Klaus Dinger Dies At 61
Klaus Dinger, the highly influential drummer and one half of Krautrock pioneers Neu! has died at the age of 61. It has been revealed that he passed away on March 20 after suffering heart failure.
Dinger first came to prominance in the German music scene of the 1970s as the drummer in an early incarnation of electro-godfathers Kraftwerk before forming Neu! with fellow Kraftwerk escapee, guitarist Michael Rother.
Neu! went on to record three of the most influential albums of the 1970s. Famed for his signature motorik sound, Neu! paved the way for artists as diverse as Joy Division, David Bowie's Berlin period and Sex Pistols as far back as 1971 and their influence extended as far as contemporary bands such as Sonic Youth and Stereolab.
Neu! split after recording their third album, 'Neu! 75' and Dinger formed La Dusseldorf with his brother Thomas and Hans Lampe. They released three albums between 1976 and 1980 and went on to have a massive influence on the punk, new wave and electronic scenes.
Though Dinger's later career failed to reach the height of his earlier work, his musical contribution is still felt to this day.
Neu!'s Michael Rother said in tribute: "Together with many friends of his music I will remember Klaus for his creativity as an artist and I will think about him with gratitude for his wonderful contributions to our project NEU!”
Tagged as Kraftwerk, Illness, Tributes
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