Better werk stories
New Zealand Listener|November 04-10 2023
Local musicians, producers and DJs on the Kraftwerk influence.
Better werk stories

Darryl "DLT" Thomson, DJ and producer

I was lucky to have a mum with eclectic musical taste - as you can tell by my DJing, I guess. She brought Trans-Europe Express home in about 1978 and that's why, when I heard Afrika Bambaataa's Planet Rock, I knew what it was - and that tripped me out. That's why I decided hip-hop was my thing, really because of the samples in Planet Rock.

I seriously think that if we didn't have Kraftwerk, if they'd stayed with rock music, we wouldn't have got the metronomic sound that was required for the type of dance that developed from the sound. The robotic moves of B-boys and B-girls owe a lot to the syncopated beat.

Kraftwerk still matters. If you are fortunate enough to be a pathfinder or a scout within culture, then you're relevant forever. Every record producer I know owes their life to those guys.

Martyn Pepperell, DJ and journalist

I was exposed to Kraftwerk as a kid through club and hip-hop records in the 80s, started looking into them more in the 90s, and really during the 2000s. I remember breakdancers dancing to their records on the streets in Wellington and there were always DJs around who specialised in that kind of sound. Funky robots and machines, what's not to love?

Denne historien er fra November 04-10 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra November 04-10 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA NEW ZEALAND LISTENERSe alt
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 mins  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024