This album raises many questions. Is it called "Techno Pop" or is it "Electric Cafe"? Why does everything on the first side sound the same? Who is singing and where have the melodies gone?
In some respects the changing title reflects the difficult gestation of this album. Unfortunately Ralf had a bad cycling accident in 1982 and work on their upcoming album - tentatively titled "Techno Pop" - drew to a halt.
Following Ralf's recovery there were further delays as the band decided to remodel their studio and draft in digital synthesizers and samplers. Yet even when the LinnSequencer, Emulator and Yamaha TX812 were introduced, progress remained slow. The material they eventually recorded was taken to a variety of studios around the world to get the right sound, but no matter where the mixes were made or who contributed to them, the band seemed to reject them.
Yet, these delays really need not have occurred. If the "demo" versions of some of these songs that can be found on YouTube are anything to go by, things were much better before they descended into ever decreasing circles. Not only does
"Techno Pop" have a melody on the older versions, but Ralf provides a great vocal too. "Sex Object" sounds dark and brooding with the familiar Emulator slap bass sound found on the first single from the album "Tour de France" running through out. Except "Tour de France" wasn't included on the finished album. So let's listen to what they eventually did produce.
I own an original UK pressing of this album with the title "Electric Cafe", a 2009 remastered version called "Techno Pop" and the 2020 clear version of the same. I also own a live version from the "3-D The Catalogue" box set.
The album starts with "Boing Boom Tschak" in which Kraftwerk decide to load their new Emulator with samples of speech synthesizers and bang away at the keys. After a few minutes we segue into the industrial rhythms of "Techno Pop" which, in a great ironic statement, is as far removed from pop music as it is possible to get. Ralf is clearly bored as he sings along to the Yamaha FM strings and marimbas that repeat the same uninspiring riff behind him. Whilst the mechanical rhythms continue for nearly eight minutes, there is very little development and everything becomes a bit tedious after a while.
On the previous album the track "Numbers" was a great example of original music that can hold a user captive despite its minimalistic approach. "Music Non-Stop" is an attempt to use the same recipe but unfortunately, the cake doesn't rise this time. The three tracks that make up side one of the album are largely indistinguishable and the single of "Music Non-Stop" that edits them all together proves just how amorphous they are.
The reverse of the record carries more melodic song based tracks, with "Telephone Call" the stand out. As Karl sings, "You're so close, but far away" you can feel the album turn back to pop and begin its salvation. Rather ungraciously the 2009 remaster cuts Karl's contribution down to its single edit before adding the instrumental "House Phone" to make up the running time - but the original eight minute version is my fist choice.
"Sex Object" has always sounded odd to me as Kraftwerk are probably the least sexual group I have ever heard of. I can buy someone like Rick James or Axl Rose singing, "I don't want to be, your sex object" - but a robot in a tie is stretching the bounds of believability. Still there is a good hook to the song and it is far better than listening to "industrial rhythms from the ground". The album ends with the title track which tries to cross the pop song with the instrumental rattling of the first side. Whilst it is sung largely in French, this is no haute cuisine.
The "3-D" version offers some modern remixes and "Telephone Call" is presented as an instrumental as it would clearly be beneath Ralf to sing Karl's lines, but there is no great improvement on the original. I once wrote a lament on this blog that Kraftwerk went down the dumper when they bought a Synclavier, but I now realise it was their move to samplers and FM synths that irrevocably changed their sound. It is far too simplistic to say, "the DX7 killed Kraftwerk" but it's not a million miles away from the truth either. 2/5
