Electri_City: The Dusseldorf School of Electronic Music

Rudi Esch was born in Dusseldorf in August 1966. He studied Modern German Literature and Philosophy, specializing in Aesthetics, at Heinrich-Heine-University. From 1983 he has played an active part in the Dusseldorf music scene, performing with several punk and new wave bands. In 1987 he formed a band with Klaus Dinger, formerly front man with NEU! and La Dusseldorf. Since 1988 Esch has played bass guitar for electronic rock band Die Krupps, and he works as instrumentalist, composer, lyricist and producer.

'The way Mute Records Daniel Miller recalls first hearing Kraftwerk s Radio-Activity album on one of Alan Fluff Freeman s rock-radio fantasias is illustrative of this book s scope. There are extended interviews... illuminating accounts... masses of local colour.' Roy Wilkinson, **** MOJO'...Rudi Esch tells the story of the city s musical evolution, from the first stirrings of Krautrock in the 1960s through to the avant-dance scene it hosted in the 1908s, via the accounts of participants and eyewitnesses. Not everyone sees eye to eye; Neu's Klaus Dinger was a truculent character, while resentment of Kraftwerk s Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider considered rich boys who failed to empathise with the struggles of fellow musicians abounds. Interviews with Daniel Miller, Rusty Egan and OMD's Andy McCluskey emphasise the transformative effect of Dusseldorf on the UK scene.' David Stubbs, Classic Rock'This city [Dusseldorf] clearly has a greater claim to the birthplace of electronic music than any other, and with this sterling book ore people will finally learn of its significance' Ben Murphy, Electronic Sound Magazine