🔗 Share this article

This trailblazer of electronic music and his ensemble the German electronic band redefined the sound of pop while inspiring artists including Bowie, New Order, Coldplay, and Run-DMC.

Currently, his synth gear and performance items employed by Schneider in crafting some of the band’s best-known songs in the 1970s and 1980s could fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars as they go under the hammer in a November auction.

Rare Glimpse of Unreleased Personal Work

Recordings for a solo project he had been creating prior to his passing after a cancer diagnosis at 73 years old back in 2020 is being shared as a debut through a clip related to the event.

Vast Assortment of His Items

Together with the compact synthesizer, the wooden flute and robotic voice devices – which he used to make his voice sound like a robot – enthusiasts have the opportunity to acquire nearly 500 items from his estate at the auction.

These include the assortment over a hundred musical wind tools, numerous Polaroid photographs, his sunglasses, the passport used on tour before 1979 and his VW panel van, which he custom-painted grey.

His cycling gear, featured in Kraftwerk’s Tour de France music video and is depicted on the cover art, will also go under the hammer on 19 November.

Sale Information

The projected worth from the event falls between $450K and $650K.

They were innovators – among the earliest acts employing synthesizers producing sounds unlike anything prior.

Other bands viewed their songs “mind-blowing”. They came across a fresh route in music developed by the group. It encouraged many acts to shift towards electronic synth sounds.

Featured Lots

• An effects unit that is likely employed by the band for recordings from the late '70s and Computer World in 1981 is expected to sell $30K–$50K.
• An EMS Synthi AKS thought to be the one used on Kraftwerk’s 1974 album their iconic release is appraised for a mid-range sum.
• His wind instrument, an Orsi G alto that Schneider used on stage with the synthesiser through the early '70s, carries an estimate of $8K–$10K.

Unique Belongings

For smaller budgets, a group with dozens of snapshots photographed by him showing his musical tools is on sale for a modest sum.

More unusual pieces, including a transparent, vibrant yellow instrument and a “very unique” insect replica, which was mounted on Schneider’s studio wall, are priced at $200–$400.

The musician's green-lens sunglasses and Polaroid photographs of him wearing them could sell for $300–$500.

Family’s Words

He felt that instruments should be used and shared – not stored away or remaining untouched. He wanted his equipment to go to enthusiasts that will cherish them: performers, hobbyists and those inspired by the art of sound.

Ongoing Legacy

Considering the band's impact, a well-known drummer said: “From the early days, we loved Kraftwerk. That record that had us sit up and say: this is new. They created something different … something completely new – they were consciously rejecting earlier approaches.”