Wolfgang Flür began his solo career in the mid-'90s, a decade after leaving
Kraftwerk, with a
Mouse on Mars-produced album under the name
Yamo. He's since put out music under his own name, and has become more active since the 2000s, even if he hasn't been prolific on an album level. 2015's
Eloquence (Complete Works) included collaborations with
Meat Beat Manifesto's
Jack Dangers,
Anni Hogan, and (as a bonus track)
Pizzicato Five's
Maki Nomiya, as well as a previously issued single sharing the name of his controversial memoir, "I Was a Robot." (The other members of
Kraftwerk took
Flür to court over some of the book's contents following its initial German publication.) His subsequent work has included an album with German rave survivors
U96 and an electro single with producer
Fabrice Lig, as well as guest appearances on releases by lesser-known synth pop acts.
Magazine 1 is his first album since
Eloquence, and it's another collaboration-heavy set of electro-pop tunes that break away from the robotic demeanor of his former group. Though
Kraftwerk have a sense of humor, however dry and subtle, and they have more playful moments like "Pocket Calculator" that can verge on novelty songs, they're generally regarded as serious musicians, given their importance as an electronic music institution.
Flür's music is more mischievous, and his exuberant vocal style and goofy lyrics would seem like a parody if they didn't come off as a genuine expression of his personality. There are some moments on the album that seem curiously imperfect coming from a former
Kraftwerk member, like when he twists the vocals and beats slightly out of sync during the bridges in "Magazine." A few tracks inevitably echo his past work -- "Zukunftmusik," a previously released track with
U96, is essentially "The Robots" redux, and "Night Drive," which greatly benefits from guest vocals by Victoria Port of U.K. duo
Anushka, delves deeper into the story behind "Trans Europe Express." The track is also impressive in how it switches between straightforward, cruising electro and a more manic drum'n'bass section. Likewise, "Electric Sheep," with
U96 and British dance icon
Carl Cox, injects an electro-breaks bridge into its cheerful techno-pop structure.
Flür seems to be in megalomaniac mode over the mad scientist electro of "Billionaire (Symphony of Might)," with Detroit techno godfather
Juan Atkins. The most overt '80s flashback on the album is "Birmingham," which has dreamy vocals by
Propaganda's
Claudia Brücken and a low-mixed but welcome
Peter Hook bassline. ~ Paul Simpson