“We play the machines, and sometimes the machines play us”: Delving into the inner workings of the title track from Kraftwerk’s most influential record

Kraftwerk.

There are an enormous number of accolades that can be placed at Kraftwerk’s door. Their impact on the future development of electronic music making was profound, and their anticipation of the computerisation of the studio was beyond prescient.

Even their earlier output sounded way ahead of its time, with a level of creativity which casts a significant shadow across swathes of contemporary production.

After producing three highly applauded and successful albums in the 70s (Autobahn, Radio-Activity and Trans-Europe Express), Kraftwerk - Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider, Wolfgang Flür and Karl Bartos - wanted to produce an album that would serve as a response to the rise of dance and disco culture. That work would become the seminal The Man Machine, released in May 1978.