The Mix

Product Information

Probably the weirdest entry into their discography, and that includes their more unfocused early material, The Mix has Kraftwerk beef up some of their old classics with new arrangements and more pumping rhythms.

I've got no idea how this could happen and why nobody else has noticed it before - it's clearly audible, now that I know it. The left channel is the inner flank of the groove, that's why the needle jumps backwards and the same section is repeated over and over again. The breakdown with the voices being sped up and distorted is brilliantly weird, the additions to the beat preserve the original tracks' energy, and the ending is well-done. A newly remastered edition of the album was released by EMI Records, Mute Records and Astralwerks Records on CD, digital download and heavyweight vinyl in October/November 2009. Shortly after the last "Wir sind die Roboter" the left channel gets louder by about 4 dB while the right channel stays the same.Trans-Europe Express: Also much shorter and more fast-moving than the original, but otherwise just sounds like Trans-Europe Express redone with digital instruments.

The decision to start the percussion when the initial vocoder starts was good, and the new melody for the "radio" section is very enjoyable to hear. I'd go so far as to say that if you're a fan of 90s dance music, this would be a solid introduction to the band that influenced much of it.The original 1991 liner notes credit Hütter, Schneider and Hilpert simply with "Music Data Mix", while the 2009 remaster release gives more detailed credits for Hütter and Schneider. Many were disappointed at the lack of new compositions and, moreover, the production values of the re-recorded tracks did not strike many listeners as particularly cutting edge, something which Kraftwerk had previously been renowned for. Fernando Abrantes is shown as fourth member in one the booklet photographs while being actually recruited for touring. Also, there is just a certain charm in them updating their classics to a style that they themselves helped start. What exactly caused this to happen is mostly unknown, even though you can easily pinpoint it to obvious conflicts within the group and a feeling of exhaustion hanging over them.