NEU
Formed 1971 in Dusseldorf, Germany and disbanded 1975, Neu! were
little-known and relatively unheralded during their brief existence,
the Krautrock duo Neu! cast a large shadow over later generations
of musicians, and served as a major influence on artists as diverse
as David Bowie, Sonic Youth, Pere Ubu, Julian Cope and Stereolab.
Neu! formed in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1971 after multi-instrumentalists
Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger both split from Kraftwerk. Recorded
in the space of four days with Can producer Conrad Plank, the
duo's self-titled debut appeared early in 1972, and quickly established
their affection for minimalist melodies and lock-groove rhythms.
While virtually ignored throughout the rest of the world, the
album sold extremely well in West Germany, resulting in a tour
with support from Guru Guru's Uli Trepte and Eberhard Krahnemann.
Rother and Dinger returned to the studio in 1973 for Neu! 2, where
a shortfall of cash allowed the duo to complete only two songs,
"Super" and "Neueschnee," which they subsequently
remixed at varying and disorienting speeds in order to flesh out
a full-length album. After the record's release, Rother joined
Dieter Moebius and Joachim Roedelius of Cluster to form Harmonia,
but Neu! officially reunited in 1975 to record Neu! 75. After
its release, they again disbanded; Rother continued on as a solo
performer, while Dinger and drummer Hans Lampe formed La Dusseldorf.
In the mid-'80s, Rother and Dinger reformed yet again, although
the recording sessions, titled Neu! 4, did not officially surface
until 1996.
