Wednesday, June 17, 2009

ROCK Sex: Kraftwerk > Trouble Funk > Afrika Bambaataa > New Order




ROCK Sex is about how the liquid nature of culture involves everyone.

Today's example is how the relay baton of a musical idea moves easily between supposedly different music movements.


IN the mid-'70s, German progressive rock groups were challenging the structures and rhythms of Rock. Here's the pioneers Can, during their transition from noize jazz toward funk, churning a hupnotic sitar figure into a locomotive rhythm.

CAN -"Transcendental Express" (1975)



Following a train of thought, the german progressive group Kraftwerk had the masterstroke idea of becoming robots, making robotic music for the future. As 'anti-Rock' as this seemed, it was one of the most influential strategies and unending sonic revolutions in Rock history. Countless musical doors were opened by this move...

KRAFTWERK -"Trans Europe Express" (1977)



The Washington D.C. scene in the early '80s was dominated by GoGo, a heavily percussive funk with horns and synths. The prime band Trouble Funk intersected with Kraftwerk on this anthemic cover...

TROUBLE FUNK -"Trouble Funk Express" (1981)



The New York music scene between 1975 and 1982 was a hotbed of colliding styles -including the original Punk, HipHop, NoWave, PunkFunk, Salsoul, World Dub, Disco, Mutant Disco, and Noize Jazz. One of the originators of HipHop, Afrika Bambaataa ushered in Electro (which he called Electro Funk) with his merging of Rap and Kraftwerk...

AFRIKA BAMBAATAA And The Soulsonic Force -"Planet Rock" (1982)



When the postpunk band Joy Division suffered the loss of their leader, the remaining members became New Order, trading Manchester, England's grey factories for the excitement of the New York scene. They worked with rising 12" remix producer Arthur Baker on this classic track which extends the palette of the fusion of Kraftwerk and Electro Funk ...

NEW ORDER -"Blue Monday" (1983)



There are tributaries from this linking to New Wave, Darkwave, Coldwave, Industrial, Synth Funk, GoGo Funk, Techno, Rave, Jungle, and Electronica. But water is water...bask in it all.


The Mighty Mocambos crosses tracks with Can's title, a Dick Dale guitar approach, and a horn fanfare of Kraftwerk in this modern instrumental sequel.

THE MIGHTY MOCAMBOS -"Transcendental Express" (2011)



Her's the original song rethought by a legendary Jamaican steel drum ensemble.

THE EBONY STEEL BAND -"Tanzmusik (Jump Up)" (2019)



Here is it is interpreted as a Brazilian dance samba.

Guga Stroeter, Lucio Agra, Renato Soares -"TEE" (2020)


All aboard!

© Tym Stevens



See Also:

DOCTOR WHO Theme - Delia Derbyshire > Gary Glitter > KLF > Human League

"APACHE", HipHop's Sacred Secret Beat! - Bongo Band > Bambaataa > EVERYONE EVER

"Amen Break" - How 6 Seconds From 1969 Propel All Modern Music


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: A Music Player Checklist

Read:
• • Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980–1983, by Tim Lawrence


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