingle for the event, which was little more than bits of vocoded voices, for a reported 400,000DM(!) and have now extended it into the song found here in four different flavors. "EXPO2000" is pretty simple and certainly nothing surprising or innovative. This is Kraftwerk by numbers really, the boys just going through the motions with modern gear. All the usual Kraftwerk elements are here: spoken phrases (many vocoded) in English and German ("Expo ... 2000" and various things about the new century, man and technology), a catchy and somewhat ambient delayed/reverberated synth rhythm and synth melody and some simple beats. The 3 re-mixes: 2000 simply extends it out to about twice the length, 2002 has a different (and not as cool) set of synth sounds driving the track and 2001 is essentially a beat less version of 2000. The "radio mix" seems to be more than enough at just over 3 minutes (this is destined to massive mp3 trading I tell you) ... after that hearing "Expo 2000" over and over and over gets tiresome and the re-mixes offer little new. It's still a fairly decent track but nothing to get too excited over. The 3D cover gimmick doesn't help much either. I don't expect Kraftwerk to invent the wheel twice, but "EXPO2000" is certainly not the 2nd coming of Kraftwerk we've all been hoping and waiting for. Hopefully a full album of more varied, innovative and entertaining tunes is in the works and will be released sometime this millennium ...
Where did I get this cd? - mail order via Riouxs Records.