Remembering Kraftwerk Founder and Cycling Fan Florian Schneider
Florian Schneider, co-founder and keyboardist of Kraftwerk, has died at the age of 73. The group was extremely influential in shaping the trajectory of music and the German band members were big fans of cycling. They even released an album dedicated to the sport and biked regularly for fitness and enjoyment.
“It’s kind of like part of our culture, our cultural background,” said Hütter. “The Tour has been going for over a hundred years. It’s a cultural institution.”
“We know that from cyclists, when they listen to our music, they understand; they listen, and they understand how the music is composed. It’s important when you move with your bicycle to listen to the environment, the surroundings, the wind and your own breath. At least that’s the way we see this.”
Florian Schneider, left the group in 2008. There’s a rumor Schneider left the group due to a dispute over a bike pump. Kraftwerk’s last studio album together was 2003’s Tour de France Soundtracks, recorded in honour of the hundredth anniversary of the first Tour.
