Magazine 1

Album review

Wolfgang Flür began his solo career in the mid-'90s, a decade after leaving Kraftwerk, with a Mouse on Mars-produced album under the name Yamo. He's since put out music under his own name, and has become more active since the 2000s, even if he hasn't been prolific on an album level. 2015's Eloquence (Complete Works) included collaborations with Meat Beat Manifesto's Jack Dangers, Anni Hogan, and (as a bonus track) Pizzicato Five's Maki Nomiya, as well as a previously issued single sharing the name of his controversial memoir, "I Was a Robot." (The other members of Kraftwerk took Flür to court over some of the book's contents, following its initial German publication.) His subsequent work has included an album with German rave survivors U96 and an electro single with producer Fabrice Lig, as well as guest appearances on releases by lesser-known synth pop acts. Magazine 1 is his first album since Eloquence, and it's another collaboration-heavy set of electro-pop tunes that break away from the robotic demeanor of his former group. Though Kraftwerk have a sense of humor, however dry and subtle, and they have more playful moments like "Pocket Calculator" that can verge on novelty songs, they're generally regarded as serious musicians, given their importance as an electronic music institution. Flür's music is more mischievous, and his exuberant vocal style and goofy lyrics would seem like a parody if they didn't come off as a genuine expression of his personality. There are some moments on the album that seem curiously imperfect coming from a former Kraftwerk member, like when he twists the vocals and beats slightly out of sync during the bridges in "Magazine." A few tracks inevitably echo his past work -- "Zukunftmusik," a previously released track with U96, is essentially "The Robots" redux, and "Night Drive," which greatly benefits from guest vocals by Victoria Port of U.K. duo Anushka, delves deeper into the story behind "Trans Europe Express." The track is also impressive in how it switches between straightforward, cruising electro and a more manic drum'n'bass section. Likewise, "Electric Sheep," with U96 and British dance icon Carl Cox, injects an electro-breaks bridge into its cheerful techno-pop structure. Flür seems to be in megalomaniac mode over the mad scientist electro of "Billionaire (Symphony of Might)," with Detroit techno godfather Juan Atkins. The most overt '80s flashback on the album is "Birmingham," which has dreamy vocals by Propaganda's Claudia Brücken and a low-mixed but welcome Peter Hook bassline. Other tracks such as "Best Buy" and "Das Beat" are filled with dated techno beats and childish lyrics, and don't beg for repeated listens. It's all in good fun, and there are some definite highlights, but Magazine 1 is more of a nostalgia exercise than a genuinely remarkable album.

© Paul Simpson /TiVo