Confirming the loss of the electronic group's co-founder, through a representative, is electro pioneer Ralf Hutter who noted that his friend died from a short cancer disease.
- May 7, 2020
AceShowbiz - Kraftwerk co-founder Florian Schneider has died, aged 73.
Schneider formed the influential electronic group with Ralf Hutter in 1970, and they became the pioneers of the synth-rock movement and the current electronic dance music scene.
An official spokesman tells WENN, "Kraftwerk co-founder and electro pioneer Ralf Hutter has sent us the very sad news that his friend and companion over many decades, Florian Schneider, has passed away from a short cancer disease just a few days after his 73rd birthday."
"In the year 1968, Ralf Hutten and Florian Schneider started their artistic and musical collaboration. In 1970s they founded their electronic Kling Klang studio in Dusseldorf (Germany) and started the multi-media project Kraftwerk. All the Kraftwerk catalogue albums were conceived and produced there... 'Autobahn', 'Radio Activity', 'Trans Europe Express', 'The Man Machine', 'Computerworld', 'Techno Pop', 'Minimum Maximum', 'Tour De France'."
"In 2014 Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider were honoured with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award."
Florian Schneider was born Florian Schneider-Esleben in April, 1947. He and Hutter met as students at the Academy of Arts in Remscheid, Germany and formed the experimental band Organisation.
Schneider's vision turned Kraftwerk into human robots during performances and their live shows became legendary for their striking images of androids playing synthesizers.
The multi-instrumentalist left the band in 2008 after releasing 10 albums with Kraftwerk. In 2015, he released "Stop Plastic Pollution", for ocean environment conservation as part of the Parley for the Oceans campaign.
Prior to his death, Kraftwerk had announced they would be embarking on a summer tour of North America to celebrate the group's 50th anniversary. The shows were cancelled due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
