NEU!

Neu! helped define the motorik beat, the insistent minimalist 4/4 rhythm that became closely associated with krautrock. Formed in Düsseldorf in 1971 by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother after their departure from Kraftwerk, the West German group brought together experimental rock, electronics and a stripped-back sense of repetition.

Produced by Conny Plank, often regarded as the band's “hidden member,” Neu!'s initial run produced three albums: Neu! (1972), Neu! 2 (1973) and Neu! '75 (1975). The group disbanded in 1975, having achieved only limited commercial success, then briefly reunited during the mid-1980s.

In retrospect, Neu! became a central name in West Germany's 1970s krautrock movement. Their music's steady rhythmic drive and experimental approach have been widely connected to later developments in electronica and punk, while the motorik pulse remains one of the group's most enduring musical signatures.