Kraftwerk
Photo: Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 (editorial use)
Kraftwerk is a German electronic music group whose work had a transformative impact on David Bowie, particularly during his late-1970s Berlin period. Their emphasis on repetition, technology and modernist aesthetics reshaped Bowie’s understanding of musical structure.
Although Bowie never formally collaborated with Kraftwerk in the studio, their influence is deeply embedded within his experimental approach to sound, rhythm and atmosphere.
- Founded: 1970, Germany
- Role: Electronic music pioneers
- Style: Electronic, minimalist, experimental
- Bowie connection: Major influence (Berlin era)
Electronic modernism
Kraftwerk emerged from post-war Germany with a radical vision of music rooted in technology, repetition and abstraction. Their work rejected traditional rock gestures in favour of precision and conceptual clarity.
Sound was treated as architecture rather than expression, creating a distinctly modern musical language.
David Bowie’s discovery of Kraftwerk
Bowie encountered Kraftwerk’s music in the mid-1970s, at a time when he was seeking alternatives to Anglo-American rock traditions.
Their albums offered Bowie a blueprint for integrating electronic textures into emotionally resonant compositions.
The Berlin period
During the creation of Low and “Heroes”, Bowie absorbed elements of Kraftwerk’s aesthetic — mechanical rhythms, repetitive motifs and a sense of emotional distance.
These influences helped Bowie reconceptualise song structure and atmosphere.
Influence rather than collaboration
Unlike many figures in Bowie’s creative universe, Kraftwerk functioned primarily as an influence rather than a direct collaborator.
Bowie openly acknowledged their importance, recognising Kraftwerk as a foundational force in modern electronic music.
Place within Bowie’s universe
Within David Bowie’s extended creative universe, Kraftwerk represents a conceptual turning point — a shift toward modernism, technology and abstraction that would echo throughout Bowie’s later work.
Their influence demonstrates Bowie’s ability to absorb radical ideas without losing emotional depth.