The ‘Man Machine’ cover is thus a pastiche, an intentional reference to the 20s Russian avant-garde. All of the above characteristics can be assigned to the main stylistic traits of an avant-garde movement – Russian constructivism of the 1920s. Letters are sans-serif, simple, there is also strongly visible use of multiplication, repeatable rhythm. The composition of the cover is dynamic, based on diagonal lines and perspective foreshortenings. On the one hand it is associated with love, warmth and energy, on the other – with war, violence and blood. Red also has radically different meanings. The color palette is narrowed to black, white and red – the so-called poster colors, where black and white create the ultimate contrast and red functions as the dominant element. The artists behind this design are Karl Flefisch and Günther Fröhling. This project even has its place in the MoMa collection in New York. Let’s take a look at the cover for “Man Machine”. Surely, it can be said they had good taste – the graphics on their covers were consistent with visuals during their concerts, it also went well with the steady, electronic rhythm of their music. Visually-wise, the members of Kraftwerk always had a distinguishable, visible image, which changed accordingly with the longplays that were published. Kraftwerk belongs to electronic music pioneers and, at the same time, it had great influence on the growth of other music genres. It has to be mentioned though, that its roots lie in very good German bands such as Kraftwerk, DAF and Einstürzende Neubauten. The style quickly became popular and spread throughout whole country, only to end up as a gaudy trend. In the 70s in Germany a music genre called Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave) came into existence. Below, I chose a few examples which I personally find the most interesting. You can find these inspirations in today’s rock music videos as well. The avant-garde art of the 1920s has had tremendous influence on the development of graphic design.

Franz ferdinand band genre