Krautrock

Krautrock is a name now given to a supposed genre of rock and electronic music that originated in Germany in the late 1960s with a tendency towards improvisation on minimalistic arrangements. The term was originated, briefly and jokingly, by Melody Maker journalists. Although it was rejected by the musicians themselves and soon dropped, the German media later started to use it as a term for all German rock bands from the late 1960s and 1970s, while abroad the term was resurrected specifically to refer to more experimental artists who often used synthesizers and other electronic instruments.

The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one particular scene, style, or movement, as many krautrock artists were not familiar with one another. BBC DJ John Peel in particular is largely credited with spreading the reputation of krautrock outside of the German-speaking world.

Largely divorced from the traditional blues and rock and roll influences of British and American rock music up to that time, the period contributed to the evolution of electronic music and ambient music as well as the birth of post-punk, alternative rock and new-age music. Key artists associated with the tag include Can, Amon Düül II, Ash Ra Tempel, Faust, Popol Vuh, Cluster, Harmonia, Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Neu! and Kraftwerk.