Co-founder of Kraftwerk Florian Schneider Dies at 73

Florian Schneider passes away at the age of 73.

The co-founder of the German electronic band Kraftwerk, Florian Schneider, died from cancer at age 73.

Publicist Alexandra Greenberg released a statement where the band said:

Kraftwerk co-founder and electro pioneer Ralf Hütter has sent us the very sad news that his friend and companion over many decades Florian Schneider has passed away from a short cancer disease just a few days after his 73rd birthday.

Schneider and Hütter were acknowledged as being amongst the most prominent electronic music personalities of the 20th century.

Watch: Kraftwerk co-founder Florian Schneider dies at 73 (The Current Music News)

The duo began to collaborate in 1968 and, two years later, launched Kraftwerk as a band featuring a number of other musicians.

The group released Autobahn in 1974, an album that gained worldwide prominence.

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Schneider and Hütter also formed the Kling Klang recording studio in Düsseldorf, where the band recorded their most influential tracks.

On Wednesday musical artists paid homage to Schneider. Nick Rhodes, who is a part of Duran Duran, posted on the band's website.

When I first heard their song Autobahn, I was struck by how radically different it sounded from everything else on the radio.

Duran added, "It became a surprise hit in the UK and sparked my lifelong admiration for their innovation and creativity."

Meanwhile, French composer Jean-Michel Jarre tweeted: "My dear Florian..Your Autobahn will never end."

Back in 2014, Schneider and Hütter received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

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