Experience Kraftwerk And The Chemical Brothers In New Design Museum Exhibition

Harry Rosehill
By Harry Rosehill Last edited 49 months ago

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Experience Kraftwerk And The Chemical Brothers In New Design Museum Exhibition
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk. Photo: Peter Boettcher

Lovers of bleeps and bloops, the Design Museum has a show that engages your eyes as well your ears.

On the surface of it, the Design Museum might seem like a strange fit for an exhibition that's all about music. But then the songs themselves are but one part of a larger puzzle when it comes to electronic music. Electronic: From Kraftwerk to The Chemical Brothers, charts the rise of the genre from numerous angles. Discover the people, art, design, technology and photography that's shaped electronic music over the genre's lifespan.

Electronic music studio
Jean Michel Jarr's virtual studio. Photo Gil Lefauconnier

The two artists mentioned in the exhibition's name both have immersive experiences to be enjoyed. Celebrate 50 years of legendary German pioneers Kraftwerk with their 30-minute 3D show, or watch visuals and lights interact as The Chemical Brothers' epic live set-up comes to a museum. It will be intriguing to see how both make the switch — Kraftwerk do seem a natural fit for a museum, but listening to The Chemical Brothers anywhere other than in a muddy countryside field with a tinny in hand, could just feel wrong.

Chemical Brothers. Photo: Luke Dyson

It's not just live electronic music that gets a look in — the nightclub also gets its share of the limelight. The exhibition brings dancefloors from Berlin, Chicago and Detroit to London, while paying heed to the capital's own buzzing scene too.

Photo: Gil Lefauconnier

Rounding out the experience is a look at the instruments and technology that make electronic music possible. From iconic synths like the TR808 and Moog 55 to an imagined electronic music studio created by innovator Jean Michelle Jarre.

Photo: Gil Lefauconnier

Gemma Curtin, curator said:

Sound is only part of the story when it comes to this category of music: it has built communities on and offline, democratised music technology and provided a safe space for free expression.

Electronic: From Kraftwerk to The Chemical Brothers at the Design Museum, 1 April-6 July. Tickets cost £7.20-£16.30, and are available to book now.

Last Updated 25 February 2020