Florian Schneider’s Kraftwerk tools up for auction in US | Kraftwerk

He was a pioneer of electronic music, with his band Kraftwerk redefining the sound of pop music and influencing artists from David Bowie and New Order to Coldplay and Run-DMC.

Now the electronic equipment and instruments that Florian Schneider used to write some of the band’s most famous songs of the 1970s and 1980s could fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars when they are sold at auction next month.

The music for a solo project that Schneider was working on before his death from cancer at the age of 73 in 2020 can be heard for the first time in a video about the auction shared with The Guardian.

Along with his suitcase synthesizer, flute and vocoder — which he used to make his voice sound like a robot — fans will get the chance to purchase nearly 500 of Schneider’s personal belongings at the auction held through his estate.

These include his collection of more than 100 brass and woodwind instruments, numerous Polaroid photographs, his sunglasses, the passport he used while touring until 1978, and his Volkswagen pickup truck, which he custom painted grey.

His Panasonic Panaracer bike, which he rode in Kraftwerk’s Tour de France music video and is depicted in the single’s artwork, will also go under the hammer on November 19.

The estimated total value of the sale, which will be held by Julien’s Auctions at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is between $450,000 and $650,000 (£335,000 to £485,000).

Giles Moon, head of music at Julian’s Auctions, said: “Kraftwerk were pioneers – they were one of the first bands to use synthesizers, and they created music that no one had ever heard of before. It was very extraordinary and pushed music forward in a way that had never been seen before, in a completely different direction that most people probably didn’t think was possible.”

Other teams found their tracks “amazing,” he said. “They suddenly discovered this new path in music that Kraftwerk had pioneered. It inspired a lot of bands to move in the direction of using synthesized electronic music.”

The vocoder, likely the one Kraftwerk used on its albums The Man Machine in 1978 and Computer World in 1981, is expected to sell for $30,000 to $50,000.

The EMS Synthi AKS case synthesizer is believed to be the one used on Kraftwerk’s 1974 album Autobahn and is valued at $15,000 to $20,000.

“It’s a very early tuning instrument, shaped like a suitcase, so it’s quite unusual,” Moon said. “It’s the first synthesizer they got in the early ’70s when Florian decided to stop using classical instruments. He would attach it to his flute and use it to process these amazing sounds.”

The flute, an Orsi G alto that Schneider used on stage with a synthesizer until 1974, is valued at $8,000 to $10,000. There is footage of Kraftwerk playing at what is widely called the first techno concert, which took place in Germany in 1970. “Very unusual sounds come out of the flute and it is remarkable to see the audience’s reaction, because this was the first time most people had heard this kind of music,” Moon said.

Among the less expensive items is a collection of about 90 Polaroid photographs Schneider took of woodwind and brass instruments, which includes some shots of him with his saxophones. It is on sale for $100 to $200. “You’re looking at $1 to $2 per Polaroid,” Moon said.

Other oddities, including a bright, translucent yellow acrylic guitar and a “very unique” 16-inch model of the fly, mounted on the wall of Schneider’s studio, range in price from $200 to $400. Schneider’s gold-rimmed sunglasses with green lenses and Polaroid photos of him wearing them are listed for $300-$500.

A spokesman for the Schneider estate said the auction fulfilled the musician’s wish for his instruments and personal collection to “continue to outlive him.” “He always thought they were meant to be played with and shared — not left unused or gathering dust in storage,” she said. “He wanted his equipment to find its way to the people who would truly appreciate it: musicians, art collectors, and those who are inspired by the art of sound.”

Commenting on Kraftwerk’s influence, Joy Division and New Order drummer Stephen Morris said: “From the days of Joy Division, we loved Kraftwerk. Autobahn was an album that made us all sit up and say: What is this?” They were doing something different… something completely new – they were consciously rejecting the past. Much of the New Order’s approach was like this. We were determined to start from the beginning again.”