I’ve recently been in a bit of a Kraftwerk phase, so I thought that it would be nice to write a blog post about one of my favorite songs of theirs, which happens to be an example of SF and “SFional” music predicting the future.
Off of Kraftwerk’s 1981 album Computer World, “Computer Love” is a danceable yet melancholic song that oddly seemed to predict the future of dating with its lyrics:
Computer love, computer love
Computer love, computer love
Computer love, computer love
Another lonely night, another lonely night
Stare at the TV screen, stare at the TV screen
I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what to do
I need a rendezvous, I need a rendezvous
Computer love
Computer love
Computer love
Computer love
I call this number, I call this number
For a data date, for a data date
I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what to do
I need a rendezvous, I need a rendezvous
Computer love
Computer love
Computer love
Computer love
Unsurprisingly, with the social isolation that and resultant loneliness that were spurred by the pandemic, dating apps such as Tinder saw a massive spike in usage. I won’t assert an opinion on whether this is a good or bad thing, but I certainly find it interesting to think about, especially in conjunction with “Computer Love.”
If you haven’t listened to this song or other Kraftwerk songs, I would definitely recommend checking them out! Their live performances are especially fun to watch, as they truly adopt the robotic personas that embody the themes present in many of their songs. I hope you give this song and their others a listen!
I had never heard of Kraftwerk before your post! I listened to “Computer Love”, it’s a total vibe—I loved the eerie synthi-ness of it. Sort of reminded me of the Stranger Things soundtrack, which makes sense given that the Kraftwerk album was released in the ’80s. I will definitely be listening to more of Kraftwerk in the future, thanks for introducing me to them!
So happy to see/hear Kraftwerk is in your life, Sam! They are masters of early German pop-electronic, experimental music known in Britain and the US as “krautrock” (I think this might not be a term we should be using anymore), along with groups such as Can, Neu!, Popul Vuh, Tangerine Dream. But they are unique not just in their sound and lyrics, but in their stage performances (as robots). Many bands have been inspired by them, such as Daft Punk. Would you say they are fully technophiles, or do you see critique of technology in their work?
Sam, I found this super interesting! I’d never listened to any of Kraftwerk’s music, but I enjoyed listening to this song, and found it eerie how a song can in some ways predict the future. I also took your advice and watched part of one of their live performances, very interesting and avant garde. I’m not sure if I fully appreciate it yet, but I will watch the rest of the live performance and see how my opinion changes!