Kraftwerk – Minimum-Maximum (2005) [German Version] {SACD ISO + FLAC 24bit/88,2kHz}

The Godfathers of Glitch and the Kings of Kling-Klang come out of seclusion with a double live CD culled from various concerts on their 2004 tour. Minimum-Maximum is essentially a greatest-hits album with an audience applauding and occasionally shouting. Without them, of course, you’d never know the album was live, since Kraftwerk is the band that put the programming in pop music. Not much has changed with them since the 1980s. They’re still wired to the same sonic circuitry as on Electric Café in 1986, sculpting glistening electro-soundscapes that pulse but never quite groove. And they still sing in that flat, German-accented English and French with Speak and Spell electro-voices. But rather than sound dated, this has a timeless charm, especially since Kraftwerk are among the few Kraut rock groups with a sense of humor. With only two studio albums in the last 20 years, you have to give them credit for not caving in to current electronica and techno trends-Kraftwerk remain resolutely electronic. Even their samples sound synthesized. But also give them credit for some of the most relentlessly glistening electronic music ever crafted, and a sound that remains surprisingly pure. All the hits are here, from “Autobahn” to “Tour de France,” but nicely buffed to a high chrome finish.

For rock bands, hauling gear across countries and continents has not changed a great deal in the past several decades. The same can’t be said for Kraftwerk. Grappling with sensitive cables and other technical gadgets in extreme climates has become a thing of the past. For them, everything has become easier to manage and transport, so it’s natural that they’d become more enthusiastic about touring. Recorded during the group’s 2004 journey through Europe, Japan, and the U.S., Minimum-Maximum is a two-disc representation of their revitalized live show. Visuals are such a crucial aspect of their performances that the set will naturally fall short of making you feel as if you are there — whether it’s Moscow, Warsaw, Budapest, or San Francisco — while in your car or living room. More crucially, who really knows exactly how much live manipulation is going on with the elements of each track? Whatever the case, it all sounds good — sharp, vibrant, alive. The original arrangements are often altered slightly, the tracks are tactfully sequenced, and the crowd noise is kept to a minimum (either near the close of a track or in recognition of one as it begins), so the release is sort of a glorified greatest-hits collection. Along with some wise selections from 2003’s Tour de France Soundtracks, there’s plenty of the expected classic material, all of which has given life to so much industrial, dance, and rap music. (You could, in fact, walk into the average techno club or turn on a mainstream radio station the week this was released and hear traces of Kraftwerk in one form or another.) “Radioactivity” and “The Robots,” two of the more altered tracks, contain the greatest thrills; the former’s permafrost placidity spirals into a frictionless dancefloor charge, while the latter is more muscular than ever, acknowledging advancements made by acolytes Model 500 and Underground Resistance.

For the exact places of the recordings read here

Tracklist:
Disc 1 #01. Die Mensch Maschine
Disc 1 #02. Planet Of Visions
Disc 1 #03. Tour De France Etape 1
Disc 1 #04. Chrono
Disc 1 #05. Tour De France Etape 2
Disc 1 #06. Vitamin
Disc 1 #07. Tour De France
Disc 1 #08. Autobahn
Disc 1 #09. Das Model
Disc 1 #10. Neonlicht

Disc 2 #01. Radioactivitat
Disc 2 #02. Trans-Europa Express
Disc 2 #03. Abzug
Disc 2 #04. Metall Auf Metall
Disc 2 #05. Numbers
Disc 2 #06. Computerwelt
Disc 2 #07. Home Computer
Disc 2 #08. Taschenrechner
Disc 2 #09. Dentaku
Disc 2 #10. Die Roboter
Disc 2 #11. Elektro Kardiogramm
Disc 2 #12. Aero Dynamik
Disc 2 #13. Musique Non Stop

SACD ISO