The legendary Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk has died.
Schneider, who was a founding member of the influential, innovative electronic German band died last month though the sad news was announced today. According to a statement from Sony, Schneider "passed away from a short cancer disease just a few days after his 73rd birthday" (Schneider was born on April 7th, 1947).
Legions of artists were inspired by Kraftwerk's innovative synth wizardry and tributes to Schneider have been pouring in as the world mourns the loss of the icon. Electronic based music as we know it would absolutely NOT exist without Kraftwerk and Schneider's vision - Kraftwerk truly changed the landscape. From the post-punk of Joy Division, New Order, Gary Numan, and The Cure to the Berlin experience of David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Iggy Pop, to the Detroit techno created by the Belleville Three (Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins), to the new wave goodness of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark and Duran Duran, to the industrial of Skinny Puppy and Nine Inch Nails...and soooooooooooo many more. Kraftwerk and Schneider touched and shaped them all.
R.I.P. to a legend.
We are absolutely devastated to learn that one of our heroes Florian Schneider has passed away. pic.twitter.com/Y2dnYfxkj8— Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (@OfficialOMD) May 6, 2020
Here's a photo I took last year of Kling Klang Studios - the birthplace of #Kraftwerk in Dusseldorf. A sad day today indeed ... pic.twitter.com/QkvDprLIS4— Kevin Cummins (@KCMANC) May 6, 2020
In memory of Kraftwerk’s Florian Schneider – Daniel Miller pic.twitter.com/6yGf1dcD1u— Mute (@MuteUK) May 7, 2020
RIP to Florian Schneider, founding member of Kraftwerk. Thanks for a lifetime of music and visual inspiration.— Rob Sheridan, but from a safe distance (@rob_sheridan) May 6, 2020
Here's a photo I took of Florian hanging out with @nineinchnails after a show in Düsseldorf, 1999: pic.twitter.com/IRUhP60aGf