Florian Schneider's Iconic Instruments Head to Stateside Bidding
He was trailblazer in the electronic genre with the group the German electronic band revolutionized popular music and impacting musicians from David Bowie and New Order to Coldplay and Run-DMC.
Presently, the electronic equipment and performance items that Florian Schneider used for producing Kraftwerk's iconic tracks throughout two decades could fetch a high six-figure sum when they are sold this coming month.
First Listen of Unreleased Individual Composition
Music related to his own venture the artist was developing shortly before his death after a cancer diagnosis in his seventies in 2020 is available as a debut in a video related to the event.
Extensive Collection of Personal Belongings
Together with the compact synthesizer, the wooden flute plus voice modulators – that he employed for robotic vocal effects – collectors have the opportunity to acquire approximately 500 his personal effects at the auction.
Among them are the assortment over a hundred brass and woodwind instruments, several snapshots, his shades, his travel document for his travels until 1978 and Volkswagen vehicle, which he custom-painted grey.
The bike he rode, which he rode in Kraftwerk’s Tour de France music video and is depicted on the single’s artwork, is also for sale this November 19.
Auction Details
The projected worth for the auction is $450,000 to $650,000.
Kraftwerk were groundbreaking – they were one of the first bands employing synthesizers and they created music that no one had ever heard of before.
Fellow musicians considered their music “mind-blowing”. They suddenly discovered this new pathway within sound that Kraftwerk created. It inspired a lot of bands to explore electronic synth sounds.
Notable Pieces
- A vocoder probably utilized on albums on their albums during their peak and Computer World in 1981 could fetch $30K–$50K.
- A suitcase synthesizer believed to be employed for Autobahn their iconic release is valued at $15,000 to $20,000.
- The flute, a specific model that Schneider used during live acts until 1974, is valued at $8,000 to $10,000.
Unique Belongings
In the affordable range, a group of about 90 Polaroid photographs photographed by him of his woodwind and brass instruments is available for $100 to $200.
More unusual pieces, like a clear, vibrant yellow instrument and a “very unique” 16-inch model of a fly, displayed on Schneider’s studio wall, are priced at $200–$400.
His framed eyewear with green lenses and Polaroid photographs of him wearing them are estimated at under $500.
Family’s Words
His view was that instruments should be used and shared – not stored away or remaining untouched. He wanted his equipment to be passed to people who appreciate them: performers, hobbyists and those inspired by audio creativity.
Ongoing Legacy
Considering their contribution, an influential artist stated: “From the early days, we were fans. That record that had us sit up and say: what is this?. They were doing something different … entirely original – they deliberately moved past the past.”