The future of modern music began in Dsseldorf in1970, when an avant-garde German band, the Organisation, re-invented themselves as Kraftwerk. In so doing, they set in motion a train of events that has inspired and informed every musical shift over the last20 years. Yet Kraftwerk remain the most enigmatic force in modern music. Fiercely private and notoriously reclusive, their internal operations have long been carefully shielded. Now Tim Barr traces the development of Kraftwerk's unique vision--from their roots in Germany's avant-garde in the late60s, through the triumphs of their "Trans-Europe Express" and "Man Machine" albums in the70s, to their current position, three decades later, as one of the most influential pop groups of our time. Drawing on exclusive interviews, Barr examines Kraftwerk's crucial role in shaping a new kind of urban music: one that propelled us all into the world of rap, electro, house, techno, and their myriad hybrids. Tim Barr's work appears in The Face, URB, Replay, and Detour.