Michael Rother Interview 2019

Ahead of his anticipated gig at Under the Bridge, krautrock legend Michael Rother took a tour around the venue's photo gallery to reminisce on photos of Cream, Mark E. Smith (The Fall), and David Bowie. Michael also shared stories on his early work with Kraftwerk and collaberating with John Frusciante (ex-Red Hot Chilli Peppers).
On Friday 5 April Rother returns to London to perform a career-spanning set including material by NEU! and Harmonia plus acclaimed second solo record ‘Sterntaler’ in full. Special guests include Sonic Youth founder Thurston Moore (solo set) and a dj after-party set with World Snooker Champion Steve Davis and his musical partner Kavus Torabi spinning all good things krautrock and electronica.
Click for more info and tickets bit.ly/MRother2019
MIchael Rother's new boxet Solo collects the first four solo albums and unreleased material. Out now on www.groenland.com

[@Nicolas-pf2qf]

Almost every band you like are influenced by this charming guy

[@Mango62uk]

A great interview of a brilliant, influential musician, who seems to be one the world's nicest people! I saw him in 2017 at this club and it was special.

[@katipohl2431]

Hi and thank you from Germany. Neu! is one of my favorites since I heard them the first time. Michael Rother is a lovely man.

[@lemongold709]

I love when he says "the kraft budies" such a cool and humble man

[@MijkvanDijk]

I've had the pleasure to meet and even jam with the man. Incredible experience. He is just like in this interview.

[@ssmith954]

A genius, a lovely man and a great ambassador for this remarkable period in German music -- thanks for posting this!

[@richardneale246]

A great bloke. A real "Hero!!!"

[@marco__2228]

What a nice person he is.

[@borispolonski]

Michael is such a nice guy and one of the most important of history’s musicians.Had few times the opportunity to meet with him and share a stage during some concerts with my than band“Club Off Chaos“ in which Jaki Liebezeit was the drummer.

[@DoctorRevers]

One of the best guys ever

[@saschaheusingfeld7239]

Legend!

[@fredblogsmac.5697]

we are not worthy, your music changed our lives

[@williamolsen20]

I love NEU! just fantastic stuff, that I never tire of.

[@TheRudolfmp]

Happy I found this interview. I listended to MR in the late 70s but lost him. Nice to see he is well-off.

[@evanmiles-wright1188]

My favorite guitarist hands down! 🙌🙌

[@mamaloh8165]

What he says about Kraftwerk, is exactly my feeling. I never understood how they get away with it... I actually learned more about Michael Rother through being a fan of rhcp and especially John's solo work -though I'm German ...

[@vd4239]

Michael Rother is fucking awesome/ I hope to travel to Germany at some point and see him perform. Maybe even be able to say hey. Cool guy

[@tom080955]

I still have that album NEU to this day...bought it first heard...love isi and sealand...my go to songs and listen to those songs to this day. Thank you for them.

[@draganpetrovic1280]

NEU my favourite

[@micmac09]

Total respect

[@Z-eb]

Good English to be an old Krautrocker, Nice Interview ;)

[@obersklink]

love it

[@manodfergus]

Looking forward to the 5th April show....a great act based upon a huge, genuine and modestly delivered pedigree.

[@neuzethmusic131]

Is it a coincidence that my two favourite songs are NEU! "Hero" and David Bowie "Heroes"? 😂

[@nelsonsoucasaux2751]

Very nice and empathic interview, precious memories, very glad to watch it !

[@andrewbailey6561]

What a jolly nice chap

[@Dancatspoolschool]

This is a brilliant film!

[@karlbenson4534]

What a delightful interview! Marvellous.

[@draganpetrovic1280]

I love...

[@solsunson262]

David R Jones (Bowie) cover of Creams I Feel Free during the 1st ZS tours was AbFab!!

[@jumofi]

John Frusciante is one of my favorite musicians

[@rdubb77]

Sure Kraftwerk was "mental" but what Rother didn't realize is that when you get that stiff, it's very funky. And if a band invents electro and techno, there's a lot of erotic going on.

[@Sue-ry9zq]

I think Mr R should listen to the Italian version of Pocket Calculator.

[@jayblummer146]

Soso so

[@publicanimal]

I agree in general with his comments on Kraftwerk, but you can't tell me that "Computer Liebe" isn't an erotic or sexy song.

[@rdubb77]

Also "Numbers" kick started electro and all bass music. Egyptian Lover is essentially an eroticised Kraftwerk.

[@Isi-1975]

Karl Bartos' input for kraftwerk were typically more sensuous than the ones he was not a cowriter on

[@philippelabbe7673]

Michael va voir Ralf Hutter

[@kosmischesynth]

What's the background music? It doesn't sound like the studio version of the track from Katzenmusik

[@UTBLondon]

background music are two live tracks taken from Michael Rother's last concert at Under the Bridge in 2016

[@kosmicnoiserecords]

@@UTBLondon Nice!

[@kentallard8852]

what is the track playing I recognize it but cant recall the name

[@marguskiis7711]

How ironic is now the fact that Rother did not like the NEU! stuff in 1970s at all and NEU! 75 was released only to fulfill the contract. Rother saw Cluster as a better band but when he made Harmonia with Cluster guys he annoyed everybody with his control ambitions.

[@krollpeter]

Both Dinger and Rother were problem seekers. Dinger liked the harder more progressive stuff and Rother liked the more melodic stuff. They both wanted their stuff on the albums. Dinger probably overestimated his proficiency. Rother is the far better musician but came partially with a bit too cosy stuff, at least that was so for me and my friends ... sometimes borderline to kitsch. In hindsight someone should be allowed to change his mind. We were all young, and at some point crazy with our individualistic ideas. I would have loved if all these German electronica musicians had worked better together, not had spent all their time with quarrelling among eachother.

[@andrewpaterson7577]

@@krollpeter I'm not sure about Klaus overestimating his proficiency. His drumming on Kraftwerk's "Von Himmel Hoch" is actually pretty advanced, although he deliberately kept things simple with Neu! because it suited their approach. Also, for him to play all the guitars and keyboards on the first La Dusseldorf album after teaching himself the rudiments of both instruments in a mere eighteen months shows that he had a slew of raw talent, even if he wasn't from a musical background.

[@stevenbaker7696]

Harmonia + Brain Eno ... ?

[@logonazo]

yes ,..only his brain ( Dr. Frankenstein asked for it)

[@marguskiis7711]

The material was released decades later.

[@juliuskaktus5477]

Warum nicht in deutsch?? Michael ist doch Deutscher ....Ich kann kein englisch

[@Slazlo-Brovnik]

Das interview wendet isch ja wohl an ein englisches Publikum, das war immerhin im Vorfeld seiner Konzerte in London. Andere Frage: Willst du nicht mal english lernen? Kann man ja öfters gut brauchen.

[@hom0s4cer]

Wenn die Deutschen in ein anderes Land kommen, haben alle anderen gefälligst auch DEUTSCH ZU SPRRRRRRECHEN !

[@dietergoes5626]

@@Slazlo-Brovnik aber Deutsch ist unsere Heimat.

[@Slazlo-Brovnik]

​@@dietergoes5626 Nein. DeutschLAND ist unsere Heimat und "Deutsch" ist unser Muttersprache. (Soviel Deutschkenntnis muss schon sein, LOL) Aber wie dem auch sei: Weil Deutschland deine Heimat ist, darf Michael Rother in London kein Englisch sprechen? Oder weil du schon etwas Deutsch kannst , solltest du keine andere Sprache lernen? Oder was meinst du?

[@dietergoes5626]

@@Slazlo-Brovnik dein Spitzname passt,denn du kannst nicht ansatzweise flexibel denken.