Kraftwerk Co-Founder Exits The Autobahn

Florian Schneider, co-founder of Kraftwerk, the German band that built the foundation for electro-pop and scored a chart-topping global hit with "Autobahn" in 1974, has left the group.

News of the departure was first reported on the Web site Kraftwerk in November, but gained prominence when the Kraftwerk Official Fan Web Site posted a short statement on December 5th.

"Florian Schneider leaves Kraftwerk after a 40-year partnership with Ralf Huetter," the statement said, adding that the partnership between the pair generated "incredible music and huge advances in music technology."

Despite Schneider's exit, Kraftwerk is planning a 10-stop tour this year, with appearances in Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Germany in March and April. Schneider co-founded the band with Ralf Huetter in 1970 after the two met while studying in Duesseldorf a couple years earlier.

Since then, Kraftwerk has released 12 albums, including "Autobahn," ''Radio-Activity" and "The Man Machine."

Photo: Getty Images

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Comments

[Fat Roland]

Yeah, apparently they're touring with Radiohead. Which seemed odd at first, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense!