Collection: Kraftwerk Vinyl Records – Autobahn, Trans-Europe Express & Essential Albums on Vinyl

Trans-Europe Express (1977)
Their masterpiece. Europe Endless, The Hall of Mirrors, Showroom Dummies, the title track, Metal on Metal — a concept album about the European train network that simultaneously invented huge swathes of subsequent music. The Capitol/EMI 180g and the recent coloured-vinyl editions are both excellent.

The Man-Machine (1978)
The peak of their classical-modernist phase. The Robots, Spacelab, Neon Lights, the title track — a tighter, brighter record than Trans-Europe Express, with the iconic red-and-black Karl Klefisch cover design. Often considered their most perfect album.

Computer World (1981)
The album that genuinely predicted the 21st century. Computer World, Pocket Calculator, Numbers, Computer Love — released the same year IBM launched the PC, and a record whose anxieties about digital surveillance feel more prescient with each passing decade.

Autobahn (1974)
The breakthrough. The 22-minute title track took up a full LP side and became an unlikely top-30 single in the UK and US. Comet Melody and Mitternacht round out a record that genuinely pivoted the band — and music — into a new era.

Radio-Activity (1975)
The bridge between the krautrock-era band and the synth-pop classics that followed. Geiger Counter, Radioactivity, the title track — a more spare, meditative record built around radio-frequency themes. The Yellow Translucent special-edition vinyl is a beautiful object.