Tour de France

It is a testament to Kraftwerk's brilliance that some 30 years after pioneering the electronica revolution they were able to keep pace with the legions of acts they inspired. 2003's TOUR DE FRANCE SOUNDTRACK is as crisp, modern, and appealing as any minimal techno turned out in the 2000s, and is all the more impressive for its direct link to the band's legacy from the 1970s. Like the music on their landmark releases AUTOBAHN and TRANS-EUROPE EXPRESS, the meticulously calibrated synth-scapes of TOUR DE FRANCE SOUNDTRACKS conjure visions of machines churning in mechanized perfection and sensations of robotic ecstasy.
The cerebral yet infectious beats that characterize the three versions of the single and tracks like "Chrono" and "Titanium" are ambitious and compelling, full of clicking polyrhythms and edgy, icy funk. As usual, these are layered with electronic micro-melodies and Vocoder-filtered vocals. The theme of France's famous bike race plays heavily in the album, from the song titles to the heatbeat and heavy breathing in "Electro Kardiogramm." Kraftwerk began this project in 1983, when they released the "Tour de France" single; though it took the band 20 years to complete the album, the results are fresh as anything Kraftwerk ever released.