Kling Klang / Europe / RE 2021 / 2Lp, white
Released in 1991 after a prolonged period of silence following Electric Cafe (Techno Pop), The Mix found Kraftwerk entirely digitizing their Kling Klang studio and translating their classic analog multitrack master tapes into the digital domain. Rebuilding eleven iconic compositions from scratch under the guidance of engineer Fritz Hilpert, the album emerged as a controversial and deeply divisive release. While defenders viewed it as an ideologically sound way to sidestep a label-pressured greatest-hits package, critics and former band members alike often saw it as an exercise in redundancy. Tracks like "Computer Love" and "Autobahn" traded their pioneering, distinct warmth for early-90s dancefloor tropes, prompting sharp reflections from long-time collaborator Emil Schult—who likened it to repainting the Mona Lisa—and precipitating the departures of core members Wolfgang Flür and Karl Bartos. Despite its mixed legacy, bold revisions like the radioactive roll-call in "Radioactivity" or the powerhouse suite of "Trance-Europe Express" ensure The Mix remains one of the most idiosyncratic chapters in electronic music history.