Kraftwerk's minimalist music needs a tune-up

To prepare for his first major outdoor-festival headlining gig at Coachella next weekend, Prince performed a two-hour show in a small, dimly lit French salon-styled room in Hollywood the other night. (And he'll also play on "The Tonight Show" on Friday.)

To prepare for its headlining gig at California's Coachella fest next weekend, Kraftwerk, the pioneering German electronic group, performed a 100-minute show at the Myth nightclub in Maplewood on Saturday night. (The quartet also will play in small venues in Milwaukee and Denver this week.)

The influential cult group's first Twin Cities appearance since 1975 was more curious and cool than rewarding and awesome, an evening of minimalist and sometimes hip electronica, augmented by simple computer-generated graphics and film clips behind the band.

Back in the day, Kraftwerk traveled with more equipment. On Saturday, its music-making machinery was as minimalist as its sound -- four guys, each armed with a keyboard and a laptop computer.

With all the flair of a power-point presentation at a mortgage-foreclosure seminar, the identically clad-in-black musicmakers' stage demeanor was as emotionless and unanimated as the music itself. Co-founder Ralf Hutter occasionally sang -- well, more like clinically chanted in English, German or French -- simplistic lyrics that were really recitations of buzzwords. Of course, that is part of the social commentary of Kraftwerk, using few words and mechanical sounds (nothing sounds as if it's created by an actual musical instrument) to lambaste radioactivity, espionage and society's dependence on machines.

Kraftwerk's music has influenced a wide range of stars, from David Bowie and Devo to Duran Duran and Daft Punk. On its last album, Coldplay sampled Kraftwerk. The German group's sounds presaged various musical movements, including synth-rock, new-wave, ambient and techno. Best known for the 1974 hit "Autobahn," Kraftwerk has been less than prolific of late; the group has released only one studio album, 2003's "Tour de France Soundtracks," in the past 25 years but has performed with greater regularity.

On Saturday, the tunes from "Tour de France" had more depth and musicality than the repetitious minimalism of the earlier material. "Elektro Kardiogramm" sounded like hyper-techno on quaaludes, and "Aero Dynamik" was modern sounding, with hip-hop scratching noises, a funky Prince-evoking bass line and a dance beat that even prompted a couple of the musicians to shake a leg.

The high point was "Radioactivity," an ominous, active number with intense rhythms gurgling behind ping-ponging sounds. It was the only piece that built in intensity like a good rock song does. "Robots" was fun, delivered by four robots that, frankly, were more animated than the musicians they depicted. The night's lone disappointment was the classic "Autobahn"; the computerized dirge droned on in second gear for too many miles. Maybe that's why Kraftwerk needs a tune-up before roaring into the Coachella festival.

For a set list and fan comments, go to www.startribune.com/poplife. Jon Bream • 612-673-1719